The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 36% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hannah Beardsley Middle School
Hannah Beardsley Middle School serves grades six through eight in Crystal Lake, a suburban community about forty-five miles northwest of Chicago in McHenry County. The school is a regular public middle school within Crystal Lake CCSD 47, situated on East Crystal Lake Avenue in the city's central area.
The school enrolls a diverse student body of roughly typical size for a middle school in its district. The enrollment spans fairly evenly across the three grades, with substantial representation from Hispanic and white student populations, along with smaller cohorts of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data was not available, so you cannot assess from state records how many students qualify for economic assistance, though this would be worth asking the school directly.
State assessment results for spring 2025 show uneven performance across the tested grades and subjects. In English language arts, the school's results improve as students progress: sixth grade proficiency sits below the middle of the range for county schools, while seventh grade rises closer to the median, and eighth grade reaches the strongest performance of the three grades. In mathematics, the pattern reverses, with sixth graders posting weaker proficiency and seventh and eighth graders performing at moderate levels. Science proficiency in eighth grade (the only grade tested in science) is at roughly the median for the county. Participation rates in testing are strong across all measured grades and subjects, suggesting the assessment data is broadly representative. One thing to note: state assessment cut scores changed this year, which can make year-to-year comparisons difficult; the school's position relative to its county peers on overall proficiency sits below the county median.
An eighth-grade student heading into high school would be emerging from a school where reading performance is solid but math proficiency poses a challenge worth monitoring. English learner and special education enrollment counts were not reported in the available data, so you may want to ask directly how the school serves these populations and what support structures are in place.
The community context matters for understanding the school's operating environment. Crystal Lake itself is experiencing substantial residential growth, with major mixed-use developments like Water's Edge bringing new housing and families into the area. This growth creates both opportunity and pressure on schools. The district has recently redrawn middle school attendance boundaries (effective for the 2025-26 school year), so families in certain subdivisions now attend different middle schools than they did before. Additionally, the district announced budget pressures in early 2025, including staff reductions in elementary band and gifted-enrichment programs and the loss of a substantial federal grant for mental health services. While these cuts are district-wide, they shape the staffing and program landscape any school in the district operates within.
Housing values in the Crystal Lake ZIP code are moderate for the Chicago region, and the rental market is relatively accessible. The community has two Metra commuter rail stations serving the city, and major employers anchor the area alongside retail corridors and recreation. Downtown Crystal Lake functions as a walkable civic center with a Main Street district, though the school itself sits outside the downtown core.
The school's specific programs, staffing details, course-access offerings, and discipline practices were not available in the data provided, so speaking directly with the school about its approach to math support, course sequencing, clubs, and other program offerings would give you a clearer picture of what the learning environment looks and feels like day to day.
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