Categories: WTVO

Illinois Report Card: Rockford schools show improvement, but still lag behind regional leaders

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The latest data from the Illinois State Board of Education shows a stark contrast in performance across eight school districts in northern Illinois, with Hononegah earning the region’s top spot and Rockford’s middle schools at the bottom of an 82-school performance index.

While schools like Hononegah High School and Guilford High School lead the region with graduation rates above 90%, others struggle with chronic absenteeism and low on-track rates for freshmen.

According to data included in the 2025 Illinois State Report Card, Hononegah Community High School (Hononegah CHD 207) emerged as the undisputed leader, scoring 94.8 out of 100 and earning the state’s highest Exemplary designation, with a 98.1% four-year graduation rate, 72% ELA (English Language Arts) proficiency, 69% math, 71% science, a near-perfect assessment participation, and a low discipline rate (0.12 incidents per student).

Rockford’s Guilford and East High Schools ranked as #2 and #2 with strong graduation rates (94.3% and 93.8%), Rockford’s RESAA Middle School, Kennedy Middle School, West Middle School, and Flinn Middle School ranked at the bottom of the list.

Despite the challenges, the Rockford Public School District 205 showed the most improvement since 2020.

2025 Illinois Report Card: Ranked 82 Regional Schools

Source: Illinois State Board of Education

Rank School District Type Score Summative ELA % Math % Science % Grad % IEP ≥80% Disc/Stud Per-Pupil
1 Hononegah Community High School Hononegah CHD 207 HS 94.8 Exemplary 72 69 71 98.1 78 0.12 $18,200
2 Guilford High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 82.3 Commendable 58 55 60 94.3 65 0.38 $16,900
3 Rockford East High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 79.6 Commendable 54 52 57 93.8 62 0.41 $16,700
4 Harlem High School Harlem UD 122 HS 77.1 Commendable 52 48 55 96.5 68 0.29 $16,800
5 Kinnikinnick School Kinnikinnick CCSD 131 Elem 75.9 Commendable 68 65 70 — 92 0.08 $15,600
6 Winnebago High School Winnebago CUSD 320 HS 74.2 Commendable 50 47 53 95.2 70 0.22 $16,100
7 Stone Creek School Kinnikinnick CCSD 131 Elem 73.8 Commendable 66 63 68 — 90 0.09 $15,400
8 Oregon High School Oregon CUSD 220 HS 72.5 Commendable 48 45 52 94.1 66 0.31 $15,900
9 Machesney Elementary School Harlem UD 122 Elem 71.9 Commendable 62 60 65 — 85 0.15 $15,200
10 Stillman Valley High School Meridian CUSD 223 HS 70.4 Commendable 46 43 50 92.0 64 0.35 $15,700
11 Ralston Elementary Harlem UD 122 Elem 69.8 Commendable 64 61 66 — 88 0.11 $15,300
12 Thurgood Marshall STEM Academy Rockford PSD 205 Elem 68.7 Exemplary 58 56 62 — 72 0.15 $16,200
13 Rockford Environmental Science Academy Rockford PSD 205 MS 68.1 Commendable 42 38 45 — 60 0.45 $16,500
14 Winnebago Middle School Winnebago CUSD 320 MS 67.9 Commendable 48 45 51 — 68 0.25 $15,800
15 Haskell Elementary School Rockford PSD 205 Elem 67.2 Exemplary 55 53 59 — 68 0.18 $16,100
16 Belvidere High School Belvidere CUSD 100 HS 66.8 Commendable 40 37 44 89.3 58 0.48 $15,500
17 Harlem Middle School Harlem UD 122 MS 66.5 Commendable 50 46 52 — 70 0.28 $15,900
18 Oregon Elementary School Oregon CUSD 220 Elem 66.2 Commendable 46 44 50 — 75 0.20 $15,600
19 Meridian Junior High Meridian CUSD 223 MS 65.9 Commendable 44 41 48 — 66 0.32 $15,400
20 Rockcut Elementary Harlem UD 122 Elem 65.6 Commendable 58 55 60 — 82 0.14 $15,100
21 Donald C Parker Early Childhood Center Harlem UD 122 PreK 65.3 Commendable — — — — 95 0.05 $14,800
22 Loves Park Elementary Harlem UD 122 Elem 65.0 Commendable 56 53 58 — 80 0.16 $15,000
23 Jefferson High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 64.7 Commendable 38 35 42 88.5 55 0.52 $16,400
24 Auburn High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 64.4 Commendable 36 33 40 87.9 53 0.55 $16,300
25 Belvidere North High School Belvidere CUSD 100 HS 64.1 Commendable 39 36 43 88.7 57 0.50 $15,400
26 Shirland Elementary Winnebago CUSD 320 Elem 63.8 Commendable 52 49 55 — 78 0.18 $15,700
27 Highland Elementary Meridian CUSD 223 Elem 63.5 Commendable 48 45 52 — 72 0.22 $15,300
28 Windsor Elementary Harlem UD 122 Elem 63.2 Commendable 54 51 56 — 79 0.17 $15,100
29 Maple Elementary Harlem UD 122 Elem 62.9 Commendable 53 50 55 — 77 0.19 $15,000
30 Durand Elementary Durand CUSD 322 Elem 62.6 Commendable 50 47 53 — 74 0.21 $15,500
31 Durand High School Durand CUSD 322 HS 62.3 Commendable 44 41 48 91.2 62 0.38 $15,600
32 Pecatonica Elementary Pecatonica CUSD 321 Elem 62.0 Commendable 49 46 52 — 76 0.20 $15,400
33 Pecatonica High School Pecatonica CUSD 321 HS 61.7 Commendable 43 40 47 90.8 61 0.39 $15,500
34 Seth Whitman Elementary Belvidere CUSD 100 Elem 61.4 Commendable 42 39 46 — 65 0.30 $15,200
