Original Research by School Decision on Joseph E Hill Education Center
Joseph E Hill Education Center is a public preschool serving only the pre-K grade in Evanston, Illinois. The school enrolls a diverse student body reflective of the city's broader demographics. The enrollment spans across Black, Hispanic, Asian, white, and multiracial students, with Hispanic students representing the largest group, followed by Black students. A small number of American Indian/Alaska Native students also attend. The school is part of Evanston CCSD 65, a district covering both Evanston and Skokie.
As a preschool, Joseph E Hill does not administer state testing, nor does it have a graduation rate to report. The school's role in the broader educational pathway is that of an entry point into the district's elementary system. Academic performance metrics and achievement data do not apply to this grade level, as state assessment systems begin in later grades.
The school sits within Evanston, a notably walkable lakefront city just north of Chicago with strong civic infrastructure. The city is home to Northwestern University and anchored by civic institutions including the Evanston Public Library, seven community centers, and extensive parks and public beaches. Transit access includes CTA Purple Line stops and Metra stations, making the city accessible without a car for many families. The housing market in Evanston reflects broader Cook County conditions, with home values appreciating modestly and rental costs rising. The area has a strong employment base centered on Northwestern University, health care, education, and downtown professional services.
District 65 is currently navigating significant structural changes. The district closed two elementary schools, including the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies (the only entirely bilingual school in the district), at the end of the 2025-26 school year, and is opening a new Foster Elementary School in Evanston's Fifth Ward for 2026-27. These boundary shifts and school reassignments affect families across the elementary grades. The district has also made curricular changes, including adoption of a new K-5 literacy curriculum in 2023 to replace the long-used Lucy Calkins approach, and restructured middle school math to eliminate accelerated placement testing and put all students on a common advanced sequence. The district faces an ongoing structural deficit and has raised property tax levies by the maximum allowed amount in consecutive years. A tax referendum was being considered for the March 2026 ballot to address budget sustainability.
For families with preschool-age children, Joseph E Hill offers an entry into the Evanston public system at a point of transition. Parents may want to look into further discussions with the school and district about which elementary schools will serve the preschool's feeder pattern going forward, given the ongoing boundary changes and new school openings reshaping the district's footprint.
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