Blackhawk Elem School

Blackhawk Elem School is one of the average-sized elementary schools in Freeport, Illinois, operated by Freeport SD 145, with 361 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 4.

Within Freeport SD 145, which oversees 8 schools and 3,703 students, Blackhawk Elem School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Blackhawk Elem School shows that the most-represented group is Hispanic (43%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school reports 28% White, 14% Black, 14% multiracial. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 6%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Blackhawk Elem School has 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.9:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 60% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Stephenson County (around 50%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

With demographic context factored in, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Blackhawk Elem School sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 37.0%; actual is 22.9%, a gap of -14.1 points.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Stephenson County indicate median household income runs about $64,043, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. Blackhawk Elem School is one of 23 public schools in Stephenson County (combined enrollment of about 6,092 students).

Freeport Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 7 other public schools cluster around Blackhawk Elem School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Blackhawk Elem School at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 26.3%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 3%: 352 students in 2018 compared to 361 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 32% to 43% across the same window.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.