Crystal Lake Central High School

Set in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Crystal Lake Central High School is a sizable secondary school, operated by CHSD 155. It educates 1,443 students across grades 9 through 12. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 834 students each, so Crystal Lake Central High School sits 73% larger than that benchmark.

CHSD 155 comprises 4 schools with combined enrollment of 5,203 students; Crystal Lake Central High School is among them.

Demographically, Crystal Lake Central High School reports that the largest single group is White, at 64% of enrollment; the rest is composed of 28% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 3% multiracial. By comparison, McHenry County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 85 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 16.9:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.8:1 average. An estimated 35% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Crystal Lake Central High School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 51.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 45.3%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for McHenry County put median household earnings sit near $104,802, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. Crystal Lake Central High School is one of 89 public schools in McHenry County (combined enrollment of about 50,123 students).

The closest other public school is Husmann Elem School, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Crystal Lake Central High School at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 45.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Over the past 7-year window. Crystal Lake Central High School's enrollment has ticked down 4% since 2018, when it stood at 1,508 (now 1,443). The White share of enrollment fell from 73% to 64% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 18.8:1 in 2018 to 16.9:1 in 2025.

On this page, the feed for Crystal Lake Central High School typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.