The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in Science. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Huntley Middle School
Huntley Middle School serves grades six through eight in DeKalb, a mid-sized university city anchored by Northern Illinois University and undergoing active growth, particularly around data-center and logistics development on its south side. The school enrolled roughly nine hundred students across its three grades in a 2024-25 school year marked by significant changes in the district's structure and property-tax environment.
The school's student body is diverse. White students made up roughly one-third of enrollment, Hispanic students made up about one-third, Black students made up about one-quarter, and the remainder represented Asian, multiracial, and Native American students in small numbers. Exact counts for free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special-education and English-learner populations were not available, so a parent may want to look into those numbers directly with the school or district to understand the full scope of support services.
State test results show proficiency rates that are below the median for the county's districts. In English language arts, sixth-grade proficiency stood at roughly one-quarter of students, seventh grade at roughly one-sixth, and eighth grade at roughly one-fifth. Math proficiency was lower: sixth graders met the benchmark at just over one-fifth, seventh graders at roughly one-sixth, and eighth graders at roughly one-seventh. Science results for eighth grade, the only science grade tested at the school, showed proficiency at roughly one-quarter. Test participation rates were strong across all subjects and grades, ranging from roughly ninety-three to ninety-eight percent, indicating consistent assessment coverage. The proficiency data reflects real academic challenges; a parent should ask the school directly what targeted interventions or support pathways exist for students not meeting standards, particularly in math, where performance is notably lower.
The district is in the midst of substantial reorganization under a plan called Vision For28. Fifth grade is being repositioned into a self-contained two-teacher model at other schools, and middle-school grade structures are being reconfigured. The exact shape of these changes at Huntley itself and their timing warrant clarification with the school, as they will affect how students are grouped and taught.
The broader context for families includes a failed countywide school-facility sales-tax referendum in November 2024 that would have provided property-tax relief. The district subsequently rejected placing it back on the ballot in April 2025. In response to health-insurance premium increases and loss of state transportation reimbursement, the district approved a 2025 property-tax levy that publicly reported could raise the typical homeowner's school-tax bill by a meaningful amount when bills arrive in 2026. This is a direct cost-of-living factor for families in the district.
Housing in DeKalb is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks and rents are affordable. The city itself offers a walkable downtown core with the historic Egyptian Theatre and a mixed-use business and residential character, though much of the surrounding area is automobile-dependent, as is typical of small Midwestern cities. Northern Illinois University and a network of parks provide civic anchors; public transit connects the city and offers service to the Metra station in nearby Elburn for commuter rail to Chicago.
Huntley Middle School sits in a school district navigating budget constraints and significant internal restructuring, serving a diverse student population with documented academic proficiency gaps, especially in mathematics. For a family considering the school, the immediate questions are what specialized support or intervention the school offers to students below proficiency benchmarks, exactly how the Vision For28 changes will reshape the middle-school experience, and what the property-tax trajectory means for household budgeting over the coming years.
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