Wauconda Middle School, Wauconda IL

Original Research by School Decision on Wauconda Middle School

Wauconda Middle School serves grades six through eight in a residential village in northwest suburban Lake County, north of Chicago. The school sits on a campus setting rather than integrated into downtown, and draws students from a mixed suburban community.

The school's academic performance shows a pattern worth examining closely. In English language arts, proficiency runs from the mid-range in sixth grade through the mid-to-upper range in eighth grade, with stronger performance in reading and writing as students progress. Mathematics proficiency is considerably lower across all three grades, running in the mid-to-low range at each level. Science proficiency at eighth grade is stronger, sitting in the upper-middle range. Overall, the school's combined proficiency index sits below the midpoint among Lake County's other districts, a position that reflects the challenge in math in particular.

Testing participation rates are strong and consistent across grades, exceeding ninety-five percent in every subject and grade, which means the proficiency data represents most of the enrolled students. The school does not appear to use selective enrollment, serving a general population.

The student body is economically and ethnically mixed. The school enrolls roughly equal shares across the three grades, with a total enrollment of about five hundred students. Roughly three-eighths of students identify as Hispanic, three-fifths as white, and the remaining tenth drawn from Asian, Black, and multiracial backgrounds. Data on the free or reduced-price lunch count and rate were not available, as was data on students with IEPs and English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving support services and the range of needs the school serves.

Wauconda itself is experiencing steady residential growth on its eastern edge, with new subdivisions and town home developments in the planning stages or under construction. The housing market in the area shows a median home value in the mid-range for the region, with median rents moderate by suburban standards. The village's downtown sits on the shores of Bangs Lake with a small collection of locally owned shops and cafes, though most shopping and dining cluster along state highways. Public transit is limited to a dial-a-ride curb-to-curb service, so car ownership is typical.

The larger context for the school is a district facing budget stress. Wauconda CUSD 118 has been operating under a multi-year deficit reduction plan, with substantial cuts already made to the 2025-26 budget and further reductions proposed for 2026-27. Because roughly eighty percent of the district's operating budget goes to salaries and benefits, these reductions will affect staffing levels and program offerings in ways that will persist for years. The district is also funded at only a modest portion of the state's adequacy level and relies heavily on local property taxes, so families moving to the area should understand that the district's fiscal trajectory may shape what programs and services remain available. A parent considering enrollment should look into the school's and district's staffing and program plans for the coming years.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 32% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 32% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 658%

School 58% · District 53% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 59% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 46% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 51% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolWauconda CUSD 118, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.