Wauconda Cusd 118, IL - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Wauconda Cusd 118

Wauconda CUSD 118 is a district of moderate size serving a mixed community in Lake County north of Chicago. The enrollment spans from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve across six schools: two elementary buildings (Cotton Creek and Wauconda Grade School), two middle schools (Wauconda Middle School and Matthews Middle School), and one high school (Wauconda High School), along with Robert Crown School.

The student body is substantially diverse. About a third identify as Hispanic, three-fifths are white, and smaller shares identify as Asian, multiracial, or Black. State test participation rates across the district are nearly universal, hovering just below full participation across math, English language arts, and science.

In state testing, Wauconda's academic profile shows a marked shift downward from elementary to middle grades. In third-grade reading and math, proficiency runs in the mid-60s; third graders read at proficiency at a rate above the middle, and the math rate is similar. By fourth grade, proficiency in math drops to near half, and continues to decline through the middle grades. In sixth-grade math, proficiency falls to around a third; seventh and eighth grade remain in roughly the same range. Reading shows a similar trajectory but stays somewhat higher overall. In sixth-grade reading, proficiency is around half; by eighth grade it sits near that level as well. Fifth-grade science proficiency is just above half, and eighth-grade science is close to that. The district sits below the midpoint for overall proficiency when compared to the other districts in Lake County, a position that reflects the size of the proficiency drops in middle grades.

Chronic absenteeism runs at a rate slightly above the midpoint among Lake County districts. The district's per-pupil current spending sits in the lower-to-middle range for the county.

The housing market serving the district spans seven zip codes, from Barrington in the north to Round Lake and Island Lake, with the largest concentration in Wauconda itself. Home values vary substantially across the district's towns; Barrington is markedly higher, while Wauconda, Island Lake, and Round Lake are notably more modest. Rental costs follow a similar pattern. Overall, for the district's weighted mix of towns, home purchase affordability sits modestly above the national benchmark and considerably above Illinois's state average. Rent-to-income expense is at roughly a third of household income, a middle ground. The housing market has shown modest year-over-year appreciation and relatively stable demand and supply conditions.

The district faces significant structural budget pressure that families should understand. It has been working through a multiyear Budget Deficit Reduction Plan and has already cut a substantial amount from the 2025-26 budget; further reductions are proposed for 2026-27. Because nearly all of the operating budget goes to salaries and benefits, balancing the budget will require staffing and program cuts that will have a lasting effect on what the schools can offer. In November 2025, administrators paused the reduction plan after community feedback, so the trajectory of these changes remains fluid; a parent considering the district should speak directly with the district about current plans and timeline.

The district is funded at only a modest adequacy level under Illinois Evidence-Based Funding and relies almost entirely on local property tax revenue. The annual tax-levy increase is capped by state law at the lesser of a small percentage or the prior year's inflation, so property-tax growth is structurally constrained. Families moving into the district should factor in both the current budget constraints and the property-tax funding model when weighing this choice.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,280

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 32%

Black 2%

White 59%

Asian 3%

Two+ 4%

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

45%

—

Gr 4

39%

—

Gr 5

51%

—

Gr 6

35%

—

Gr 7

44%

—

Gr 8

29%

—

Math

Gr 3

53%

—

Gr 4

34%

—

Gr 5

31%

—

Gr 6

18%

—

Gr 7

24%

—

Gr 8

20%

—

Science

Gr 5

38%

—

Gr 8

31%

—

Schools in this District

6 schools are officially reported under this district.

Cotton Creek School

Wauconda High School

Wauconda Grade School

Wauconda Middle School

Robert Crown School

Matthews Middle School

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

66%

Grade 3

49%

Grade 4

46%

Grade 5

32%

Grade 6

34%

Grade 7

32%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

61%

Grade 3

57%

Grade 4

64%

Grade 5

53%

Grade 6

59%

Grade 7

46%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

52%

Grade 5

51%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$351,181

Year-over-year change+5.8%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$275K to $711K

vs. state typical1.21x

vs. national typical0.95x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
60084	Wauconda	$358K	+6.6%	41.4%
60051		$325K	+4.1%	20.7%
60042	Island Lake	$303K	+6.4%	16.0%
60073	Round Lake	$275K	+4.6%	10.0%
60030	Grayslake	$352K	+5.3%	6.7%
60010	Barrington	$711K	+6.8%	5.0%
60013	Cary	$377K	+4.7%	0.2%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,126/mo

Year-over-year change+5.0%

Range across 7 ZIP codes$1,873 to $2,680/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (7 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
60084	Wauconda	$1,950	—	41.4%
60051		$2,375	—	20.7%
60042	Island Lake	$1,873	—	16.0%
60073	Round Lake	$2,357	+2.1%	10.0%
60030	Grayslake	$2,272	+9.4%	6.7%
60010	Barrington	$2,680	—	5.0%
60013	Cary	$2,538	—	0.2%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,772/mo

Home price / national median income4.2x

Annual rent / national median income30.5%

Rent exceeds est. mortgage by$353/mo

Market Activity: Lake County

Median listing price$499,000

Median listing price YoY+6.2%

Median price per sq ft$240

Median price per sq ft YoY+7.6%

Median days on market29.0 days

Median days on market YoY+1.8%

Active listings862

Active listings YoY-10.0%

New listings832

New listings YoY-7.1%

Pending listings1,154

Pending listings YoY-3.0%

Hotness: median listing price$499,450

Hotness: median listing price YoY+3.6%

Supply score95.4

Supply score YoY+0.9%

Demand score77.8

Demand score YoY+1.8%

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.