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Post office in Kirkland, IllinoisPhoto: TheCatalyst31 · CC BY-SA 4.0
C+
Schools in Kirkland · Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426

Kirkland’s public schools score below 65% of Illinois districts on tests and graduation

20% of students in Kirkland’s public schools are proficient in reading, below the Illinois average (30%). The grade covers the public school district serving Kirkland, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Illinois, not nationally.

K–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
20%
▼ 10 pts vs IL 30%
2020–21
Math proficiency
20%
▼ 6 pts vs IL 26%
2020–21
Spent per student
$17.9K
▼ 17% vs IL $21.6K
FY2024
Students per teacher
11.5
IL 13.6 · smaller classes
Schools in town
0
427 students on the public path
In brief

Kirkland’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 1205 Illinois towns with household incomes within a quarter of Kirkland’s, its schools beat 21%, lower than their 35% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Results trail the state

In spring 2021, 20% of tested students were proficient in reading and 20% in math, against 30% and 26% statewide; nearly all of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $17,887 per student, against $21,567 across Illinois (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle school

From grade 6 the district’s path is Hiawatha Jr/Sr High School. See the path ↓

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 Kirkland’s grade

C+ Test scores

C+: better than 35% of Illinois school districts. Test scores are below the Illinois average; there is no graduation rate to add.

Illinois school districts we grade (887)Better than 35%
Lower resultsHigher results
Illinois towns with similar household incomes (1205)Better than 21%
C−B−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 208 test results could put Kirkland anywhere from C− to B−. The tests are from spring 2021, when nearly all of Kirkland’s students in the tested grades sat them (210 in math, 207 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

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

The path, start to finish
PK–5Hiawatha Elem Sch PreK-5Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426B+
6–12Hiawatha Jr/Sr High SchoolHiawatha Community Unit School District 426C

Kirkland’s public schools are run by Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426, which also serves Flora, Franklin, Kingston and South Grove. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

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

Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426Grades PK–12 · 2 schools · 427 students, up 5% since 2020–21 · 11.5 per teacher (IL 13.6)
$17,887IL $21,567 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2020–21

Well below the state in reading

Reading20%
State average 29.9% · 207 students tested
Math20%
State average 25.8% · 210 students tested

Kirkland vs. its neighbors

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

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
KirklandC+Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426

Every school in Kirkland

2 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 Kirklandin other towns
Hiawatha Elem Sch PreK-5
Elementary · Grades PK–5
B+
216 students12:1Rate it →
Hiawatha Jr/Sr High School
High · Grades 6–12
C
211 students11:1Rate it →

Questions about Kirkland’s schools

Are Kirkland’s schools good?

On Illinois’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Kirkland children attend score below 65% of Illinois’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 21%. Tests are from 2020–21, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Kirkland in?

Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 427 students in 2 schools (2024–25).

How much does Kirkland spend per student?

$17,887 in Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426 (FY2024), against $21,567 across Illinois. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Kirkland families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Kirkland → 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.