Is Harvard Junior High School a good school?

Harvard Junior High School ranks in the bottom 19.4% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Harvard Junior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 577 students attended Harvard Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Harvard Junior High School?

Students at Harvard Junior High School are 70% Hispanic, 27% White, 2% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Harvard Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Harvard Junior High School usually go on to attend Harvard High School

Harvard Junior High School

Summary:

Harvard Junior High School is a public middle school located in Harvard, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 540 students. Unfortunately, this school has consistently underperformed, ranking in the bottom quarter of Illinois middle schools with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

The key issues at Harvard Junior High School are significant. Academically, the school lags far behind state averages, with only 26% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 4.9% proficient in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 41.2% and 28.4% respectively. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 31.4% in the 2022-2023 school year. Certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and White students, as well as English Language Learners and students with low socioeconomic status, perform particularly poorly compared to their peers statewide.

When comparing Harvard Junior High School to nearby middle schools, such as Belvidere Central Middle School, Belvidere South Middle School, and Creekside Middle School, it becomes clear that Harvard Junior High School is an outlier, with significantly lower academic performance. This suggests that there are opportunities for improvement, and addressing the root causes of the school's challenges, such as improving attendance and targeting support for underperforming subgroups, could potentially lead to meaningful gains in student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

1301 Garfield St
Harvard, IL 60033-1737

(815) 943-6466

District: Harvard CUSD 50

SchoolDigger Rank:
1099^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,434

Students who attend Harvard Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Harvard High School

Feeder schools for Harvard Junior High School:

Elementary:	Crosby Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 577

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.0%

White:

27.0%

Two or more races:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44.7%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Harvard Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Harvard Junior High School ranks worse than 80.6% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.89. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70%), White (27%), two or more races (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 44.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harvard Junior High School is 11.6. (See more...)

Compare Harvard Junior High School employs 49.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harvard Junior High School is $16,434.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Harvard Junior High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Harvard Junior High School 1099^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Harvard Junior High School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Harvard CUSD 50:

SchoolDigger ranks Harvard CUSD 50 783^rd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Harvard Junior High School.

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Rank History for Harvard Junior High School

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Rank History for all students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	48.26	699^th	1185	41.0%
2004	36.06	827^th	1204	31.3%
2005	42.44	784^th	1209	35.2%
2006	45.67	807^th	1272	36.6%
2007	30.06	988^th	1287	23.2%
2008	26.80	1019^th	1293	21.2%
2009	29.30	1020^th	1318	22.6%
2010	30.38	1020^th	1327	23.1%
2011	37.61	963^rd	1344	28.3%
2012	25.63	1104^th	1365	19.1%
2013	22.45	1116^th	1367	18.4%
2014	30.27	969^th	1322	26.7%
2015	25.02	988^th	1302	24.1%
2016	34.10	830^th	1294	35.9%
2017	25.68	969^th	1293	25.1%
2018	28.87	918^th	1293	29.0%
2019	22.27	1074^th	1356	20.8%
2021	18.30	1057^th	1241	14.8%
2022	16.06	1214^th	1369	11.3%
2023	21.24	1091^st	1367	20.2%
2024	19.89	1099^th	1363	19.4%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.32	158^th	285	44.6%
2019	27.12	324^th	339	4.4%
2021	34.81	211^th	277	23.8%
2022	27.16	429^th	454	5.5%
2023	31.85	374^th	480	22.1%
2024	27.25	424^th	486	12.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.50	291^st	602	51.7%
2019	26.59	662^nd	792	16.4%
2021	25.59	501^st	548	8.6%
2022	37.69	429^th	781	45.1%
2023	33.56	499^th	805	38.0%
2024	31.99	512^th	802	36.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.97	928^th	1161	20.1%
2019	22.98	1011^th	1217	16.9%
2021	24.90	833^rd	1019	18.3%
2022	16.39	1156^th	1221	5.3%
2023	24.13	1006^th	1234	18.5%
2024	25.14	962^nd	1219	21.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.92	850^th	1226	30.7%
2019	23.34	991^st	1276	22.3%
2021	18.07	878^th	1017	13.7%
2022	16.00	1135^th	1286	11.7%
2023	20.48	1025^th	1275	19.6%
2024	19.97	1015^th	1251	18.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	37.09	389^th	674	42.3%
2024	33.76	407^th	639	36.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.88	872^nd	1223	28.7%
2019	23.35	1001^st	1296	22.8%
2021	17.12	933^rd	1048	11.0%
2022	17.08	1125^th	1286	12.5%
2023	22.03	1024^th	1292	20.7%
2024	19.98	1033^rd	1264	18.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.03	511^th	590	13.4%
2019	16.33	598^th	639	6.4%
2021	19.94	466^th	517	9.9%
2022	12.62	651^st	662	1.7%
2023	19.50	586^th	661	11.3%
2024	16.30	595^th	643	7.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Harvard Junior High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	33.41	617^th	889	30.6%
2019	21.64	749^th	905	17.2%
2021	10.94	779^th	813	4.2%
2022	11.76	848^th	898	5.6%
2023	15.81	808^th	895	9.7%
2024	19.43	737^th	875	15.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

