Berkeley Sd 87, IL - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Berkeley Sd 87

Berkeley SD 87 is a pre-K through grade 8 district in Cook County, Illinois, serving communities including Bellwood, Berkeley, Northlake, Melrose Park, Hillside, and Stone Park. The district operates six schools across its grade band: three intermediate schools (Riley, Sunnyside, and Northlake) and one middle school (MacArthur), plus two primary schools (Jefferson and Whittier). Enrollment is moderate for an urban-suburban district, distributed fairly evenly across grades.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black population and smaller numbers of other groups. The district does not report free-and-reduced-price lunch rates or English learner counts in available data, so a parent would want to ask the district directly about economically disadvantaged students and language supports.

State test results from the most recent year show proficiency rates that are below the midpoint among Cook County districts across nearly every subject and grade tested. In math, third grade performs the strongest at roughly half of students meeting proficiency, but proficiency drops sharply in the upper elementary and middle grades, falling to roughly one-fifth or lower in grades four through eight. English language arts results are somewhat less steep but still weak across the span: third and fifth grades are around one-third, while other grades range from around one-quarter to just under two-fifths. Science proficiency is similarly low where tested. Participation in state assessments is high, so results reflect actual student performance rather than testing gaps. A parent should understand that the district has a broad academic gap that reaches students across all grades; this is not a district for families banking on strong standardized performance.

Chronic absenteeism in the district is in the bottom quartile among Cook County districts at approximately one-third of students. This rate is substantially above the county median and warrants a conversation with school leaders about the root causes and what supports exist for attendance.

A major structural change came in 2022 when the district completed a substantial building and renovation initiative. Voters approved a school bond referendum in March 2020 that funded the construction of a new combined facility for Sunnyside Intermediate and MacArthur Middle Schools, along with renovations and expansions at Riley Intermediate and Northlake Middle and improvements across all six schools. The new building, which opened in late 2022, includes expanded STEM labs, improved security entrances, and ADA accessibility upgrades. This capital investment is lasting and meaningful; however, it carries an ongoing property tax impact that averages a modest annual increase per household. Families moving to these communities will inherit both the benefit of updated facilities and the tax obligation.

The district's spending per pupil falls in the middle range but on the lower side among Cook County districts, so recent building improvements reflect both bond investment and disciplined resource allocation.

Berkeley SD 87 fits families who are drawn to these specific west-Cook communities and who understand that the district has significant academic work ahead. The infrastructure investment shows commitment to learning environments, but test results, attendance, and spending position this as a district where parents will need to be actively engaged in their child's academic progress and where families may want to evaluate whether supplemental support or tutoring aligns with their approach.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,143

Grades

PK–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 74%

Black 21%

White 3%

Asian 1%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

33%

—

Gr 4

27%

—

Gr 5

31%

—

Gr 6

34%

—

Gr 7

26%

—

Gr 8

38%

—

Math

Gr 3

44%

—

Gr 4

22%

—

Gr 5

12%

—

Gr 6

19%

—

Gr 7

16%

—

Gr 8

19%

—

Science

Gr 5

15%

—

Gr 8

21%

—

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

MacArthur Middle School

J W Riley Intermediate School

Northlake Middle School

Sunnyside Intermediate School

Jefferson Primary School

Whittier Primary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

47%

Grade 3

25%

Grade 4

13%

Grade 5

21%

Grade 6

20%

Grade 7

20%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

33%

Grade 3

29%

Grade 4

33%

Grade 5

35%

Grade 6

28%

Grade 7

39%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

19%

Grade 5

24%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$296,267

Year-over-year change+3.8%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$249K to $317K

vs. state typical1.02x

vs. national typical0.80x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
60164	Northlake	$305K	+3.2%	40.5%
60163	Berkeley	$298K	+4.0%	25.7%
60160	Melrose Park	$317K	+2.5%	12.5%
60162	Hillside	$284K	+7.0%	9.8%
60104	Bellwood	$249K	+3.6%	9.8%
60165	Stone Park	$263K	+4.1%	1.7%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,624/mo

Range across 3 ZIP codes$1,386 to $1,800/mo

ZIP code rents (3 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
60160	Melrose Park	$1,386	—	12.5%
60162	Hillside	$1,800	—	9.8%
60104	Bellwood	$1,750	—	9.8%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,495/mo

Home price / national median income3.5x

Annual rent / national median income23.3%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$129/mo

Market Activity: Cook County

Median listing price$349,900

Median listing price YoY+1.4%

Median price per sq ft$235

Median days on market35.5 days

Median days on market YoY+7.6%

Active listings6,653

Active listings YoY-16.6%

New listings4,792

New listings YoY-15.3%

Pending listings6,887

Pending listings YoY-3.4%

Hotness: median listing price$332,000

Hotness: median listing price YoY-0.9%

Supply score87.3

Supply score YoY-0.1%

Demand score39.6

Demand score YoY+4.9%

Median listing price (12 months)

Median price per sq ft (12 months)

Median days on market (12 months)

Active listings (12 months)

New listings (12 months)

Pending listings (12 months)

Hotness: median listing price (12 months)

Supply score (12 months)

Demand score (12 months)

Comparison

State typical home value$290,210 (+4.9% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.