The Illinois State Board of Education released its annual Illinois Report Card for 2025-26 on Thursday, and Geneseo’s schools once again received high marks.
Geneseo High School and Millikin Elementary earned Exemplary status, the highest designation of the Report Card’s five tiers. Geneseo Middle School achieved Approaching Exemplary, the second highest tier, and Northside Elementary and Southwest Elementary received the designation of Commendable, the third highest tier.
Each school’s summative designation is determined by its performance on core indicators of proficiency, growth and graduation rate. Other factors include English Language progress, consistent attendance, and the 5Essentials climate survey.
“We are incredibly proud of the work taking place across our entire district and the dedication of every school community in supporting student success,” stated Superintendent Dr. Laura Delgado. “These accomplishments reflect the commitment of our teachers and staff, the hard work and perseverance of our students, and the strong partnerships we share with families and our community.”
Delgado added, “Every day, our schools work together to create meaningful opportunities for all students to learn, grow, and thrive. As we look ahead, our five-year strategic plan serves as a roadmap, guiding our collective efforts, strengthening our schools, and keeping us focused on our shared vision of ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
A closer look at the Geneseo school district’s report card includes multiple key academic proficiencies that exceed state averages in English Language Arts (overall ELA proficiency of 62.1% compared to 55.4% statewide), Math (overall proficiency of 44.5% compared to 39.2% statewide), and Science (overall proficiency of 60.0% compared to 48.7% statewide).
Geneseo’s graduation rate remained strong at 97.2%, exceeding the statewide rate of 89.8% by more than seven percentage points.
The district also continues to demonstrate success in keeping students on track for graduation. Geneseo’s 9th Grade on Track rate is 97.2%, compared to the statewide rate of 89.6%. This measure reflects whether freshmen meet key academic and attendance benchmarks by the end of their first year of high school, putting them on a path toward graduation.
Another measure of academic achievement is the percentage of Eighth Graders Passing Algebra I. In Geneseo, 47.4% of eighth graders meet this benchmark, compared to 30.9% statewide in Illinois.
“On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to congratulate all of our schools on these important achievements,” said the board’s President, Kane Causemaker. “We are proud of the work our students and staff do every day and grateful for the dedication of our educators, the support of our families, and the commitment of our entire school community. These recognitions reflect the progress being made across our district and reinforce the importance of continuing to invest in our students, our staff, and the opportunities that help every student reach their full potential.”
View Geneseo’s complete Illinois Report Card now at IllinoisReportCard.com.
Illinois State Board of Education’s Illinois Report Card
The annual Illinois Report Card provides a snapshot of school performance, highlighting areas of success as well as opportunities for continued improvement.
Beginning with the 2026 Illinois Report Card, Illinois replaced its previous accountability designations with a new framework called Profiles of Performance. Profiles of Performance were created in response to stakeholder feedback requesting clearer expectations, more actionable information, and a stronger focus on continuous improvement.
Rather than primarily comparing schools to one another, Profiles of Performance evaluate schools against clearly defined statewide performance criteria. Schools are assigned one of five profile levels: Exemplary, Approaching Exemplary, Commendable, Developing, or Comprehensive.
The Report Card provides an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and educators while also identifying areas where we can continue to grow.