Maine Township Hsd 207, IL

Original Research by School Decision on Maine Township Hsd 207

Maine Township HSD 207 serves a mid-sized enrollment of high school students across four schools: Maine East, Maine South, Maine West, and Ralph J Frost Academy. The district covers a cluster of near-northwest Cook County suburbs including Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Niles, Morton Grove, and smaller portions of other communities. The housing market in the district's service area is moderately priced, with home values and rental costs reflecting a stable suburban residential market. The district's schools draw from a demographically diverse student body, with white students representing the largest single group, followed by a substantial Hispanic enrollment and a meaningful Asian student population.

The district has undertaken significant pedagogical changes in recent years that reshape how students are taught and graded. Maine Township HSD 207 has moved its core academic model to Competency-Based Education, in which students are assessed on their ability to demonstrate specific knowledge and skills rather than on time spent in class or completion of traditional coursework. This shift is rolling out department by department across all three main high schools and is tied to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and the district's strategic plan. Alongside this, the district has adopted a standards-based grading framework that changes how report cards, GPAs, and homework feedback work. Under this system, students receive specific feedback on descriptive standards being assessed, and a student's grade reflects what the student knows and can do. Importantly, the district allows assessment retakes, with the higher score standing unless the retake is lower.

The district has also formalized a Pass/No Grade option for eligible electives, physical education, literacy, and certain world language, fine arts, and applied arts courses. Students taking these courses can earn a 'P' or 'NG' without traditional letter grades or GPA impact. This option is restricted from required courses, accelerated courses, AP courses, and dual-credit offerings, giving families a tool for managing course load. These grading and assessment changes are concrete shifts that families notice immediately and that fundamentally alter how success and progress are communicated.

State testing data was not available for the district, so the academic proficiency profile cannot be reported from standardized assessment results. The district serves grades 9 through 12 only, and state proficiency testing for earlier grades does not apply here.

Among Cook County's districts, Maine Township HSD 207 shows a chronic absenteeism rate below the midpoint, meaning absenteeism is lower than the county median. The district's per-pupil current spending falls in the upper range among county districts, reflecting substantial investment in staff and programs. Graduation rate data was not available in the data received.

The district's pedagogy and assessment changes represent a deliberate shift toward mastery-based progression and flexible grading. A family choosing this district should understand that they are enrolling in a school system actively reorganizing how learning is documented and how student progress is measured. The Pass/No Grade option and standards-based grading mean that GPA and transcript presentation will look different from traditional high school reporting. For families seeking a traditional letter-grade system, or for those who want to understand in detail how their student's competency demonstration will be evaluated and communicated, the district welcomes discussion of these frameworks.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

6,211

Grades

09–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 26%

Black 3%

White 54%

Asian 14%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

4 schools are officially reported under this district.

Maine East High School

Maine South High School

Maine West High School

Ralph J Frost Academy

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$426,296

Year-over-year change+6.2%

Range across 10 ZIP codes$325K to $617K

vs. state typical1.47x

vs. national typical1.16x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (10 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
60016	Des Plaines	$325K	+5.2%	32.7%
60068	Park Ridge	$577K	+7.5%	26.2%
60018	Des Plaines	$384K	+5.5%	20.7%
60714	Niles	$405K	+6.4%	12.1%
60053	Morton Grove	$437K	+7.1%	3.4%
60025	Glenview	$617K	+7.9%	2.6%
60706	Harwood Heights	$402K	+6.5%	1.4%
60656	Chicago	$378K	+8.9%	0.4%
60631	Chicago	$453K	+7.0%	0.3%
60056	Mount Prospect	$442K	+6.6%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,414/mo

Year-over-year change+4.5%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$1,670 to $2,753/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
60016	Des Plaines	$2,061	+3.1%	32.7%
60068	Park Ridge	$2,753	—	26.2%
60714	Niles	$2,617	—	12.1%
60053	Morton Grove	$2,438	+16.5%	3.4%
60025	Glenview	$2,636	+7.0%	2.6%
60706	Harwood Heights	$2,518	—	1.4%
60656	Chicago	$1,670	-2.3%	0.4%
60631	Chicago	$1,767	—	0.3%
60056	Mount Prospect	$1,693	-0.4%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,151/mo

Home price / national median income5.1x

Annual rent / national median income34.6%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$263/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

Academic Performance
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.