Is The Joseph Sears School a good school?

Yes! The Joseph Sears School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 57 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend The Joseph Sears School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 471 students attended The Joseph Sears School.

What is the racial makeup of The Joseph Sears School?

Students at The Joseph Sears School are 83% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 4% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of The Joseph Sears School attend?

Students who attend The Joseph Sears School usually go on to attend: High : New Trier Township H S Winnetka

The Joseph Sears School

Summary:

The Joseph Sears School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Kenilworth, Illinois, which is part of the highly-ranked Kenilworth School District 38. This exceptional school has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in Illinois, achieving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The Joseph Sears School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with 75.2% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 67.3% proficient or better in math, far exceeding the state averages of 41.2% and 28.4%, respectively. This strong performance extends across different student subgroups, with the school ranking among the top in the state for female, male, white, and special education students. Additionally, the school maintains relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 3.4% to 18.1%, significantly lower than the state average of 18.2%.

Compared to nearby schools, the Joseph Sears School outperforms many of its neighbors. For example, its English Language Arts proficiency rate of 75.2% is significantly higher than the 48.4% at Willard Elementary School and the 40.9% at Highland Elementary School. This consistent high performance, along with the school's low student-teacher ratio and significant per-student spending, make it a standout institution within the Kenilworth School District 38 and the state of Illinois.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

542 Abbotsford Rd
Kenilworth, IL 60043-1161

(847) 853-3803

District: Kenilworth School District 38

SchoolDigger Rank:
57^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $32,041

Students who attend The Joseph Sears School usually attend:

High:

New Trier Township H S Winnetka

Student/teacher ratio: 9.4

Number of students: 471

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.2%

Two or more races:

7.0%

Asian:

4.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 0.6%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare The Joseph Sears School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details The Joseph Sears School ranks better than 97.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.65. (See more...)

Compare Details The Joseph Sears School ranks better than 98.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.48. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at The Joseph Sears School is $32,041.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

The Joseph Sears School:

SchoolDigger ranks The Joseph Sears School 57^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See The Joseph Sears School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks The Joseph Sears School 25^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See The Joseph Sears School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Kenilworth School District 38:

SchoolDigger ranks Kenilworth School District 38 14^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for The Joseph Sears School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	90.57	24^th	2020	98.8%
2004	89.34	41^st	2030	98.0%
2005	88.68	41^st	2022	98.0%
2006	88.87	12^th	2086	99.4%
2007	84.71	107^th	2095	94.9%
2008	88.62	30^th	2092	98.6%
2009	87.94	55^th	2120	97.4%
2010	89.60	16^th	2139	99.3%
2011	90.48	7^th	2147	99.7%
2012	88.72	21^st	2166	99.0%
2013	95.12	16^th	2167	99.3%
2014	94.16	29^th	2093	98.6%
2015	98.58	22^nd	2052	98.9%
2016	97.24	37^th	2046	98.2%
2017	97.12	38^th	2044	98.1%
2018	98.25	14^th	2037	99.3%
2019	98.05	14^th	2086	99.3%
2021	99.46	11^th	1948	99.4%
2022	98.30	21^st	2082	99.0%
2023	97.87	26^th	2077	98.7%
2024	96.65	57^th	2067	97.2%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	93.21	42^nd	1194	96.5%
2022	99.49	7^th	1113	99.4%
2023	97.12	18^th	1156	98.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	97.47	15^th	1964	99.2%
2019	98.17	7^th	2019	99.7%
2021	98.49	13^th	1680	99.2%
2022	96.91	40^th	1970	98.0%
2023	96.89	35^th	1957	98.2%
2024	95.15	73^rd	1942	96.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	98.01	16^th	1972	99.2%
2019	97.21	20^th	2019	99.0%
2021	99.44	8^th	1707	99.5%
2022	98.11	20^th	1977	99.0%
2023	97.23	31^st	1984	98.4%
2024	96.17	55^th	1959	97.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	96.01	9^th	1463	99.4%
2019	95.59	15^th	1462	99.0%
2021	98.48	4^th	1308	99.7%
2022	95.07	24^th	1425	98.3%
2023	93.85	28^th	1419	98.0%
2024	90.97	77^th	1392	94.5%