This school district is on the way up. WAY up. Close Quote

by a teacher
Wednesday, November 2, 2011

This is a terrible place to be! I am a former teacher at the school and there were countless number of parents who were mortified to find that the students are not getting the help they deserved. This is only part of the problem. Accomodations for students are changed and parents are not notified. They are pulled from and miss out on important classes to drill in areas that will be tested by the state. The principal is a tyrant who runs the school how she sees fit without regard for who it hurts. There is not much hope for the school until she is out! Test scores are low and bullying is up! Stay away if you can help it. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Harvard Junior High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	510	n/a	1	43	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	554
1990	554	n/a	1	40	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	595
1991	407	0	2	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
1992	415	0	1	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	465
1993	415	0	2	67	0	n/a	n/a	0	484
1994	376	1	0	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
1995	506	3	0	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	607
1996	506	3	0	98	0	n/a	n/a	0	607
1997	488	7	2	123	0	n/a	n/a	0	620
1998	473	7	2	136	2	n/a	n/a	0	620
1999	450	9	4	156	0	n/a	n/a	0	619
2000	448	2	2	187	0	n/a	n/a	0	639
2001	449	4	2	227	0	n/a	n/a	0	682
2002	455	9	4	284	0	n/a	n/a	0	752
2003	455	9	4	284	0	n/a	n/a	0	752
2004	402	5	3	294	0	n/a	n/a	0	704
2005	344	3	1	298	1	n/a	n/a	21	668
2006	295	6	0	344	0	n/a	n/a	26	671
2007	308	13	1	382	0	n/a	n/a	24	728
2008	310	7	2	373	0	n/a	n/a	30	722
2009	335	10	4	358	0	n/a	n/a	24	731
2010	310	7	4	346	0	n/a	n/a	29	696
2011	222	5	1	291	0	0	8	0	527
2012	207	3	0	283	0	0	8	0	501
2013	166	1	0	307	0	0	8	0	482
2014	166	1	2	319	0	0	2	0	490
2015	182	1	3	339	0	0	7	0	532
2016	192	7	4	358	1	0	8	0	570
2017	198	6	2	387	0	0	11	0	604
2018	173	7	1	398	0	0	15	0	594
2019	158	4	0	411	0	0	17	0	590
2020	169	2	2	438	0	0	7	0	618
2021	154	2	3	445	0	0	7	0	611
2022	153	4	3	421	0	0	7	0	588
2023	140	3	3	386	0	0	8	0	540
2024	156	3	3	404	1	0	10	0	577

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 Harvard Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	554	22.5	24.6	n/a
1990	595	25.5	23.3	n/a
1991	448	21.5	20.8	n/a
1992	465	22.8	20.3	n/a
1993	484	21.8	22.2	n/a
1994	449	23.8	18.9	n/a
1995	607	32.0	19.0	n/a
1996	607	32.0	19.0	n/a
1997	620	30.5	20.3	n/a
1998	620	35.5	17.5	n/a
1999	619	35.5	17.4	n/a
2000	639	35.5	18.0	n/a
2001	682	38.5	17.7	n/a
2002	752	43.0	17.5	34.6
2003	752	43.0	17.5	34.6
2004	704	41.5	17.0	39.9
2005	668	37.5	17.8	49
2006	671	38.5	17.4	48.8
2007	728	34.0	21.4	46.2
2008	722	33.0	21.9	49.9
2009	731	45.1	16.2	51.8
2010	696	45.0	15.4	62.2
2011	527	31.0	16.9	63.8
2012	501	30.7	16.3	64.1
2013	482	34.1	14.1	67.8
2014	490	35.5	13.8	60.8
2015	532	40.0	13.3	69.2
2016	570	42.0	13.5	69.5
2017	604	45.7	13.2	98.8
2018	594	46.5	12.7	56.6
2019	590	44.5	13.2	49.3
2020	618	42.7	14.4	45
2021	611	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	588	51.5	11.4	43.7
2023	540	50.0	10.7	42
2024	577	49.5	11.6	44.7

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 Harvard Junior High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	554	22.5	24.6	n/a
1990	595	25.5	23.3	n/a
1991	448	21.5	20.8	n/a
1992	465	22.8	20.3	n/a
1993	484	21.8	22.2	n/a
1994	449	23.8	18.9	n/a
1995	607	32.0	19.0	n/a
1996	607	32.0	19.0	n/a
1997	620	30.5	20.3	n/a
1998	620	35.5	17.5	n/a
1999	619	35.5	17.4	n/a
2000	639	35.5	18.0	n/a
2001	682	38.5	17.7	n/a
2002	752	43.0	17.5	34.6
2003	752	43.0	17.5	34.6
2004	704	41.5	17.0	39.9
2005	668	37.5	17.8	49
2006	671	38.5	17.4	48.8
2007	728	34.0	21.4	46.2
2008	722	33.0	21.9	49.9
2009	731	45.1	16.2	51.8
2010	696	45.0	15.4	62.2
2011	527	31.0	16.9	63.8
2012	501	30.7	16.3	64.1
2013	482	34.1	14.1	67.8
2014	490	35.5	13.8	60.8
2015	532	40.0	13.3	69.2
2016	570	42.0	13.5	69.5
2017	604	45.7	13.2	98.8
2018	594	46.5	12.7	56.6
2019	590	44.5	13.2	49.3
2020	618	42.7	14.4	45
2021	611	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	588	51.5	11.4	43.7
2023	540	50.0	10.7	42
2024	577	49.5	11.6	44.7

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.

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