The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pearl City Jr High School
Pearl City Jr High School serves grades seven and eight in a small rural village in Stephenson County. The school has a combined enrollment of roughly one hundred students, with approximately equal numbers in each grade, though one grade is notably larger than the other. The student body is predominantly white, with representation of other races and ethnicities present though comprising a smaller share of enrollment. State data on free-or-reduced-price lunch rates and English learner or special education identification rates were not available.
The school's state assessment results show room for concern. In mathematics, grade seven proficiency sits in the low range, while grade eight performance is similarly modest. English language arts results are mixed, with grade eight proficiency substantially higher than grade seven, though grade seven's proficiency rate remains low. Grade eight science performance is in the lower-modest range. None of these proficiency rates are strong by state standards. Across the tested grades and subjects, Pearl City Jr High School's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Stephenson County, meaning its academic performance on state measures lags most peer districts in the county.
This is an alternative junior high configuration. Pearl City CUSD 200 operates a single school facility serving all students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, so the junior high grades are housed within a building that also contains elementary and high school students. This structure may shape peer composition, resource allocation, and the daily school experience in ways that differ from a standalone middle school.
The district has made two changes that affect families. It has implemented a graduated volunteer service hours requirement for graduation: freshmen must complete five hours per year, sophomores ten, juniors fifteen, and seniors a larger span, with each student capped at five hours annually and barred from counting work for family members. Students who do not meet these hours will not be allowed to graduate, making this a binding, mandatory requirement. Additionally, the district is adopting a district-wide e-Learning program that permits instruction to be delivered electronically on what would otherwise be weather-related closure days. This means the school calendar is shifting toward remote-instruction days in place of traditional snow days.
The village of Pearl City itself is small and rural, historically centered on agriculture and a railroad presence that has since faded. Population has remained essentially flat over recent decades. The local business base is modest, with nearby Freeport about a short drive away hosting larger regional employers. Housing values in the area are notably below both the Illinois state median and national average, though recent price appreciation has been strong. The community maintains civic anchors in a public library, churches, and local service organizations, but there is no public transit system serving the area.
Families considering this school should understand that state proficiency results are low and the school's performance ranks below most comparable districts in the county. A parent may want to look into the school's current approaches to instruction and student support to understand what steps are underway to improve these outcomes, and to ask directly about how the junior high grades specifically are being supported within a building that spans pre-K through twelve.
See more original research from School Decision →