The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lundahl Middle School
Lundahl Middle School serves students in grades six through eight in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The school enrolls around eight hundred students, with roughly equal cohorts in each grade. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic population that is somewhat above the state average, plus smaller Asian, two-or-more-races, and black populations. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data were not available, so we cannot speak to economic need at the school level.
The school's recent academic performance shows a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rises across the middle years: sixth grade was near half proficient, seventh grade also around half, and eighth grade notably stronger at nearly 60 percent proficient. Mathematics tells a different story, declining as students progress. Sixth grade math proficiency was in the low twenties, seventh grade rose to around 40 percent, then fell again to around 20 percent in eighth grade. Science data were available only for eighth grade, where about 50 percent of students tested proficient. All participation rates were very high, above 99 percent, suggesting the school has good test engagement. When assessed against other districts in McHenry County, Lundahl's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile; a parent may want to look into what instructional practices the school is using to address the gaps, particularly the declining performance pattern in math from grade seven to eight.
Crystal Lake is a suburban community about forty-five miles northwest of Chicago. The city has a historic downtown Main Street anchored by two Metra commuter rail stations, alongside a car-oriented Route 14 retail corridor and the Three Oaks Recreation Area, a reclaimed quarry now featuring trails, a beach, and water recreation. Residential neighborhoods are a mix of single-family homes and apartments, with substantial recent housing development underway, including the large Water's Edge mixed-use project that will add apartments, townhomes, and retail space. The median home value in the area reflects a mid-to-moderate price point for the Chicago suburbs, with rental options also available. Employment is anchored by AptarGroup, McHenry County College, and the school district itself, with manufacturing and retail also significant.
The district recently implemented middle school boundary changes for the 2025-2026 school year, shifting which school some residential areas feed into, a change that affects family school choices and neighborhood stability. In early 2025, facing budget pressure from a new teacher contract and uncertain federal funding, the district announced staff reductions of about thirty positions and cuts to elementary band and extended enrichment programs. Additionally, a substantial federal mental health grant the district had relied on was terminated, eliminating significant funding for mental health services and staffing that families had come to expect. These changes have consequences for class sizes, music offerings, and student support services that parents should understand.
The school's testing data come from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. Performance varies meaningfully by grade and subject, suggesting the school may benefit from examination of instruction in the upper grades, particularly in mathematics where the profile is most concerning. A family considering Lundahl should seek direct conversation with the school about how it is addressing performance gaps, what math supports exist, and what enrichment and mental health services remain in place given recent cuts.
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