East Aurora Schools Show Academic Gains but Struggle With Student Absences

East Aurora School District 131 got some good news and some concerning news from its 2026 Illinois Report Card. Students in the district made gains in reading, math, and science compared to the year before. However, the district still has one of the highest rates of chronic absenteeism in the state, meaning too many students are missing too many school days. District leaders say they are working hard to tackle both challenges at the same time.

In terms of test scores, East Aurora still falls behind the state average, but things are moving in the right direction. About 28% of students were proficient in English Language Arts, or ELA, while math proficiency was just under 17% and science sat at around 27.5%. All three numbers were higher than the year before. Superintendent Bob Halverson said he knows the district still has a long way to go, but he is encouraged by the progress.

The district's ACT scores also stayed below the state average but continued to improve. East Aurora students averaged 14.2 in ELA, 16.2 in math, and 16.2 in science. Math scores saw the biggest jump compared to last year. Halverson pointed out that some specific groups of students made especially strong gains — for example, Black students who were proficient in ELA improved by nearly 10 percentage points.

The state also changed how it grades and ranks schools this year. Four East Aurora schools were rated 'exemplary' or 'approaching exemplary,' and nine were rated 'commendable.' Two schools were placed in a category that means they need extra help from the state. Last year, seven schools were on a list needing targeted support, so that number has gone down.

Chronic absenteeism remains one of the district's biggest problems. Chronic absenteeism means a student has missed 10% or more of the school year — about 18 days or more. More than 34% of East Aurora students were chronically absent in the latest data, which is more than 10 percentage points above the state average. Associate Superintendent Jonathan Simpson partly blamed this on federal immigration enforcement actions that created extra fear and stress for many families in the community.

To bring students back to school, the district has taken several steps. Each school has an attendance team and a specific plan to improve attendance rates. The district has also worked to communicate more clearly with families about why attendance matters. Halverson added that the district is trying to help students feel more connected through sports, art, and other activities.

There are other challenges the district is watching closely. Total student enrollment dropped from just over 12,000 to just under 11,500, following a statewide trend of falling enrollment. The four-year graduation rate also dipped slightly, from just over 90% last year to just over 87% this year, putting it slightly below the state average of nearly 90%. District leaders say helping students graduate remains a top priority.

One bright spot in the data was a major jump in teacher attendance. The share of teachers who missed fewer than 10 school days jumped from about 53% to nearly 76%, beating the state average by more than 10 percentage points. Halverson said the district has worked hard to build a culture where teachers feel safe and valued. He believes that when students see the same teacher every day, learning becomes stronger and trust grows.

Halverson said all of this work — from improving attendance to supporting teachers to strengthening the curriculum — is connected. He believes that steady, dependable effort every day is what leads to real improvement. 'Better test scores and grades do not happen overnight,' he said. District leaders say they are committed to keeping the momentum going so that every student feels supported and ready to learn.