Washington Elem School

Washington Elem School is an intimate elementary-level community in Pontiac, Illinois, run under Pontiac CCSD 429. The school teaches 221 students in grades 4 through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 42% smaller than the state mean of about 381.

Washington Elem School is one of 4 schools operated by Pontiac CCSD 429, a district that instructs 1,135 students overall.

Demographically, Washington Elem School records that the student body is overwhelmingly White (81%). The remainder looks like 8% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Black. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 89%.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.3:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Around 52% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

With demographic context factored in, Washington Elem School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 41.5%, the actual is 30.6%, a residual of -10.8 points.

In the surrounding community, census data for Livingston County shows median household income runs about $73,790, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 8%. Across Livingston County's 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,273 students), Washington Elem School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Pontiac Jr High School, around 0.1 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 4 other public schools cluster around Washington Elem School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Washington Elem School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 35.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-based area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Washington Elem School's enrollment has edged down 18% since 2018, when it stood at 269 (now 221). White enrollment moved from 74% to 81% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 13.2:1 in 2018 to 10.3:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.