The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Macarthur Middle School
MacArthur Middle School is a public middle school in Berkeley, Illinois, serving grades six through eight in a small, ethnically diverse residential village on Cook County's western edge. The school sits within Berkeley School District 87, which in December 2022 opened a new combined facility housing both Sunnyside Intermediate and MacArthur Middle in a shared building. This capital project, funded by a school bond referendum that voters approved in 2020, came with a lasting property tax increase for homeowners in the district and brought meaningful upgrades: expanded STEM labs, improved security with controlled entrances, better ADA accessibility, and enhanced learning spaces across all district buildings.
The school's enrollment is small, with roughly equal cohorts across the three grade levels. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a small number of Asian, multiracial, and white students. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available in the public record, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the share of students who qualify for meal assistance if that is relevant to understanding the community.
State assessment results from the most recent year show proficiency rates that are substantially below the median for Cook County districts. In English Language Arts, grade six students reached about one-third proficiency, while grades seven and eight were similar or slightly lower. Math proficiency was notably weaker: grade six at about one-fifth, grade seven slightly higher, and grade eight around one-sixth. Grade eight science proficiency stood near one-quarter. These numbers are in the bottom quartile when compared to the broader universe of Cook County school districts, and they reflect a student population facing real academic challenges. That said, participation rates were very high across all tested grades and subjects, suggesting students are showing up to be assessed and the school is engaged in the testing process. The data does not explain the reasons for lower proficiency, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school: whether students are receiving targeted support, what intervention programs exist, what the school's trajectory has been, and how families can support learning at home.
No special education identification rate or English learner rate was available, so the scope of those populations in the building is unclear from the public data. The school itself is a regular public school with no magnet or charter designation.
The district's physical capital improvements are recent and substantial. A family considering a move to Berkeley for this school should be aware that the new building and accompanying renovations represent significant recent investment, but that investment carries an ongoing tax cost. Housing values in the Berkeley zip code area are modest compared to many suburbs, and the median rental market is accessible, though housing supply in Cook County more broadly has tightened somewhat. The community itself is built out rather than growing; it is a small, quiet, historically industrial village with strong pedestrian and bicycle connectivity along the Illinois Prairie Path but no traditional downtown commercial core.
State testing data are the only academic measures reported here. No AP programs, career pathway information, attendance rates, or discipline data were available, so questions about those offerings and school climate should be directed to the school and district directly.
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