The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 34% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Intermediate Sch
Woodland Intermediate School serves fourth and fifth grades in Gurnee, a suburban Lake County village shaped by tourism and retail employment. The school serves a population of about just under a thousand students who come from a diverse neighborhood: roughly one-third of students are white, one-third Hispanic, and a meaningful share are Asian or Black. The school was part of a substantial redistricting or program reorganization that placed grades four and five here rather than across multiple buildings, making it a purposefully configured intermediate school rather than a traditional elementary.
On state testing under Illinois' IAR and ISA assessments, the school's results are mixed and require close attention. In English language arts, fourth-grade students performed at close to half the proficiency threshold, and fifth-grade performance was similar. In math, results dipped notably. Fourth graders in math were below the halfway point in proficiency, and fifth graders dropped further. Science proficiency in fifth grade was again below half. These figures place the school below the midpoint when compared to the districts in Lake County. A parent should look carefully at whether the school has identified the drivers of these trends—whether it reflects the student population served, instruction, curriculum alignment to the state assessment, or systemic gaps that the school is actively addressing. The school's participation rates were high and consistent, meaning these results reflect the tested cohort rather than missing data, and they are not directly comparable to prior years because the state changed its assessment standards.
Gurnee itself is a car-dependent suburban village anchored by Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills outlet mall along a commercial corridor bisected by Interstate 94. Residential areas are dominated by mid-century ranch and split-level homes. The community is served by Pace bus routes connecting to Metra commuter rail in nearby Waukegan rather than direct rail service within the village. Housing values in the area have appreciated modestly over the past year, and rental prices remain relatively affordable for a Chicago suburb. The village has added residential construction and is considering workforce housing development. Civic life includes an active park district with over thirty green spaces and the Warren-Newport Public Library. Employment is concentrated in retail, hospitality, and seasonal theme-park work rather than white-collar office parks.
The school is part of Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50. No recent major policy changes, referendums, or curriculum initiatives emerged from available public sources. This means either the district is running on established programs, or recent decisions have not been widely reported. A parent considering this school would benefit from contacting the district directly about any ongoing academic improvement efforts, how the school is responding to test score trends, and whether there are reading or math interventions in place for students not yet proficient. The setting is suburban and family-oriented, with a mixed but substantial Hispanic student population and solid Asian representation, making it a genuinely integrated school by both racial and ethnic composition.
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