Is North Prairie Junior High a good school?

North Prairie Junior High ranks 574 th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend North Prairie Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 251 students attended North Prairie Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of North Prairie Junior High?

Students at North Prairie Junior High are 48% White, 35% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of North Prairie Junior High attend?

Students who attend North Prairie Junior High usually go on to attend New Technical High - Zion-Benton East

North Prairie Junior High

Summary:

North Prairie Junior High is a public middle school located in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, serving grades 5-8 with a total enrollment of 256 students. The school is part of the Winthrop Harbor School District 1, which is ranked 513 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

North Prairie Junior High has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from a high of 350 out of 1,356 Illinois middle schools in 2018-2019 to 574 out of 1,363 in 2023-2024. The school's performance on standardized tests is generally below the state average, with only 36.5% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 27.9% in Mathematics across all grades in 2023-2024. However, the school's performance on the ISA Science test is better, with 53.6% of students proficient or better, which is slightly above the state average. North Prairie Junior High performs particularly well with its English Language Learner (ELL) students, ranking 4th out of 486 Illinois middle schools in this subgroup for the 2023-2024 school year.

While North Prairie Junior High generally performs better than the nearby Waukegan and Zion-area schools, it lags behind the higher-performing Millburn Middle School, which is located about 9.7 miles away and ranks 132 out of 1,363 Illinois middle schools in 2023-2024. The school's high chronic absenteeism rate, which has risen from 5.3% in 2019-2020 to 26.5% in 2023-2024, may be a contributing factor to the declining performance, as it can negatively impact student learning and engagement.

Detail:

Public 5-8

500 North Ave
Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096-1186

(847) 731-3089

District: Winthrop Harbor School District 1

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,137

Students who attend North Prairie Junior High usually attend:

High:	New Technical High - Zion-Benton East
	Zion-Benton Township High School

Feeder schools for North Prairie Junior High:

Elementary:

Westfield School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.1

Number of students: 251

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.8%

Hispanic:

35.5%

African American:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 53.8%

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Compare North Prairie Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details North Prairie Junior High ranks better than 57.9% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.83. (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: White (47.8%), Hispanic (35.5%), African American (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 53.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at North Prairie Junior High is 12.1. (See more...)

Compare North Prairie Junior High employs 20.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at North Prairie Junior High is $19,137.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

North Prairie Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks North Prairie Junior High 574^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See North Prairie Junior High 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:

Winthrop Harbor School District 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Winthrop Harbor School District 1 513^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for North Prairie Junior High

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Rank History for all students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	79.15	238^th	1185	79.9%
2004	70.71	376^th	1204	68.8%
2005	77.63	266^th	1209	78.0%
2006	75.75	282^nd	1272	77.8%
2007	72.00	347^th	1287	73.0%
2008	72.67	355^th	1293	72.5%
2009	69.37	439^th	1318	66.7%
2010	75.77	298^th	1327	77.5%
2011	72.93	356^th	1344	73.5%
2012	68.96	434^th	1365	68.2%
2013	57.15	590^th	1367	56.8%
2015	43.54	655^th	1302	49.7%
2016	45.70	648^th	1294	49.9%
2017	47.66	622^nd	1293	51.9%
2018	52.12	573^rd	1293	55.7%
2019	70.09	350^th	1356	74.2%
2021	39.79	660^th	1241	46.8%
2022	39.35	758^th	1369	44.6%
2023	41.17	751^st	1367	45.1%
2024	51.83	574^th	1363	57.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	94.40	4^th	486	99.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	26.86	654^th	781	16.3%
2024	46.90	319^th	802	60.2%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	49.61	521^st	1161	55.1%
2019	76.99	163^rd	1217	86.6%
2021	39.92	582^nd	1019	42.9%
2022	37.51	716^th	1221	41.4%
2023	45.55	613^th	1234	50.3%
2024	53.68	470^th	1219	61.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.75	534^th	1226	56.4%
2019	73.01	296^th	1276	76.8%
2021	36.94	592^nd	1017	41.8%
2022	43.81	648^th	1286	49.6%
2023	43.29	675^th	1275	47.1%
2024	53.61	498^th	1251	60.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	53.87	194^th	639	69.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	50.13	551^st	1223	54.9%
2019	62.71	409^th	1296	68.4%
2021	29.33	727^th	1048	30.6%
2022	35.55	769^th	1286	40.2%
2023	38.30	740^th	1292	42.7%
2024	47.66	578^th	1264	54.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	47.99	273^rd	590	53.7%
2019	69.18	142^nd	639	77.8%
2021	34.08	355^th	517	31.3%
2022	33.26	443^rd	662	33.1%
2023	50.45	268^th	661	59.5%
2024	55.52	224^th	643	65.2%

