Winthrop Harbor Sd 1, IL

Original Research by School Decision on Winthrop Harbor Sd 1

Winthrop Harbor SD 1 is a small elementary and middle school district in Lake County, Illinois, serving grades pre-K through eighth. The district's enrollment sits at a modest level, with roughly balanced grade cohorts across its two schools: North Prairie Jr High and Westfield School.

Academic performance at the district level shows a mixed picture with notable variability across grade levels and subjects. In mathematics, third grade performs above the broader midpoint with solid proficiency, while fourth grade shows a steep drop to weaker proficiency rates. By eighth grade, math proficiency recovers to more moderate levels. In English language arts, third grade also starts below midpoint, fourth grade dips further, fifth grade rebounds, and eighth grade reaches the strongest performance in the district. Science proficiency in fifth and eighth grades falls below what the district achieves in ELA at those same levels. The district's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among Lake County's districts, suggesting that students across the board would benefit from closer attention to their academic trajectories, particularly in the upper elementary grades where the data shows some meaningful proficiency gaps.

The student body is reasonably diverse. White students make up a slight plurality, followed by a substantial Hispanic enrollment, with smaller populations of Black students and multiracial students. Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students are present in small numbers. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the socioeconomic profile of families in the district remains unclear from the data provided.

One area of concern is chronic absenteeism, where the district falls in the bottom quartile among Lake County districts. Attendance rates this low can directly undermine academic progress, and a parent may want to look into whether the district has initiatives in place to address absenteeism or what factors may be driving it. Per-pupil spending in the district is in the lower range compared to other county districts, which could reflect the smaller size or constrained resources, though spending level alone does not determine educational quality.

The housing market in Winthrop Harbor and the broader zip codes served shows modest home values and has experienced meaningful appreciation recently. Rental costs are also moderate for the region. The affordability metrics suggest that mortgage payments are manageable relative to typical incomes, though rent-to-income ratios indicate some renter household pressure.

Recent research found little public information about major curriculum changes, referendums, or strategic shifts in the district, so prospective and current families may find it useful to contact the district directly about its academic priorities and improvement efforts, especially given the grade-level proficiency patterns noted above.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

603

Grades

PK–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 35%

Black 9%

White 46%

Asian 2%

Two+ 8%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

25%

—

Gr 4

24%

—

Gr 5

49%

—

Gr 6

50%

—

Gr 7

32%

—

Gr 8

71%

—

Math

Gr 3

57%

—

Gr 4

30%

—

Gr 5

22%

—

Gr 6

32%

—

Gr 7

42%

—

Gr 8

48%

—

Science

Gr 5

26%

—

Gr 8

56%

—

Schools in this District

2 schools are officially reported under this district.

North Prairie Jr High

Westfield School

Academic Performance

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

Mathematics

6 grades reported

62%

Grade 3

27%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 5

47%

Grade 6

52%

Grade 7

56%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

42%

Grade 3

26%

Grade 4

60%

Grade 5

60%

Grade 6

44%

Grade 7

77%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

44%

Grade 5

63%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

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

Home Values

Typical home value$298,176

Year-over-year change+16.3%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$261K to $304K

vs. state typical1.03x

vs. national typical0.81x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
60096	Winthrop Harbor	$304K	+17.6%	87.1%
60099	Zion	$261K	+7.5%	12.9%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,402/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
60099	Zion	$1,402	—	12.9%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,505/mo

Home price / national median income3.6x

Annual rent / national median income20.1%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$103/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.