Original Research by School Decision on Kankakee High School
Kankakee High School is a public four-year high school in Kankakee, Illinois, serving a student body that is substantially Black and Hispanic, with smaller shares of white students and a very small number of Asian students. The school enrolls roughly around a mid-sized cohort for its grade band, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across grades nine through twelve. Detailed enrollment demographics show the student population is predominantly made up of Black students and Hispanic students in nearly equal shares, reflecting the composition of Kankakee itself.
State testing data, graduation rate figures, chronic absenteeism rates, and free-or-reduced-price lunch counts were not available, so we cannot characterize academic proficiency or college and career readiness outcomes from standardized measures. The school sits within Kankakee School District 111, which encompasses the city and surrounding area. A parent evaluating this school would want to request directly from the district or school specific information about recent proficiency results, graduation completion rates, post-secondary placement outcomes, and college readiness pathways.
The district is currently in transition on several fronts. In 2025 the board commissioned a full curriculum and instructional practices audit and has begun developing a new five-year strategic plan for 2026 onward, meaning teaching approaches and course offerings may shift in the coming years. This could be an opportunity to see instructional improvement, though parents may want to ask the school directly what changes are anticipated and when they will take effect. The district has also pursued consecutive property tax levy increases at or near the state's allowable cap, a recurring cost factor for households considering a move to the district.
At Kankakee High School specifically, the district ended the long-standing uniform requirement in summer 2025, replacing it with a modified dress code. This is a tangible shift in school culture and daily life for families. Additionally, starting with the 2025 graduation, the school tightened the bar for commencement participation: seniors who have not earned enough credits to graduate are no longer permitted to walk at graduation, a departure from prior practice that lets near-finishers take part. This signals a stricter expectation for on-time credit completion.
The city of Kankakee is a mid-sized Illinois community about fifty miles south of Chicago, with a walkable historic downtown anchored by Courthouse Square and brick commercial buildings. The economy blends healthcare, manufacturing, life sciences, and logistics, with major employers including Riverside Healthcare, CSL Behring in biotechnology, Nucor Steel, and several other manufacturers. Housing values are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and rent is similarly modest. The city has experienced limited new residential construction since the prior recession, though recent projects including affordable housing and downtown mixed-use development signal renewed interest in growth. Kankakee offers river corridor parkland, fixed-route transit, and Amtrak service to Chicago, lending the area both recreational and commuting infrastructure.
See more original research from School Decision →