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

Rank History for White students at North Prairie Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.05	595^th	889	33.1%
2019	59.41	336^th	905	62.9%
2021	35.68	505^th	813	37.9%
2022	36.66	552^nd	898	38.5%
2023	32.47	619^th	895	30.8%
2024	44.38	473^rd	875	45.9%

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 North Prairie Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	283	5	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	302
2001	281	4	3	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
2002	252	3	8	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	280
2003	252	3	8	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	280
2004	254	3	14	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	287
2005	242	7	9	16	4	n/a	n/a	0	278
2006	235	4	6	13	2	n/a	n/a	9	269
2007	234	3	4	11	2	n/a	n/a	14	268
2008	236	2	3	9	1	n/a	n/a	16	267
2009	219	5	2	15	2	n/a	n/a	16	259
2010	253	3	5	25	1	n/a	n/a	22	309
2011	230	2	8	44	2	1	15	0	302
2012	215	7	9	39	1	0	17	0	288
2013	217	6	8	41	2	0	19	0	293
2014	186	7	8	41	3	0	20	0	265
2015	173	8	6	50	3	0	24	0	264
2016	161	8	4	54	4	0	27	0	258
2017	149	16	5	64	3	0	20	0	257
2018	156	16	3	66	1	0	17	0	259
2019	143	13	4	65	0	0	15	0	240
2020	137	15	4	74	0	0	15	0	245
2021	142	16	4	75	1	0	21	0	259
2022	119	18	3	85	1	0	21	0	247
2023	118	22	5	97	0	0	14	0	256
2024	120	25	5	89	0	0	12	0	251

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 North Prairie Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	302	17.0	17.8	n/a
2001	306	20.0	15.3	n/a
2002	280	19.0	14.7	9.6
2003	280	19.0	14.7	9.6
2004	287	18.0	15.9	11.5
2005	278	17.5	15.9	14.7
2006	269	17.0	15.8	10.8
2007	268	16.0	16.8	13
2008	267	17.0	15.7	13.1
2009	259	16.0	16.2	20.2
2010	309	15.0	20.6	20.2
2011	302	18.0	16.7	31.8
2012	288	15.0	19.2	29.2
2013	293	23.6	12.3	28.3
2014	265	16.0	16.5	29.8
2015	264	17.0	15.5	38.6
2016	258	18.0	14.3	36.8
2017	257	21.0	12.2	35
2018	259	20.0	12.9	42.5
2019	240	18.0	13.3	42.1
2020	245	20.0	12.2	38
2021	259	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	247	20.0	12.3	49.4
2023	256	20.6	12.4	47.7
2024	251	20.7	12.1	53.8

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 North Prairie Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	302	17.0	17.8	n/a
2001	306	20.0	15.3	n/a
2002	280	19.0	14.7	9.6
2003	280	19.0	14.7	9.6
2004	287	18.0	15.9	11.5
2005	278	17.5	15.9	14.7
2006	269	17.0	15.8	10.8
2007	268	16.0	16.8	13
2008	267	17.0	15.7	13.1
2009	259	16.0	16.2	20.2
2010	309	15.0	20.6	20.2
2011	302	18.0	16.7	31.8
2012	288	15.0	19.2	29.2
2013	293	23.6	12.3	28.3
2014	265	16.0	16.5	29.8
2015	264	17.0	15.5	38.6
2016	258	18.0	14.3	36.8
2017	257	21.0	12.2	35
2018	259	20.0	12.9	42.5
2019	240	18.0	13.3	42.1
2020	245	20.0	12.2	38
2021	259	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	247	20.0	12.3	49.4
2023	256	20.6	12.4	47.7
2024	251	20.7	12.1	53.8

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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