The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 25% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Winston Campus Jr High
Winston Campus Jr High serves seventh and eighth grade students in Palatine, part of Community Consolidated School District 15. The school enrolls roughly 590 students, a cohort that is heavily Hispanic, with smaller populations of white, Asian, and Black students. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data and English learner enrollment counts were not available in the district information provided.
The school's most recent state assessment results, from the 2024-25 school year, show proficiency rates well below the midpoint among Cook County's tested schools. In math, sixth graders achieved proficiency around a fifth of the cohort; seventh graders around a third; and eighth graders roughly a quarter. In English language arts, sixth grade proficiency was around a third; seventh grade around two-fifths; eighth grade around two-fifths. Science proficiency for eighth graders sat around a quarter. These are low outcome measures across the board, and a parent may want to understand the school's student support structures, intervention programs, and instructional practices directly with administrators. The school participates fully in state testing, with participation rates at or near 100 percent across most assessments.
District-wide changes are reshaping the school experience. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, Palatine CCSD 15 completed a major structural reorganization driven by a successful 2022 bond referendum called "Moving 15 Forward." The district converted its junior highs into middle schools and moved sixth grade into the middle school setting. Simultaneously, attendance boundaries were redrawn, schools were reconfigured to support full-day kindergarten, and special education, multilingual, and gifted programs were redistributed across buildings for equity. Winston Campus is the renamed middle school facility serving seventh and eighth grades post-reorganization. The district has completed renovations and updates to 12 school buildings, including updated classrooms, libraries, specialized learning spaces, and new science labs and STEM facilities funded by the bond. These physical improvements are in place, though they are separate from academic outcomes.
Palatine itself is a residential suburb roughly 26 to 30 miles northwest of Chicago, straddling Cook and Lake counties. The village has grown steadily and is now experiencing renewed mixed-use and multifamily development concentrated in the downtown core near the Metra station on the Union Pacific Northwest Line. The downtown hosts restaurants, shops, and condos, and the broader village is dominated by single-family neighborhoods and apartment complexes. Housing values in the 60074 zip code are in the mid-range for the Chicago area, with rental costs also moderate. The area is car-oriented outside downtown, though the Metra station offers weekday commute access to the city. Major employers include Weber-Stephen Products, the U.S. Postal Service processing facility, Little City Foundation, and Harper College; the Schaumburg employment corridor is adjacent to the village.
The school's low proficiency results place it in the bottom quartile of Cook County schools on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. A parent or resident considering this school should view these test numbers as a starting point for deeper conversation with the school about student demographics, prior achievement levels, targeted supports, and the school's theory of change for improving learning outcomes. The recent facility improvements and structural reorganization are tangible district investments, but they do not by themselves explain current academic standing. Whether this school is the right fit depends on what support infrastructure exists for students working below grade level, how the school engages families, and what other schooling options are realistic within the district boundary.
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