Total enrollment
16,328
-127 (-1%) vs SY 2017-18
DeKalb County
Illinois · Public K-12
Across all districts in DeKalb County, public schools number 43 and enroll approximately 16,328 K-12 students (24 elementary, 7 middle, and 12 high).
7-year change in DeKalb County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
39
-1 (-2%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
58%
was 69%
% Hispanic
23%
was 18%
% Black
13%
was 9%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
43
9 districts
Enrollment
16,328
NCES CCD
Median income
$70,724
Above Illinois avg
Free/reduced lunch
48.4%
Below Illinois avg
Elementary
24
7,544 students
Middle
7
3,524 students
High
12
5,260 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
DeKalb CUSD 428
6,771 students · 9 districts in DeKalb County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of DeKalb County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
33.0%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
10.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
6.8%
civilian labor
Median age
33
21.6% under 18
Test scores in DeKalb County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 30 schools ranked. Illinois state average: 51.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Somonauk Middle School· 81.4%
- Lynn G Haskin Elementary School· 73.2%
- Indian Creek Elementary School· 68.9%
- North Grove Elementary School· 63.5%
- Herman E Dummer· 63.1%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Gwendolyn Brooks Elem Sch· 17.8%
- Clinton Rosette Middle School· 17.9%
- Tyler Elementary School· 18.6%
- Huntley Middle School· 22.3%
- Lincoln Elementary School· 23.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb High School | Dekalb | High | 09-12 | 2,134 | · |
| Sycamore High School | Sycamore | High | 09-12 | 1,161 | · |
| Huntley Middle School | Dekalb | Middle | 06-08 | 865 | · |
| Sycamore Middle School | Sycamore | Middle | 06-08 | 847 | · |
| Clinton Rosette Middle School | Dekalb | Middle | 06-08 | 575 | · |
| Founders Elementary School | Dekalb | Elementary | KG-05 | 565 | · |
| Sandwich Community High School | Sandwich | High | 09-12 | 560 | · |
| Cortland Elementary School | Cortland | Elementary | KG-05 | 523 | · |
| Genoa-Kingston High School | Genoa | High | 09-12 | 485 | · |
| South Prairie Elementary School | Sycamore | Elementary | PK-05 | 456 | · |
| Sandwich Middle School | Sandwich | Middle | 06-08 | 420 | · |
| North Grove Elementary School | Sycamore | Elementary | KG-05 | 377 | · |
| Littlejohn Elem School | Dekalb | Elementary | KG-05 | 362 | · |
| Genoa-Kingston Middle School | Genoa | Middle | 06-08 | 355 | · |
| Genoa Elementary School | Genoa | Elementary | 03-05 | 353 | · |
| Gwendolyn Brooks Elem Sch | Dekalb | Elementary | KG-05 | 328 | · |
| Kingston Elementary School | Kingston | Elementary | PK-02 | 310 | · |
| North Elementary School | Sycamore | Elementary | KG-05 | 309 | · |
| Jefferson Elem School | Dekalb | Elementary | KG-05 | 308 | · |
| Southeast Elem School | Sycamore | Elementary | KG-05 | 300 | · |
| James R Wood Elem School | Somonauk | Elementary | PK-04 | 298 | · |
| Hinckley-Big Rock Elem Sch | Hinckley | Elementary | PK-04 | 297 | · |
| Malta Elementary School | Malta | Elementary | KG-05 | 293 | · |
| DeKalb Early Lrng and Dev Ctr | Dekalb | Elementary | PK-PK | 281 | · |
| Herman E Dummer | Sandwich | Elementary | 04-05 | 275 | · |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Dekalb | Elementary | KG-05 | 272 | · |
| West Elem School | Sycamore | Elementary | KG-05 | 270 | · |
| Indian Creek Elementary School | Shabbona | Elementary | PK-04 | 269 | · |
| Indian Creek High School | Shabbona | High | 09-12 | 268 | · |
| Tyler Elementary School | De Kalb | Elementary | KG-05 | 265 | · |
| Somonauk Middle School | Somonauk | Middle | 05-08 | 249 | · |
| Lynn G Haskin Elementary School | Sandwich | Elementary | PK-03 | 226 | · |
| Somonauk High School | Somonauk | High | 09-12 | 224 | · |
| Prairie View Elem School | Sandwich | Elementary | PK-03 | 221 | · |
| Hinckley-Big Rock High School | Hinckley | High | 09-12 | 217 | · |
| Hiawatha Elem Sch PreK-5 | Kirkland | Elementary | PK-05 | 216 | · |
| Indian Creek Middle School | Waterman | Middle | 05-08 | 213 | · |
| Hiawatha Jr/Sr High School | Kirkland | High | 06-12 | 211 | · |
| W W Woodbury Elem School | Sandwich | Elementary | PK-03 | 170 | · |
| Beyond One Barb Transition Center | Dekalb | High | 12-12 | 0 | · |
| Indian Valley Area Voc Ctr | Sandwich | High | 11-12 | 0 | · |
| KEC Area Voc Center | Malta | High | 11-12 | 0 | · |
| KEC Central EFE 170 | Malta | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in DeKalb County
About DeKalb County
Across the mid-sized Illinois county of DeKalb County of about 100,703 residents, the public-school footprint covers 43 schools and about 16,328 students.
Looking at the wider area, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $70,724, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
In terms of grade levels, DeKalb County covers 24 elementary schools (7,544 students), 7 middle schools (3,524), and 12 high schools (5,260).
DeKalb CUSD 428 is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 6,771 students across DeKalb County.
Looking at the last 7 years. Total public-school enrollment in DeKalb County has held roughly steady since SY 2017-18, moving from about 16,455 students to 16,328. The school count fell from 40 to 39 across the same 7-year window. The White share of public-school enrollment fell from 69% to 58%.
In the discussion threads here, the community for DeKalb County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DeKalb County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data