The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Science. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Oliver W Holmes Middle School
Oliver W Holmes Middle School serves grades 6 through 8 in Wheeling, a working suburb of Chicago in Cook County with a strong manufacturing base and an active development scene. The school enrolled about 600 students in the most recent school year, with the plurality Hispanic and a smaller mix of other backgrounds including Asian, white, and multiracial students.
The school's academic performance is below the county midpoint. State testing data from Illinois for 2024-25 shows proficiency rates in the low to mid-range across grades and subjects. In grade 6 mathematics, about one in ten students reached proficiency; in grade 7 math the rate doubled to roughly one in five. Grade 8 mathematics proficiency remained low at about one in eight students. English language arts results were slightly stronger: grade 6 saw about one in five students proficient, grade 7 about one in four, and grade 8 improved notably to roughly one in three students meeting the standard. In science, grade 8 (the only grade tested) showed about one in four students at proficiency. Across tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to districts across Cook County. These are facts to reckon with and may warrant a parent looking into current or planned interventions with the school leadership.
The state testing cuts changed this year, which can affect year-to-year comparability; participation rates were strong at or near full, so these figures reflect nearly all enrolled students.
Wheeling itself is a mixed-use suburb roughly 23 miles northwest of Chicago, combining residential neighborhoods with a well-known industrial presence and a dining and entertainment corridor along the Des Plaines River. The village is in an active growth phase, with the Wheeling Town Center—a new downtown anchored by mixed-use development, the Metra station, and civic amenities like Heritage Park—opening in recent years. The housing market is moderately valued; homes in the zip code sell in the mid-range with modest year-over-year appreciation. Rental costs remain tight. Wheeling has tight industrial vacancy and is attracting new residents, prompting the village to conduct a special census in 2026. Schools sit on separated campuses rather than in the town center node.
The district, Community Consolidated School District 21, is in the middle of a redrawing of attendance boundaries for the first time in roughly two decades, with a community-led Map Design Committee launched in 2026. This is significant because Holmes and other schools are reporting capacity issues; specifically, schools on the east side of the district (which includes this part of Wheeling) are overcrowded while west-side schools have empty seats. No boundary changes would take effect before the 2027-28 school year at the earliest, but this process could affect which neighborhood school a family's child would attend in the future. The district has also completed major facility work including district-wide air conditioning and secured entrances funded by a prior bond, and undertook a large round of summer 2025 construction projects described as among the most significant in its history.
State assessment data was the only metric available for academic performance. The school's website, free-or-reduced-lunch participation, chronic absenteeism, enrollment in special education, English learner status, graduation rates, program offerings, and staffing details were not included in the data, so a parent may want to visit the school website or contact the school directly to learn more about those aspects.
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