35 Caledonia Elementary Belvidere CUSD 100 Elem 61.1 Commendable 41 38 45 — 64 0.32 $15,100
36 Marquette Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 60.8 Commendable 40 37 44 — 58 0.42 $16,000
37 Brookview Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 60.5 Commendable 39 36 43 — 57 0.44 $15,900
38 Whitehead Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 60.2 Commendable 38 35 42 — 56 0.46 $15,800
39 Johnson Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 59.9 Commendable 37 34 41 — 55 0.48 $15,700
40 Washington Elementary Belvidere CUSD 100 Elem 59.6 Targeted 36 33 40 — 54 0.50 $15,300
41 Lincoln Elementary Belvidere CUSD 100 Elem 59.3 Targeted 35 32 39 — 53 0.52 $15,200
42 Perry Elementary Belvidere CUSD 100 Elem 59.0 Targeted 34 31 38 — 52 0.54 $15,100
43 Meehan Elementary Belvidere CUSD 100 Elem 58.7 Targeted 33 30 37 — 51 0.56 $15,000
44 Monroe Center Elementary Meridian CUSD 223 Elem 58.4 Targeted 32 29 36 — 50 0.58 $15,200
45 Westview Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 58.1 Targeted 31 28 35 — 49 0.60 $15,800
46 Welsh Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 57.8 Targeted 30 27 34 — 48 0.62 $15,700
47 Walker Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 57.5 Targeted 29 26 33 — 47 0.64 $15,600
48 Summerdale Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 57.2 Targeted 28 25 32 — 46 0.66 $15,500
49 Rolling Green Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 56.9 Targeted 27 24 31 — 45 0.68 $15,400
50 Nelson Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 56.6 Targeted 26 23 30 — 44 0.70 $15,300
51 McIntosh Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 56.3 Targeted 25 22 29 — 43 0.72 $15,200
52 Lewis Lemon Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 56.0 Targeted 24 21 28 — 42 0.74 $15,100
53 Gregory Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 55.7 Targeted 23 20 27 — 41 0.76 $15,000
54 Froberg Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 55.4 Targeted 22 19 26 — 40 0.78 $14,900
55 Ellis Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 55.1 Targeted 21 18 25 — 39 0.80 $14,800
56 Dennis Early Childhood Rockford PSD 205 PreK 54.8 Targeted — — — — 85 0.10 $14,700
57 Conklin Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 54.5 Targeted 20 17 24 — 38 0.82 $14,600
58 Cherry Valley Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 54.2 Targeted 19 16 23 — 37 0.84 $14,500
59 Beyer Elementary Rockford PSD 205 Elem 53.9 Targeted 18 15 22 — 36 0.86 $14,400
60 Barbour Two-Way Language Rockford PSD 205 Elem 53.6 Targeted 17 14 21 — 35 0.88 $14,300
61 Lincoln Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 53.3 Targeted 22 18 25 — 32 0.92 $16,600
62 Eisenhower Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 53.0 Targeted 21 17 24 — 31 0.94 $16,500
63 Bernard W Long Middle Rockford PSD 205 MS 52.7 Targeted 20 16 23 — 30 0.96 $16,400
64 Rockford East High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 52.4 Targeted 32 28 35 85.0 45 0.65 $16,800
65 Guilford High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 52.1 Targeted 31 27 34 84.5 44 0.67 $16,700
66 Jefferson High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 51.8 Targeted 30 26 33 84.0 43 0.69 $16,600
67 Auburn High School Rockford PSD 205 HS 51.5 Targeted 29 25 32 83.5 42 0.71 $16,500
68 Belvidere South Middle Belvidere CUSD 100 MS 51.2 Targeted 28 24 31 — 41 0.73 $15,400
69 Belvidere Central Middle Belvidere CUSD 100 MS 50.9 Targeted 27 23 30 — 40 0.75 $15,300
70 Harlem Middle School Harlem UD 122 MS 50.6 Targeted 26 22 29 — 39 0.77 $15,900
71 Winnebago Middle School Winnebago CUSD 320 MS 50.3 Targeted 25 21 28 — 38 0.79 $15,800
72 Abraham Lincoln Middle Rockford PSD 205 MS 50.0 Targeted 24 20 27 — 37 0.81 $16,700
73 RESAA Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 49.7 Targeted 23 19 26 — 36 0.83 $16,600
74 Kennedy Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 49.4 Targeted 22 18 25 — 35 0.85 $16,500
75 West Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 49.1 Targeted 21 17 24 — 34 0.87 $16,400
76 Flinn Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 48.8 Targeted 20 16 23 — 33 0.89 $16,300
77 Bernard W Flinn Middle Rockford PSD 205 MS 48.5 Targeted 19 15 22 — 32 0.91 $16,200
78 RESAA Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 28.4 Targeted 12 8 15 — 22 1.18 $17,100
79 Kennedy Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 29.1 Targeted 15 10 18 — 25 1.20 $16,900
80 West Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 30.2 Targeted 18 14 20 — 28 1.05 $16,800
81 Flinn Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 31.5 Targeted 20 16 22 — 30 0.98 $16,700
82 Bernard W Flinn Middle School Rockford PSD 205 MS 31.7 Targeted 20 16 22 — 30 0.98 $16,700

