The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillcrest School
Hillcrest School is a small alternative school in Kenosha, serving students in sixth through twelfth grade. As an alternative school, its mission and structure differ from a comprehensive neighborhood school, and this shapes both the student experience and what the available data can tell a parent. The school’s enrollment is small, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the student body is diverse, with no single group forming a majority; Black, Hispanic, and White students each make up a notable portion of the population, alongside a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races.
State testing data exists for Hillcrest, but it is limited in what it can convey because of the nature of the school. For most grade levels and subjects, results are suppressed, which in a school with a small enrollment typically reflects that too few students were tested to report a result while protecting student privacy. For the eighth-grade math and English language arts assessments, the number of students tested was low, and reported proficiency rates were very low. The participation rate for the eighth-grade English test was about half, and for the science test it was lower still. A parent should understand that these results come from a very small group of test-takers and do not necessarily represent the broader academic program. The school’s overall proficiency index, based on reported results across subjects and grades, falls in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Kenosha County. Because the data is thin for an alternative school, a parent may want to ask the school directly about how academic progress is measured for its students and what the typical academic pathway looks like after enrollment.
Hillcrest’s graduate rate data was not available in the information reviewed, which is common for smaller alternative schools where cohort sizes can be very small. No information was found on course access, staffing, or discipline statistics. The district, Kenosha Unified School District, has been in a period of significant change. In recent years, it voted to close multiple schools as part of a rightsizing project driven by declining enrollment, which is projected to continue. This means families in the district should expect attendance boundaries to be redrawn and some neighborhood school options to shrink, though an alternative school like Hillcrest may operate under a different enrollment process.
Kenosha itself is a mid-sized city on Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago. It has a manufacturing and industrial history and today hosts the corporate headquarters of companies like Snap-on and Jockey International, along with large distribution centers. The downtown and lakefront areas have been redeveloped with a streetcar line, museums, parks, and publicly accessible shoreline. Higher education institutions, including a public university and a private college, are located within the city. Housing values in the area are modestly above the national median, and rental costs make up a typical share of income. The city has attracted recent development, including a hydroponic farm in former shipping containers and continued growth in logistics and distribution facilities.
For a parent considering Hillcrest, the school fits as a specialized setting within the larger Kenosha Unified system. It is not a traditional neighborhood middle or high school, and its academic profile on standardized tests is low, though that data comes from a small number of students. A parent would want to understand what the alternative program offers, how it supports students academically and behaviorally, and whether it matches a specific need. The district’s ongoing consolidation and enrollment decline add a layer of uncertainty for any family in Kenosha, as school assignments and programs may shift in the coming years.
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