Original Research by School Decision on Ottawa Township High School
Ottawa Township High School serves grades nine through twelve in a mid-sized four-year high school setting in Ottawa, a small Illinois River city in LaSalle County. The enrollment is distributed evenly across the grade bands, with roughly equivalent numbers of ninth through twelfth graders.
The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic student population representing about a fifth of enrollment. Asian, Black, and multiracial students make up smaller shares. The demographics reflect Ottawa's own composition and the broader demographics of rural and exurban Illinois. The school does not report free-and-reduced-price lunch counts or special education and English learner enrollment figures, so those population details are not available.
State assessment data and graduation rates were not available for this school, which limits a clear picture of academic attainment. The comparison metrics against other districts in LaSalle County cannot be reported because the school's data was missing on the measures used for that analysis. A parent may want to look into this further directly with the school or district to understand how OTHS performs on state tests and what share of students graduate on time, as those are core indicators of college and career readiness.
The district made a notable curriculum decision in 2022 to opt out of Illinois' updated state-adopted comprehensive sex education curriculum under the REACH Act. This was a community and board choice, and it means students at OTHS do not receive that state-mandated curriculum. For families, this is a concrete alignment point to understand: the district's health instruction follows its own path rather than the newer state standards. This is the kind of curriculum choice parents weigh when evaluating fit.
Ottawa itself is a walkable community with a revitalized historic downtown that serves as a genuine civic hub, anchored by Washington Square Park (site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate), the Reddick Public Library, and a network of independent shops, galleries, and restaurants. The Fox River Riverwalk and the Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail provide recreation and connectivity. Major employers include OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, the Illinois appellate court, and small-scale manufacturing across the Illinois Valley. The housing market is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with modest home values and modest rental costs. No fixed-route public transit system serves the city, so families rely on personal transportation.
The community is in a period of uneven growth. OSF HealthCare has announced a major replacement hospital to open in the near term, representing a substantial investment in the region. Employment in the broader city declined slightly from 2023 to 2024, so economic momentum is mixed. For families considering relocation, Ottawa offers walkability and affordability in a settled small-city environment with limited commuting options outside the immediate area.
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