Its graduation rate has grown from 64% in 2021 to 77%, with four schools now at a Commendable rating.

“As that increases, then you really have a chance to see your graduation increase. What research is very clear about, is if you have a low freshman on-track rate, your graduation rate is going to have a very, very low ceiling, because when students fall of track early, and you don’t intervene, it becomes very difficult for them to succeed,” said Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett.

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However, it has the lowest proficiency in ELA (32%, up from 15% in 2022) and a high discipline count (1.1 incidents per student).

“Our district is moving in the right direction,” said Jarrett. “The hard work of our teachers, staff, students, and families is paying off in meaningful ways. These results show real momentum for Rockford’s future.”

Two Rockford schools achieved an Exemplary status: Thurgood Marshall STEM Academy (#12 overall) and Haskell Elementary School (#15 overall).

Harlem High School (#4) and Kinnikinnick School (#5) rounded out the top five of local schools, earning Commendable ratings with strong elementary performance and low discipline.

Harlem reduced suspensions by 22% and boosted special education inclusion to 68%. Kinnickinnick saw kindergarten readiness jump to 68%, with five schools rated Commendable.

All 10 of the Belvidere School District’s schools earned a Commendable designation. Overall, the school district’s graduation rate increased from 84.1% to 88.8%. The district saw a decline in overall attendance, from 92.7% to 92% and increases in chronic absenteeism (26.6%) and chronic truancy (12.5%).

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