Chronic absenteeism rates declined again at Indian Prairie School District 204 according to its 2026 Illinois Report Card, and the district continued to post high proficiency rates in major subject areas.
Here’s a look at some of the major data points.
First, chronic absenteeism — defined as students who have missed 10% or more of school — declined again from just under 16% to a little under 14%, according to the latest data from the Illinois State Board of Education. That’s almost 10 percentage points lower than the state average.
That rate, however, still remains above pre-pandemic levels, in line with the statewide trend.
“We’re very focused on partnering with our community, partnering with our parents, communicating with them about the importance of school,” District 204 Superintendent John Price told The Beacon-News on Friday.
Price pointed to efforts meant to increase attendance at Indian Prairie, specifically a recent change the district made to how student absences are logged.
“That seems to be working,” Price said, “and parents are being really responsive and supportive.”
He said the district is also using surveys of students not attending school and their families to “try and tailor interventions” for them.
“Every attendance story is different,” Price said. “We want to make sure that we’re, if the challenge is transportation, we’re addressing transportation. If the challenge is school climate, we’re addressing school climate.”
Like last year, Indian Prairie showed significantly higher rates of proficiency — a measure of whether students are meeting goals for their grade level — than the state average in English Language Arts, or ELA, math and science, per the district’s 2026 Illinois Report Card.
The latest data shows nearly 75% of District 204 students who were measured as proficient in ELA, along with just under 70% in science and 63% in math. Both ELA and science proficiency rates rose compared to 2025 data, while math remained about the same.
Price said the district has been focused on reading and ELA growth, and that the work is apparent in the data.
But he thinks the figures call for a “renewed focus” on math.
The district’s average ACT scores were likewise above the state averages, at 22 for ELA, 23.7 for math and 22.6 for science, per the district’s report card data. The district’s average numbers were roughly the same for math and science compared to 2025 figures, and slightly lower for ELA.
Indian Prairie’s four-year graduation rates, however, declined to 92.5%, compared to roughly 95% the year prior, per ISBE figures.
The district still outperformed the statewide average in terms of graduation rates, which reached a new high of nearly 90%.
Price said there’s nothing specific the district can point to at the moment as to why that rate decreased, but that it’s something the district is going to look into. He noted that graduation rates — especially for student populations that have historically had lower rates — has been a focus for the school district.
The district’s total enrollment also dipped slightly, from just under 26,000 to a little under 25,700 on this year’s report card. Student enrollment fell statewide by 1.6%, continuing a long-term decline as birth rates fall and more people move out of state.
This year, ISBE redesigned its accountability system for schools. Under the new system, the majority of District 204’s schools were designated as “exemplary.” A few were deemed “approaching exemplary” or “commendable,” and only one — Longwood Elementary School — was designated as “developing.”
Last year, all but two District 204 schools — Longwood and Owen elementaries — were designated as “exemplary” or “commendable.”
Price also noted the district’s teacher retention figures — about 94%, several points higher than the state average — and said that “reinforces the daily experience (he has) in schools, that this is a place that people love to work.”
Overall, Price expressed positivity about the recently-released data.
“I think it shows that Indian Prairie continues to be a premier school district in the state of Illinois,” he said.
Looking forward, Price said there will be additional attention paid to math instruction, noting that the district’s middle school math curriculum is going under a review cycle this year.
He also said this data will be important as the district prepares for its new strategic plan, in terms of informing what strategies and outcomes they’re looking for.
The district’s full Illinois Report Card for 2026 can be found at: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/District.aspx?districtid=19022204026.
The Chicago Tribune’s Robert McCoppin contributed.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
