The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dr Julian Rogus School
Dr Julian Rogus School serves prekindergarten through fourth grade in Frankfort, a residential Chicago suburb about thirty miles southwest of the city. The school is a regular public elementary school within Summit Hill SD 161 and enrolls a small student body for its grade band, with a diverse makeup: the plurality of students are white, and smaller shares identify as Hispanic, Black, Asian, or two or more races.
The school's testing results, available for third and fourth grades only, show solid performance in math. Third graders achieved proficiency at a strong rate, as did fourth graders, with nearly all students participating in testing. English language arts performance is more uneven by grade: fourth graders performed substantially better than third graders, suggesting either that instruction tightens in the later grade or that the third-grade cohort faced particular challenges. Testing data does not appear for fifth and sixth grade because the school does not serve those grades. Free or reduced price lunch rates and special education enrollment data were not available.
Frankfort itself is a planned suburb built around a small historic downtown core centered on Breidert Green. The area is car-dependent overall, though the downtown near the school district's administrative footprint hosts year-round events including farmers markets, outdoor movies, and seasonal festivals. Single-family homes dominate, with a blend of older early-20th-century housing near the downtown and newer subdivisions from the 2000s forward. The community continues steady residential growth, driven by proximity to Interstate 80, with multiple active developments underway.
Housing values in the broader Frankfort area have risen modestly in recent years. The local real estate market shows moderate supply and softer demand relative to a year ago, with inventory levels reflecting a slow-moving market. Median home prices sit in the mid-range for the region, and the affordability calculation based on local income and current mortgage rates positions home ownership as reachable but requiring a meaningful share of household budget.
The district itself has experienced recent upheaval that shapes the operating context. In late 2023, the school board voted to close two schools, including Frankfort Square Elementary in Frankfort, effective at the end of the 2023-24 school year, citing declining enrollment. The closures consolidated students into remaining schools and triggered direct community pushback. A subsequent property tax referendum in November 2024 questioned whether the board had a mandate to close buildings without reducing the levy rate. In April 2025, an election cycle ousted multiple board members who had supported the closures and installed challengers aligned with parent opposition, signaling potential shifts in district governance going forward. Families considering Dr Julian Rogus should be aware of this recent institutional volatility and the questions about district enrollment and financial management it raises.
Relative to other districts in Will County, Dr Julian Rogus school's overall proficiency rate places it in the top quartile, a genuine strength. The school achieved this standing across the tested grades available, demonstrating consistent academic reach. The school does not report a graduation rate because it does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data was not available. A parent investigating this school may want to discuss with administration current enrollment trends, how the district is stabilizing after the closures, and what instructional approaches have yielded the stronger fourth-grade English results compared to third grade.
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