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

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

Rank History for The Joseph Sears School

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Rank History for all middle school students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	95.39	15^th	1185	98.7%
2004	90.69	47^th	1204	96.1%
2005	93.32	12^th	1209	99.0%
2006	92.05	13^th	1272	99.0%
2007	89.50	27^th	1287	97.9%
2008	90.88	13^th	1293	99.0%
2009	86.95	61^st	1318	95.4%
2010	88.69	35^th	1327	97.4%
2011	92.14	12^th	1344	99.1%
2012	91.92	13^th	1365	99.0%
2013	96.18	16^th	1367	98.8%
2014	96.25	14^th	1322	98.9%
2015	98.36	25^th	1302	98.1%
2016	98.81	12^th	1294	99.1%
2017	97.86	23^rd	1293	98.2%
2018	98.45	18^th	1293	98.6%
2019	96.48	34^th	1356	97.5%
2021	98.41	23^rd	1241	98.1%
2022	97.93	25^th	1369	98.2%
2023	96.33	41^st	1367	97.0%
2024	97.48	25^th	1363	98.2%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	99.86	3^rd	792	99.6%
2022	97.28	12^th	781	98.5%
2023	98.88	15^th	805	98.1%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	95.12	37^th	1226	97.0%
2019	92.25	64^th	1276	95.0%
2021	97.99	12^th	1017	98.8%
2022	97.57	19^th	1286	98.5%
2023	95.54	32^nd	1275	97.5%
2024	96.69	20^th	1251	98.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	99.16	12^th	1223	99.0%
2019	97.45	24^th	1296	98.1%
2021	98.18	18^th	1048	98.3%
2022	97.41	20^th	1286	98.4%
2023	95.83	39^th	1292	97.0%
2024	96.20	36^th	1264	97.2%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at The Joseph Sears School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	95.90	19^th	889	97.9%
2019	91.25	39^th	905	95.7%
2021	96.94	13^th	813	98.4%
2022	94.42	16^th	898	98.2%
2023	91.17	45^th	895	95.0%
2024	92.13	39^th	875	95.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary 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: 3.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, November 2, 2009

This is a wonderful school, offering academics and opportunities that exceed any averages or standards. However, some parents have a skewed idea of what a great school is, but the children and teachers clearly lead the way. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, October 10, 2009

Parents (and taxpayers) should expect that this school would have a stellar curriculum focused on strong academics while steering clearing of educational fads and fuzzy methods.

Sadly, that is not the case.

Like most North Shore schools, Sears revolves around the *appearance* of quality -- curb-appeal education, we can call it. Grab a copy of the Core Knowledge Sequence (or the popular press equivalent books by E. D. Hirsch) and you'll be in for a shock: it's not clear if Sears comes up to that standard for ANY subject in ANY grade! Meanwhile, what you will get for your astoundingly high property taxes is an overall emphasis on process over learning.

But are there other schools on the North Shore that are any better? The awful answer is, probably not. There isn't a single government district anywhere that offers a learning-centered environment, and the state education bureaucracy keeps school districts safely unthreatened by charter schools, which might offer some competition and incentive to do better. Close Quote

