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Schools in Island Lake · McHenry Community High School District 156, Wauconda Community Unit School District 118

Island Lake’s public schools outscore 58% of Illinois districts

The grade covers the two public school districts serving Island Lake, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Illinois, not nationally.

#389of 768 Illinois townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Illinois state tests taken in spring 2021, when nearly all of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
29%
▼ 1 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
23%
▼ 3 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Graduate on time
90%
▲ 2 pts vs IL 88%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$21.5K
▼ 0% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024 · Wauconda Community Unit School District 118
Students per teacher
13.2
IL 13.6
Schools in town
0
6,400 students on the public path
In brief

Island Lake’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 1009 Illinois towns with household incomes within a quarter of Island Lake’s, its schools beat 45%, lower than their 58% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2021, 29% of tested students were proficient in reading and 23% in math, against 30% and 26% statewide; nearly all of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

90% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois. Districts ↓

Spending and class size

McHenry Community High School District 156 spends $19,440 per student and Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 $21,475, against $21,567 across Illinois (FY2024). Neither counts toward the grade. Districts ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Island Lake’s grade

B− Test scoresB Graduation

B: better than 58% of Illinois school districts, #389 of 768 Illinois towns. Graduation is above the Illinois average; test scores are below it.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 58%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1009)Better than 45%
B−B+A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 2,592 test results and a graduating class of 563 could put Island Lake anywhere from B− to B+. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Island Lake’s students in the tested grades sat them (2,312 in math, 2,873 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Island Lake, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–53 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressC+ to B
6–82 middle schoolsDepends on your addressB− to B
9–122 high schoolsDepends on your addressB

Island Lake runs its own schools through grade 12 (Wauconda Community Unit School District 118). From grade 9, students attend the McHenry Community High School District 156, shared with Bull Valley, Greenwood, Holiday Hills, Johnsburg, Lakemoor, McCullom Lake, McHenry, McHenry, Nunda, Ringwood and Wonder Lake. Its elementary school is in Wauconda. Parts of Island Lake (12% of its land) are served by McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15 instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

Two districts serve Island Lake

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

McHenry Community High School District 156Grades 9–12 · 1 schools · 2,214 students · 15.4 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$19,440IL $21,567 · FY2024
B
Wauconda Community Unit School District 118Grades PK–12 · 6 schools · 4,186 students, down 6% since 2020–21 · 12.3 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$21,475IL $21,567 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2020–21

Close to the state in reading

Reading · 9–12, McHenry Community High School District 15624%
State average 29.9% · 575 students tested
Math · 9–12, McHenry Community High School District 15627%
State average 25.8% · 502 students tested
Reading · PK–12, Wauconda Community Unit School District 11830%
State average 29.9% · 2298 students tested
Math · PK–12, Wauconda Community Unit School District 11822%
State average 25.8% · 1810 students tested

Island Lake vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Illinois towns that share Island Lake’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Island LakeBWauconda Community Unit School District 118 PK–12 · McHenry Community High School District 156 9–12
Port BarringtonA−Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 PK–12 · Barrington Community Unit School District 220 PK–12

Every school in Island Lake

7 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Illinois’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Island Lakein other towns
Cotton Creek School
Elementary · Grades PK–5
B−
580 students12:1Rate it →
Wauconda Grade School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Wauconda
C+
421 students10:1Rate it →
Robert Crown School
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Wauconda
B
776 students12:1Rate it →
Wauconda Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Wauconda
B
506 students12:1Rate it →
Matthews Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
B−
451 students11:1Rate it →
McHenry Community High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Mchenry
2,214 students15:1Rate it →
Wauconda High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Wauconda
B
1,452 students14:1Rate it →

Questions about Island Lake’s schools

Are Island Lake’s schools good?

They sit near the middle of Illinois: the public schools Island Lake children attend outscore 58% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #389 of 768 Illinois towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 45%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Island Lake in?

Two districts: Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 runs grades PK–12, and McHenry Community High School District 156 runs grades 9–12, shared with Bull Valley, Greenwood, Holiday Hills, Johnsburg, Lakemoor, McCullom Lake, McHenry, McHenry, Nunda, Ringwood and Wonder Lake.

Where do Island Lake kids go to high school?

One of 2 high schools, depending on your address: McHenry Community High School and Wauconda High School.

What is Island Lake’s graduation rate?

90% of the class of 2023 in McHenry Community High School District 156 graduated in four years, against 88% across Illinois.

How much does Island Lake spend per student?

$19,440 in McHenry Community High School District 156 and $21,475 in Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Island Lake families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Island Lake → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2020–21, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Illinois. Stars are from neighbors.