Romona Elementary School in Wilmette placed No. 23 among Illinois public elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings released Tuesday, Oct. 20.
The K-4 school serves about 450 students in Wilmette Public Schools District 39. Romona earned National Blue Ribbon honors three times, in 2006, 2017 and 2023.
The ranking caps a strong stretch for District 39. The same day the U.S. News list dropped, McKenzie Elementary received a 2026 Governor's Blue Ribbon School designation from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Only 24 schools statewide earned that honor, according to the district.
Romona was the only school in the North Shore Weekly's five-village coverage area to crack the elementary top 25. No schools from Winnetka, Kenilworth, Glencoe or Northfield appeared in the top 25. Three Northbrook elementary schools did: Westmoor at No. 11, Wescott at No. 12 and Meadowbrook at No. 19.
That's the elementary list. In a separate middle school ranking, Northfield's Sunset Ridge Elementary School placed 10th among 846 ranked Illinois middle schools. As we reported Oct. 22, 88% of Sunset Ridge students scored at or above proficiency in reading and 77% in math, well above statewide averages of 45% and 36%.
The 2027 rankings use a new methodology, according to a U.S. News press release. For the first time, researchers incorporated data collected directly from state education agencies by RTI International alongside U.S. Department of Education data. The rankings evaluate reading and math performance across all proficiency levels while accounting for student background. Student-teacher ratios break ties.
Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in the press release that the updated approach "gives families, educators and community leaders an even clearer view of academic achievement …"
Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center in Chicago topped the statewide list. Here are the top 10 public elementary schools in Illinois, according to U.S. News:
- Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center, Chicago
- Skinner North Elementary School, Chicago
- Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Rockford
- Keller Elementary Gifted Magnet School, Chicago
- Meadow Glens Elementary School, Naperville
- Elm Elementary School, Burr Ridge
- Ellsworth Elementary School, Naperville
- Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy, Chicago
- Decatur Classical Elementary School, Chicago
- Hollywood Elementary School, Brookfield