Enrollment information for The Joseph Sears School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	384	n/a	12	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	397
1990	388	n/a	14	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	403
1991	398	0	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	407
1992	441	0	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	450
1993	474	0	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
1994	466	0	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	472
1995	517	0	8	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
1996	517	0	8	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
1997	543	0	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	549
1998	570	1	11	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	582
1999	558	3	10	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	571
2000	570	0	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	578
2001	564	0	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	571
2002	550	0	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	559
2003	550	0	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	559
2004	573	0	12	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	587
2005	566	0	13	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	580
2006	575	0	16	1	0	n/a	n/a	2	594
2007	550	0	9	8	0	n/a	n/a	14	581
2008	552	0	7	10	0	n/a	n/a	19	588
2009	529	1	14	11	0	n/a	n/a	21	576
2010	510	2	15	10	0	n/a	n/a	24	561
2011	497	0	15	7	0	0	20	0	539
2012	526	0	16	13	0	0	15	0	570
2013	518	0	10	12	0	0	19	0	559
2014	479	0	15	5	0	1	19	0	519
2015	455	2	17	2	0	1	18	0	495
2016	437	2	23	8	0	1	12	0	483
2017	424	4	20	8	0	4	12	0	472
2018	401	4	18	11	0	4	13	0	451
2019	424	4	13	16	0	4	18	0	479
2020	418	3	13	17	0	4	16	0	471
2021	412	5	12	17	0	3	18	0	467
2022	394	4	20	20	0	3	28	0	469
2023	392	3	23	19	0	1	33	0	471

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 The Joseph Sears School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	397	30.7	12.9	n/a
1990	403	30.7	13.1	n/a
1991	407	31.5	12.9	n/a
1992	450	32.4	13.8	n/a
1993	481	33.0	14.6	n/a
1994	472	35.7	13.2	n/a
1995	525	36.7	14.3	n/a
1996	525	36.7	14.3	n/a
1997	549	39.1	14.0	n/a
1998	582	42.6	13.7	n/a
1999	571	45.1	12.7	n/a
2000	578	45.1	12.8	n/a
2001	571	44.1	12.9	n/a
2002	559	42.6	13.1	n/a
2003	559	42.6	13.1	n/a
2004	587	48.2	12.2	n/a
2005	580	46.4	12.5	n/a
2006	594	46.0	12.9	n/a
2007	581	50.0	11.6	n/a
2008	588	46.0	12.8	n/a
2009	576	48.9	11.8	n/a
2010	561	48.5	11.5	n/a
2011	539	46.5	11.5	n/a
2012	570	46.3	12.2	0
2013	559	n/a	n/a	n/a
2014	519	58.8	8.8	n/a
2015	495	57.0	8.6	0
2016	483	57.0	8.4	0
2017	472	57.2	8.2	0.6
2018	451	56.5	7.9	0.7
2019	479	56.7	8.4	0.6
2020	471	54.0	8.7	0.6
2021	467	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	469	51.0	9.1	0.6
2023	471	50.0	9.4	n/a

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 The Joseph Sears School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	397	30.7	12.9	n/a
1990	403	30.7	13.1	n/a
1991	407	31.5	12.9	n/a
1992	450	32.4	13.8	n/a
1993	481	33.0	14.6	n/a
1994	472	35.7	13.2	n/a
1995	525	36.7	14.3	n/a
1996	525	36.7	14.3	n/a
1997	549	39.1	14.0	n/a
1998	582	42.6	13.7	n/a
1999	571	45.1	12.7	n/a
2000	578	45.1	12.8	n/a
2001	571	44.1	12.9	n/a
2002	559	42.6	13.1	n/a
2003	559	42.6	13.1	n/a
2004	587	48.2	12.2	n/a
2005	580	46.4	12.5	n/a
2006	594	46.0	12.9	n/a
2007	581	50.0	11.6	n/a
2008	588	46.0	12.8	n/a
2009	576	48.9	11.8	n/a
2010	561	48.5	11.5	n/a
2011	539	46.5	11.5	n/a
2012	570	46.3	12.2	0
2013	559	n/a	n/a	n/a
2014	519	58.8	8.8	n/a
2015	495	57.0	8.6	0
2016	483	57.0	8.4	0
2017	472	57.2	8.2	0.6
2018	451	56.5	7.9	0.7
2019	479	56.7	8.4	0.6
2020	471	54.0	8.7	0.6
2021	467	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	469	51.0	9.1	0.6
2023	471	50.0	9.4	n/a

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