Olson Park Elem School

Set in Machesney Park, Illinois, Olson Park Elem School is a small primary school, part of Harlem UD 122. It educates 294 students across grades 1 through 5. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so Olson Park Elem School sits 23% below that benchmark.

Harlem UD 122 comprises 11 schools with combined enrollment of 6,108 students; Olson Park Elem School is among them.

In terms of who attends, Olson Park Elem School lists that 67% of the student body identifies as White; the rest breaks down as 15% Hispanic, 10% multiracial, 5% Black, 2% Asian. Compared to Winnebago County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.5:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Roughly 55% of students at Olson Park Elem School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Olson Park Elem School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 39.9%, the actual is 52.9%, a residual of +13.0 points.

Around the school, census data for Winnebago County shows median household income runs about $65,837, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Winnebago County runs 94 public schools (combined enrollment of about 44,103 students), of which Olson Park Elem School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Harlem High School, around 0.5 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Olson Park Elem School ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 31.0%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count remained close to its prior level: 295 students in 2018 compared to 294 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 76% to 67% across the same window. Class-load math has rose: from 14.0:1 in 2018 to 15.5:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.