The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in English language arts. The lowest is 83% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Wood Oaks Jr High School
Wood Oaks Jr High School serves students in grades six through eight in Northbrook, an affluent North Shore suburb north of Chicago. The school sits in a affluent residential community with significant commercial and corporate presence, including major headquarters like Allstate Insurance, UL LLC, and Astellas Pharma. The area has strong property values and a primarily car-dependent character, though the small downtown around Shermer and Meadow Roads, anchored by the Metra station and public library, offers walkable civic life. The broader community is in active transition, with the major Northbrook Court mall site undergoing redevelopment into mixed-use residential neighborhoods over the coming years alongside several new residential projects.
Wood Oaks serves a student body of about five hundred students, with a racial and ethnic composition of roughly two-thirds white students, nearly one-quarter Asian students, and small shares of Hispanic, multiracial, and other students. Free-or-reduced-price-lunch eligibility data was not available, making it difficult to characterize poverty rates at the school. Similarly, data on students with individualized education plans and English learners were not reported. These gaps may reflect data suppression rules or small counts; parents interested in the full demographics may want to contact the school directly.
Academic performance across the three tested grades shows strong proficiency in math and English language arts. In sixth-grade math, about four-fifths of students scored at proficient or above, with participation high. Seventh-grade math showed notably stronger results, approaching ninety percent proficiency. Eighth-grade math settled at around eighty percent proficiency. English language arts showed a similar pattern: sixth-grade proficiency in the low nineties, seventh-grade in the mid-nineties, and eighth-grade in the low eighties. Eighth-grade science proficiency was in the mid-to-high eighties. Test participation rates were consistently very high, in the mid-to-high nineties across subjects and grades. When measured against proficiency across all tested grades and subjects, Wood Oaks ranks in the top quartile among the districts in Cook County. The school's performance reflects a broadly successful academic program, particularly in reading and writing at the sixth and seventh grade levels, though parents may want to explore further with the school why proficiency dips at eighth grade in both math and reading.
Illinois changed its cut scores for proficiency in math, English language arts, and science beginning in the 2024-25 school year, so trend analysis of prior years is not directly comparable to current results. State testing data for grades three through five were not provided; Wood Oaks serves only grades six through eight, so those results do not apply to this school.
No information about course offerings, honors or advanced pathways, sports, clubs, or other programs was available in the data reviewed. The school is a regular public school, not a charter, and carries no magnet designation. Attendance, discipline, and staff data were not provided.
The broader Northbrook School District 27 recently underwent a significant financial change. Voters approved a referendum in April 2025 establishing a long-term, recurring property tax increase to fund facility improvements, safety upgrades, classroom technology, and expanded space for early childhood and special education programming. This move reflects both the district's commitment to facility investment and a lasting increase in school costs for families in the district. Parents should factor the approved referendum into their housing and school-choice decisions, as the ongoing tax impact is substantial.
The school's location in Northbrook positions it within a community experiencing substantial real estate development activity. Property values in the area remain high and have grown year over year. Rental costs have also risen. The market shows moderate supply relative to demand. Northbrook's major mall site redevelopment and new residential projects signal ongoing growth and change in the community, which may affect school enrollment and character over the next few years.
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