Original Research by School Decision on New Tech High - Zion-benton East
New Tech High - Zion-Benton East is a small four-year public high school in Zion, a primarily residential city in northern Lake County between Chicago and Milwaukee. The school sits on a suburban campus and serves grades nine through twelve.
The school's enrollment is small, with roughly even cohorts across all four grades. The student body is majority Latino, with a substantial share identifying as Black, and smaller populations of White students and multiracial students. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner enrollment was not available, limiting a full picture of economic need or language-support demand at the school. Similarly, state testing data and a graduation rate were not provided, so an assessment of academic performance could not be made from this record.
The district completed a significant multi-phase renovation of Zion-Benton Township High School—the parent district's main campus—in 2023-2024. Phase 2 of that work added a new multi-tier student support suite with resource offices, study halls, and support classrooms, along with a dedicated departmental grouping for English learners and newcomers. These additions directly shape the school's capacity to serve students who need academic or language support. The district also adopted an e-Learning plan covering 2023-2026 that allows instruction to continue during weather closures, establishing continuity for families working around snow days.
The broader Zion community is economically modestly priced relative to county benchmarks. Housing values in the ZIP code are below the state median, and rental costs are moderate. The city's population is roughly flat, with older housing stock and limited new residential construction. Zion itself is car-dependent, though the Metra Union Pacific North Line connects the city to downtown Chicago, and Shiloh Park and Illinois Beach State Park anchor community life. The city's largest employer is City of Hope Chicago, a cancer hospital that opened decades ago, along with manufacturing and retail.
A parent or resident considering this school would want to contact the district directly for current state testing results, graduation rates, course offerings, and specifics on the English learner and newcomer support that the recent renovations made possible. The school's small size and recent investment in academic and language-support infrastructure suggest an environment aimed at close attention to student progress, though without performance data the fit for any particular student remains unknown.
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