The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hilltop Elem School
Hilltop Elementary serves kindergarten through third grade in McHenry, a mid-sized Fox River city in northern Illinois northwest of Chicago. The school enrolls a small cohort across its four grade bands, with a student body that is roughly two-thirds white, a quarter Hispanic, and a smaller share Black and multiracial. Enrollment data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special populations including students with IEPs and English learners were not provided.
In the most recent testing cycle for which the school has reported results, third-grade students in math achieved proficiency at a rate below the midpoint for districts across McHenry County. Third-grade English language arts proficiency was similarly positioned in the lower end of the county range. The school does not currently report results for grades beyond third, reflecting that it does not serve those grades; science testing data for fifth and eighth grades did not report usable results. Test results alone cannot reveal whether students are meeting their foundational literacy and numeracy targets, but a parent may want to look deeper with the school into what instruction looks like in the early grades and what support pathways exist for students working below grade level.
McHenry itself is a blend of historic riverfront character on the east side near the original settlement and post-railroad commercial development on the west, with three small downtown districts anchored by storefronts, the McHenry Riverwalk, and a library and Metra station. Beyond downtown, the city spreads into residential neighborhoods and business parks, with much of the texture shaped by major Route 31 and Route 20 commercial corridors carrying significant traffic. Major employers include Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, school districts themselves, and manufacturers and healthcare firms in business parks on the city's edges. The city shows steady infill and redevelopment activity rather than rapid expansion, with recent focus on historic downtown storefronts and Route corridor sites.
The housing market in the McHenry area shows moderate affordability. Home values have risen modestly year over year, while monthly rents are stable. Mortgage rates for a conventional purchase run around six and a half percent, and median household income regionally supports housing at roughly three and a half times annual income on purchase, or just under thirty percent on rent. Listings have been moderating compared to recent years, reflecting a shift toward a steadier pace of transactions.
Within McHenry CCSD 15, a significant change took effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year: the district closed Landmark School, which had operated the only year-round continuous learning calendar program in the county. Families previously choosing Landmark as a school of choice are now assigned to their home schools, a permanent shift in district school options. The closure came after the district cited multimillion-dollar costs to bring the aging facility to modern standards. This consolidation shapes the scope of choice available to families and the deployment of district facility dollars going forward.
Hilltop Elementary is a traditional neighborhood school serving the early grades, positioned at the entry point of the K-3 experience in the district. The school's recent proficiency results place it below the county median, so families considering enrollment will want to assess directly with the school how reading and math instruction is organized, what data the school uses to track progress, and how it supports students who are building foundational skills. For families in the McHenry area looking for early elementary placement, Hilltop offers a conventional public school pathway with the structure and stability that comes with a regular public school, situated in a city with walkable downtown anchors and modest, stable housing costs.
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