Willard Elem School

Set in South Elgin, Illinois, Willard Elem School is a mid-sized K-5 school, operated by SD U-46. It instructs 370 students across grades K through 6.

SD U-46 runs 51 schools in total, collectively educating 34,036 students. Willard Elem School is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Willard Elem School shows that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 58% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 30% White, 6% multiracial, 5% Black. By comparison, Kane County as a whole is about 33% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Willard Elem School logs 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 15.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Willard Elem School higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 55% of students at Willard Elem School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, Willard Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 39.5%; this one delivers 38.9%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Kane County) reports that median household income runs about $103,163, 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Across Kane County's 167 public schools (combined enrollment of about 87,252 students), Willard Elem School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Clinton Elem School, roughly 0.8 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Willard Elem School at 6th of 9; the average score across the group is 37.9%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 14%: 324 students in 2018 compared to 370 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 34% to 58% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 16.7:1 in 2018 to 15.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Willard Elem School community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.