Is Prairie Knolls Middle School a good school?

Yes. Prairie Knolls Middle School ranks in the top 10.0% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Prairie Knolls Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 777 students attended Prairie Knolls Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Prairie Knolls Middle School?

Students at Prairie Knolls Middle School are 60% White, 17% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What high school do graduates of Prairie Knolls Middle School attend?

Students who attend Prairie Knolls Middle School usually go on to attend Central High School

Prairie Knolls Middle School

Summary:

Prairie Knolls Middle School is a public middle school located in Elgin, Illinois, serving grades 6-7 with a total enrollment of 799 students. The school is part of the Central CUSD 301 district, which is ranked 153 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Prairie Knolls Middle School has consistently ranked among the top middle schools in Illinois, with a current statewide ranking of 136 out of 1,363 schools and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Prairie Knolls Middle School consistently outperforms the state and district averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency. In the 2023-2024 school year, 66.1% of all students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 63.7% for the district and 41.2% for the state. In Mathematics, 45.8% of all students were proficient or better, compared to 43.7% for the district and 28.4% for the state. The school also excels in the performance of various student subgroups, ranking among the top Illinois middle schools for Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and Low Socioeconomic Status students. Additionally, Prairie Knolls Middle School has relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 5.3% in 2019-2020 to 11.6% in 2022-2023, which are lower than the state average.

When compared to nearby middle schools, Prairie Knolls Middle School stands out as a high-performing institution. For example, Central Middle School, which is also part of the Central CUSD 301 district, has similar strong academic performance. In contrast, schools in the neighboring Cusd 300 and School District U-46 districts generally have lower proficiency rates, with Carpentersville Middle School and several U-46 middle schools ranking in the bottom half of Illinois middle schools. Prairie Knolls Middle School's consistent high performance over the years is a testament to the school's effective teaching practices and strong leadership.

Detail:

Public 6-7

225 Nesler Rd
Elgin, IL 60124-4371

(847) 717-8100

District: Central CUSD 301

SchoolDigger Rank:
136^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,890

Students who attend Prairie Knolls Middle School usually attend:

High:

Central High School

Feeder schools for Prairie Knolls Middle School:

Elementary:	Country Trails Elementary
	Howard B Thomas Grade School
	Lily Lake Grade School
	Prairie View Grade School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 777

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.4%

Hispanic:

17.4%

Asian:

14.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Prairie Knolls Middle School ranks better than 90% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.75. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Prairie Knolls Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (60.4%), Hispanic (17.4%), Asian (14.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 17.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Prairie Knolls Middle School is 17.5. (See more...)

Compare Prairie Knolls Middle School employs 44.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Prairie Knolls Middle School is $13,890.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Prairie Knolls Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Prairie Knolls Middle School 136^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Prairie Knolls Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Central CUSD 301:

SchoolDigger ranks Central CUSD 301 153^rd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Prairie Knolls Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2009	84.24	105^th	1318	92.0%
2010	83.89	115^th	1327	91.3%
2011	82.34	148^th	1344	89.0%
2012	84.79	112^th	1365	91.8%
2013	86.63	137^th	1367	90.0%
2014	85.99	140^th	1322	89.4%
2015	74.00	274^th	1302	79.0%
2016	90.57	88^th	1294	93.2%
2017	94.73	45^th	1293	96.5%
2018	94.41	52^nd	1293	96.0%
2019	93.55	61^st	1356	95.5%
2021	82.97	161^st	1241	87.0%
2022	95.20	53^rd	1369	96.1%
2023	91.77	93^rd	1367	93.2%
2024	87.75	136^th	1363	90.0%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2021	54.56	36^th	97	62.9%
2022	75.12	43^rd	195	77.9%
2023	77.51	42^nd	194	78.4%
2024	79.38	35^th	184	81.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	57.16	71^st	339	79.1%
2021	45.51	116^th	277	58.1%
2022	83.64	17^th	454	96.3%
2023	93.81	6^th	480	98.8%
2024	78.99	28^th	486	94.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	70.77	85^th	602	85.9%
2019	49.79	273^rd	792	65.5%
2021	44.35	228^th	548	58.4%
2022	74.11	79^th	781	89.9%
2023	66.75	169^th	805	79.0%
2024	51.16	285^th	802	64.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	94.21	28^th	1161	97.6%
2019	89.73	46^th	1217	96.2%
2021	89.99	42^nd	1019	95.9%
2022	99.04	9^th	1221	99.3%
2023	96.72	14^th	1234	98.9%
2024	88.86	58^th	1219	95.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	94.04	43^rd	1226	96.5%
2019	92.92	56^th	1276	95.6%
2021	82.07	127^th	1017	87.5%
2022	94.40	51^st	1286	96.0%
2023	89.99	96^th	1275	92.5%
2024	86.58	134^th	1251	89.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	72.26	89^th	674	86.8%
2024	49.89	226^th	639	64.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	92.38	62^nd	1223	94.9%
2019	93.16	60^th	1296	95.4%
2021	78.43	166^th	1048	84.2%
2022	94.78	46^th	1286	96.4%
2023	91.75	82^nd	1292	93.7%
2024	86.13	135^th	1264	89.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	81.41	25^th	209	88.0%
2019	74.34	40^th	201	80.1%
2021	40.51	72^nd	112	35.7%
2022	69.93	57^th	198	71.2%
2023	70.82	50^th	192	74.0%
2024	66.29	62^nd	184	66.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	89.40	26^th	590	95.6%
2019	91.41	25^th	639	96.1%
2021	79.18	57^th	517	89.0%
2022	95.42	20^th	662	97.0%
2023	92.30	26^th	661	96.1%
2024	84.28	57^th	643	91.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	88.90	57^th	889	93.6%
2019	85.96	74^th	905	91.8%
2021	73.03	167^th	813	79.5%
2022	87.44	75^th	898	91.6%
2023	77.71	152^nd	895	83.0%
2024	71.34	205^th	875	76.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Prairie Knolls Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	263	16	31	52	0	n/a	n/a	21	383
2009	260	17	35	50	1	n/a	n/a	28	391
2010	264	16	41	73	1	n/a	n/a	19	414
2011	267	19	44	81	0	0	16	0	427
2012	295	22	51	75	0	1	15	0	459
2013	373	18	51	76	0	1	14	0	533
2014	369	16	48	85	3	0	14	0	535
2015	392	22	60	77	4	1	13	0	569
2016	401	18	76	92	0	0	21	0	608
2017	408	18	80	124	1	0	23	0	654
2018	400	15	80	128	0	0	19	0	642
2019	422	13	77	125	0	0	21	0	658
2020	459	10	78	114	1	0	26	0	688
2021	468	11	92	128	2	0	27	0	728
2022	467	17	116	139	1	0	28	0	768
2023	493	17	125	134	0	0	30	0	799
2024	469	20	115	135	2	0	36	0	777

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Prairie Knolls Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	383	27.0	14.2	2.8
2009	391	29.0	13.5	5.2
2010	414	32.0	12.9	10.9
2011	427	29.9	14.2	12.4
2012	459	32.0	14.3	12.6
2013	533	55.1	9.6	12.2
2014	535	38.5	13.8	16.6
2015	569	35.0	16.2	17.9
2016	608	40.0	15.2	10.7
2017	654	40.7	16.0	13.5
2018	642	42.5	15.1	10.9
2019	658	43.2	15.2	12.3
2020	688	43.4	15.8	10.3
2021	728	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	768	43.2	17.7	13.3
2023	799	45.2	17.6	17.1
2024	777	44.1	17.5	17.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Prairie Knolls Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	383	27.0	14.2	2.8
2009	391	29.0	13.5	5.2
2010	414	32.0	12.9	10.9
2011	427	29.9	14.2	12.4
2012	459	32.0	14.3	12.6
2013	533	55.1	9.6	12.2
2014	535	38.5	13.8	16.6
2015	569	35.0	16.2	17.9
2016	608	40.0	15.2	10.7
2017	654	40.7	16.0	13.5
2018	642	42.5	15.1	10.9
2019	658	43.2	15.2	12.3
2020	688	43.4	15.8	10.3
2021	728	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	768	43.2	17.7	13.3
2023	799	45.2	17.6	17.1
2024	777	44.1	17.5	17.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates