The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Carl Sandburg Middle Sch
Carl Sandburg Middle School in Freeport serves students in grades five and six in a building located on West Eby Street in this small county-seat city in northwest Illinois. The school draws its enrollment from a community with notable economic diversity: the student body is roughly one-third White, one-quarter Black, one-fifth Hispanic, and one-sixth multiracial, with a small Asian enrollment. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals and the number with individualized education plans or English learner status were not available.
The school's academic performance shows a clear pattern of low proficiency across tested subjects. In grade five math, proficiency is low, and in grade five English language arts, it is also low. Grade six English language arts shows somewhat better performance, roughly double the grade five rate, though still low overall. Grade five science proficiency is similarly low. The school maintains near-universal test participation, which indicates strong attendance on testing days. It is important to note that grade five testing data reflect the early implementation of new state assessment cut scores, which changed in 2024-25 and can affect year-to-year comparability; the district has not yet reported results from earlier years under the new criteria, so it is difficult to assess whether performance is stable or shifting. Grade seven and eight data were not reported, likely because the school historically served only grades five and six.
When compared to other districts in Stephenson County, Carl Sandburg's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school and district to understand what academic support structures are in place and what the district's strategy is for building proficiency in these early middle grades.
The school is part of Freeport School District 145, which has undergone a significant structural reorganization that directly affects Carl Sandburg's future. Effective fall 2025 and 2026, the district is reconfiguring its grade bands: elementary schools are shifting to a K-5 model, and the Jones-Farrar International Baccalaureate school is expanding from K-6 to K-8. As part of this change, the Carl Sandburg building itself is being repurposed to house the Jones-Farrar IB program, which means the current middle school will close. The district has also adopted a college and career readiness framework district-wide, beginning with a Career Academy model at the high school and extending the OneGoal classroom approach across buildings to build postsecondary planning earlier in students' academic pathways.
Freeport is a historic small city on the Pecatonica River with a revitalized downtown, known colloquially as Pretzel City for its 19th-century German baking heritage. Housing costs are notably low compared to state and national benchmarks, and the community is focused on downtown rehabilitation and infrastructure investment rather than rapid expansion. The local employment base centers on health care, manufacturing, and retail trade, with major employers including the hospital network, a Honeywell plant, and school district operations. Public transit is limited to a small bus system operating weekdays and Saturday mornings, so families typically rely on cars.
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