Sangamon Sun

State Representative Mike Coffey praised the achievements of Rochester Elementary School in a Facebook post dated November 14, stating, "Rochester Elementary School 2-3 has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Elementary Schools for 2025!"

"Rochester Elementary School 2-3 has been named one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Elementary Schools for 2025," said Mike Coffey, Jr, according to Facebook.

According to his post, Coffey shared content from Rochester Community Unit School District (CUSD) 3A, which highlighted this accomplishment. The district expressed its excitement over the recognition. "Exciting News! U.S. News and World Report named Rochester 2-3 a 2025 Best Elementary School! Our staff's commitment to making sure all students are known, valued, and empowered to grow is evident by this recognition. We want to congratulate our 2-3 staff and students on their hard work and dedication," the district wrote.

Screenshot of State Repressentative Mike Coffey's Nov. 14 Facebook post | State Representative Mike Coffey's Facebook page

Rochester 2-3 also acknowledged the achievement through its own Facebook post. "We're honored to be named as a 2025 Best Elementary School! Congrats to our amazing staff on their hard work and dedication to making Rochester Schools the best place to learn, grow, and raise your family! It's a great day to be a Rocket," the school said.

As part of its rankings for 2025, U.S. News & World Report evaluated elementary schools across Illinois. The publication ranked Rochester Elementary School at 583rd out of 1,953 Illinois elementary schools. It noted that the school has an enrollment of 255 students in second and third grades with an average class size of 18 students per teacher. The report highlighted that minority student enrollment stands at 13% and that there are 14 full-time equivalent teachers who are all certified. For reading proficiency at 42%, the school ranked in a tie at position 433. In terms of reading performance, it meets expectations according to U.S. News & World Report.

Coffey was appointed to fill a vacancy in Illinois State House District 95 following Tim Butler's retirement. A lifelong Springfield resident and business owner, Coffey joined his family's restaurant business Saputo’s in Springfield in 1992 after it was established by his parents in 1948. He later opened Papa Frank’s in Springfield in 2015. Coffey holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois.