Is Harlem High School a good school?

Harlem High School ranks 405 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harlem High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,875 students attended Harlem High School.

What is the racial makeup of Harlem High School?

Students at Harlem High School are 69% White, 14% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 7% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools feed into Harlem High School?

Harlem High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Donald C Parker Early Educ Center Elementary : Loves Park Elementary School Elementary : Machesney Elementary School Elementary : Maple Elementary School Elementary : Marquette Elementary School Elementary : Olson Park Elementary School Elementary : Ralston Elementary School Elementary : Rock Cut Elementary School Elementary : Windsor Elementary School Middle : Harlem Middle School

Harlem High School

Summary:

Harlem High School is a public high school located in Machesney Park, Illinois, serving 1,875 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Harlem UD 122 school district, which is ranked 627 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harlem High School has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 294 out of 699 Illinois high schools in 2022-2023 to 405 out of 697 in 2023-2024. The school's SchoolDigger rating has also varied, ranging from 1 star to 3 stars in recent years. While the school performs relatively well for Hispanic students, ranking in the top 30% in 2022-2023, it struggles with other subgroups, such as Asian, Multi-racial, and White students, ranking in the bottom 30% or lower. Harlem High School's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 79.5% and 85.0%, which is lower than the state average, and its dropout rate has ranged from 3.1% to 6.6%, which is higher than the state average. The school's test scores in SAT Mathematics, SAT English Language Arts, and ISA Science are consistently lower than the state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 13.3% to 23.9%.

In comparison to nearby schools, Hononegah CHD High School is a top-performing school in the state, ranking in the top 5% of Illinois high schools, while Rockford East High School and Auburn High School perform better than Harlem High School in terms of statewide ranking and test scores, but still lag behind the state averages. Harlem High School has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 23.9% in 2019-2020 to 59.2% in 2021-2022, which may be impacting the school's academic performance and graduation rates.

Detail:

Public 9-12

9229 N Alpine Rd
Machesney Park, IL 61115-1924

(815) 654-4511

District: Harlem UD 122

SchoolDigger Rank:
405^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,355

Feeder schools for Harlem High School:

Elementary:	Donald C Parker Early Educ Center
	Loves Park Elementary School
	Machesney Elementary School
	Maple Elementary School
	More...
	Marquette Elementary School
	Olson Park Elementary School
	Ralston Elementary School
	Rock Cut Elementary School
	Windsor Elementary School
Middle:	Harlem Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 1,875

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.1%

Hispanic:

14.3%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.4%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Harlem High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harlem High School ranks worse than 58.1% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.41. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Harlem High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harlem High School is $16,355.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Harlem High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Harlem High School 405^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Harlem High School in the ranking list.)

High 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:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Harlem UD 122:

SchoolDigger ranks Harlem UD 122 627^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Harlem High School

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Rank History for all students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	48.97	344^th	586	41.3%
2004	49.79	355^th	592	40.0%
2005	35.21	456^th	590	22.7%
2006	44.08	389^th	596	34.7%
2007	40.39	413^th	612	32.5%
2008	45.34	400^th	624	35.9%
2009	53.34	334^th	632	47.2%
2010	56.65	322^nd	643	49.9%
2011	60.38	295^th	655	55.0%
2012	65.64	226^th	665	66.0%
2013	51.84	361^st	670	46.1%
2014	60.12	286^th	670	57.3%
2015	29.30	442^nd	614	28.0%
2016	26.77	492^nd	643	23.5%
2017	43.75	363^rd	642	43.5%
2018	30.22	475^th	647	26.6%
2019	48.42	357^th	701	49.1%
2021	47.05	323^rd	688	53.1%
2022	54.37	298^th	699	57.4%
2023	53.10	294^th	699	57.9%
2024	38.41	405^th	697	41.9%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	17.71	125^th	154	18.8%
2019	16.10	144^th	165	12.7%
2021	24.72	115^th	160	28.1%
2022	36.53	104^th	170	38.8%
2023	16.35	144^th	163	11.7%
2024	16.84	152^nd	182	16.5%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	62.31	24^th	151	84.1%
2019	31.29	130^th	183	29.0%
2021	52.71	51^st	189	73.0%
2022	30.87	153^rd	205	25.4%
2023	62.73	47^th	217	78.3%
2024	28.56	158^th	248	36.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	41.14	172^nd	374	54.0%
2019	38.96	222^nd	473	53.1%
2021	35.97	242^nd	453	46.6%
2022	40.77	219^th	493	55.6%
2023	45.79	188^th	476	60.5%
2024	28.22	312^th	482	35.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.94	382^nd	585	34.7%
2019	55.33	241^st	639	62.3%
2021	49.21	258^th	611	57.8%
2022	60.08	192^nd	626	69.3%
2023	57.74	220^th	644	65.8%
2024	40.64	353^rd	639	44.8%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	70.81	17^th	91	81.3%
2022	73.12	16^th	98	83.7%
2023	28.07	55^th	104	47.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.74	456^th	620	26.5%
2019	49.31	335^th	665	49.6%
2021	52.83	263^rd	639	58.8%
2022	49.28	328^th	658	50.2%
2023	53.14	295^th	656	55.0%
2024	32.79	429^th	664	35.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	53.33	130^th	428	69.6%
2024	35.57	216^th	429	49.7%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	26.43	13^th	19	31.6%
2021	32.83	13^th	22	40.9%
2022	27.28	20^th	26	23.1%
2023	12.43	19^th	22	13.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.80	447^th	619	27.8%
2019	45.51	351^st	675	48.0%
2021	38.51	379^th	653	42.0%
2022	56.81	258^th	664	61.1%
2023	50.88	305^th	668	54.3%
2024	42.39	354^th	668	47.0%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	25.56	101^st	130	22.3%
2021	19.03	113^th	135	16.3%
2022	29.35	108^th	141	23.4%
2023	22.21	109^th	134	18.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	51.38	94^th	253	62.8%
2019	43.69	132^nd	299	55.9%
2021	56.71	77^th	281	72.6%
2022	43.83	136^th	294	53.7%
2023	44.60	133^rd	301	55.8%
2024	25.60	244^th	299	18.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	19.63	248^th	291	14.8%
2019	35.53	189^th	317	40.4%
2021	43.46	147^th	317	53.6%
2022	52.95	134^th	335	60.0%
2023	61.85	92^nd	333	72.4%
2024	38.24	186^th	336	44.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Harlem High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.39	462^nd	548	15.7%
2019	33.81	360^th	552	34.8%
2021	33.79	342^nd	553	38.2%
2022	43.79	310^th	560	44.6%
2023	39.34	318^th	557	42.9%
2024	25.90	409^th	554	26.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High 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

Review counts

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Enrollment information for Harlem High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1369	7	16	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	1407
1989	1316	11	15	20	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	1362
1990	1229	10	5	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	1261
1991	1166	10	17	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	1230
1992	1158	19	14	40	3	n/a	n/a	0	1234
1993	1222	26	18	41	7	n/a	n/a	0	1314
1994	1227	27	16	48	7	n/a	n/a	0	1325
1995	1266	33	18	54	0	n/a	n/a	0	1371
1996	1266	33	18	54	0	n/a	n/a	0	1371
1997	1332	35	18	55	3	n/a	n/a	0	1443
1998	1304	29	17	54	2	n/a	n/a	0	1406
1999	1280	34	16	51	3	n/a	n/a	0	1384
2000	1222	24	16	50	3	n/a	n/a	0	1315
2001	1888	53	29	99	5	n/a	n/a	0	2074
2002	2015	65	38	97	6	n/a	n/a	0	2221
2003	2015	65	38	97	6	n/a	n/a	0	2221
2004	2081	79	44	114	8	n/a	n/a	0	2326
2005	2141	79	42	120	8	n/a	n/a	4	2394
2006	2177	75	46	122	11	n/a	n/a	3	2434
2007	2160	86	42	123	12	n/a	n/a	27	2450
2008	2139	98	42	121	9	n/a	n/a	37	2446
2009	2088	99	40	142	7	n/a	n/a	48	2424
2010	2057	119	40	139	4	n/a	n/a	64	2423
2011	2032	106	45	196	9	2	63	0	2453
2012	1930	98	41	187	5	2	70	0	2333
2013	1874	97	42	194	11	3	83	0	2304
2014	1724	91	37	216	9	2	98	0	2177
2015	1647	99	32	213	5	1	102	0	2099
2016	1611	104	33	252	8	1	113	0	2122
2017	1582	95	43	254	9	2	108	0	2093
2018	1140	77	36	188	4	3	81	0	1529
2019	1126	67	36	204	4	1	96	0	1534
2020	1390	100	48	268	12	3	120	0	1941
2021	1389	123	49	292	14	2	135	0	2004
2022	1373	127	39	274	13	2	139	0	1967
2023	1295	123	36	269	10	1	141	0	1875

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 Harlem High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1407	84.0	16.7	n/a
1989	1362	71.0	19.1	n/a
1990	1261	73.1	17.2	n/a
1991	1230	76.5	16.0	n/a
1992	1234	81.1	15.2	n/a
1993	1314	78.5	16.7	n/a
1994	1325	81.5	16.3	n/a
1995	1371	81.1	16.9	n/a
1996	1371	81.1	16.9	n/a
1997	1443	84.0	17.2	n/a
1998	1406	84.6	16.6	n/a
1999	1384	88.3	15.7	n/a
2000	1315	87.3	15.1	n/a
2001	2074	128.9	16.1	n/a
2002	2221	130.0	17.1	15.1
2003	2221	130.0	17.1	15.1
2004	2326	138.5	16.8	19.3
2005	2394	140.0	17.1	23.5
2006	2434	139.4	17.5	27.6
2007	2450	122.0	20.1	26.9
2008	2446	117.0	20.9	31.2
2009	2424	154.6	15.7	35.3
2010	2423	130.0	18.6	31.5
2011	2453	132.0	18.5	30.5
2012	2333	169.8	13.7	43.6
2013	2304	167.7	13.7	47
2014	2177	156.1	13.9	53.1
2015	2099	158.0	13.2	46.1
2016	2122	154.0	13.7	50.3
2017	2093	154.0	13.5	52.7
2018	1529	114.0	13.4	49.2
2019	1534	112.8	13.5	50.1
2020	1941	148.7	13.0	50.6
2021	2004	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1967	143.5	13.7	49.2
2023	1875	137.7	13.6	53.4

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 Harlem High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1407	84.0	16.7	n/a
1989	1362	71.0	19.1	n/a
1990	1261	73.1	17.2	n/a
1991	1230	76.5	16.0	n/a
1992	1234	81.1	15.2	n/a
1993	1314	78.5	16.7	n/a
1994	1325	81.5	16.3	n/a
1995	1371	81.1	16.9	n/a
1996	1371	81.1	16.9	n/a
1997	1443	84.0	17.2	n/a
1998	1406	84.6	16.6	n/a
1999	1384	88.3	15.7	n/a
2000	1315	87.3	15.1	n/a
2001	2074	128.9	16.1	n/a
2002	2221	130.0	17.1	15.1
2003	2221	130.0	17.1	15.1
2004	2326	138.5	16.8	19.3
2005	2394	140.0	17.1	23.5
2006	2434	139.4	17.5	27.6
2007	2450	122.0	20.1	26.9
2008	2446	117.0	20.9	31.2
2009	2424	154.6	15.7	35.3
2010	2423	130.0	18.6	31.5
2011	2453	132.0	18.5	30.5
2012	2333	169.8	13.7	43.6
2013	2304	167.7	13.7	47
2014	2177	156.1	13.9	53.1
2015	2099	158.0	13.2	46.1
2016	2122	154.0	13.7	50.3
2017	2093	154.0	13.5	52.7
2018	1529	114.0	13.4	49.2
2019	1534	112.8	13.5	50.1
2020	1941	148.7	13.0	50.6
2021	2004	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1967	143.5	13.7	49.2
2023	1875	137.7	13.6	53.4

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