The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Park West School
Park West School serves grades five through eight in Round Lake, Illinois, within Grayslake CCSD 46, a district that has recently made significant structural and curricular changes. The school has a mid-sized enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the grade band, with a diverse student body that reflects the broader demographic profile of the Round Lake Area: a roughly even split between white students and students of color, with substantial representation of Hispanic and Asian families, and a smaller population of Black students.
The school's instructional setting is shaped by a major 2024-2025 district-wide schedule restructuring that created consistent daily instruction minutes, class lengths, and program access across Park West, Frederick School, and Grayslake Middle School. Fifth graders at Park West now receive a double block of English Language Arts, and all middle grades students have access to band within the school day and a common set of Encore offerings. This means Park West's daily rhythm is now aligned with neighboring buildings in the district, a stability that extends backward to elementary feeders and forward to high school.
State testing data, available through the 2024-2025 school year, shows a meaningful subject gap. In English Language Arts, Park West students show proficiency levels that are strongest at grade five (around four-fifths proficient) and decline as students progress through grades six, seven, and eight, with eighth grade sitting at roughly three-fifths proficient. In mathematics, the picture is materially weaker: fifth and eighth graders are near half-proficient, while grades six and seven fall below that threshold. Science results, available only for grades five and eight, cluster around three-fifths proficiency. A parent may want to look into further detail on whether these mathematics results reflect school-specific instruction patterns, the incoming skill levels of students entering each grade, or district-wide trends—and what supports the school is putting in place to address the gap.
Participation rates in state testing are consistently high, at or near full enrollment in tested grades, which means the proficiency numbers reflect the full cohort rather than a subset.
Round Lake itself is a growing, family-oriented community north of Chicago in Lake County. It is one of four interconnected but separately incorporated villages (Round Lake, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Beach, and Round Lake Heights) that share school and library districts. The village is predominantly residential with limited walkability outside the downtown core near the Metra station, though the community is actively working on a streetscape plan to support pedestrian-friendly downtown gathering and retail. The region has strong regional employment through Fortune 500 companies and advanced manufacturing across Lake County, with many residents commuting via Metra or I-94.
Housing in the area sits in the mid-range regionally, with median home values in the moderate range and rent-to-income ratios that reflect typical suburban affordability. The housing market is well-supplied, with active listings available. Round Lake has grown substantially over the past decade and is projected to continue expanding, with a median household income and housing profile consistent with a suburban, family-oriented growth pattern.
The district has also taken on two significant forward-facing initiatives that will shape the elementary pipeline feeding into Park West and beyond. A new Two-Way Dual Language program (Spanish/English) launches in kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year at two elementary schools, signaling a long-term commitment to bilingual instruction at scale. Additionally, voters approved a limiting-rate referendum in March 2024 for capital repairs, safety and security improvements, and teacher retention. Because long-term debt payments are being phased out in 2025, families will see a net reduction in their property tax rate even as new funding takes effect—a concrete change in school funding and household finances worth understanding if you are considering the district.
Park West itself has not provided data on program breadth, specialized course access, or staff composition, so those details remain unavailable for direct comparison. The school's testing results, particularly in mathematics, warrant conversation with administration about instruction strategy, support systems for students below proficiency, and how the recent schedule changes are being implemented in the classroom. For families prioritizing strong early mathematics foundations or seeking a school with demonstrably high math proficiency, this profile suggests looking more closely or exploring other options within or beyond the district.
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