Total enrollment
2,473
-160 (-6%) vs SY 2020-21
9 schools in Prairie-Hills ESD 144
Illinois · 2,473 students · 4 cities
Across the district, Prairie-Hills ESD 144 runs 9 public K-12 schools teaching roughly 2,473 Illinois students (about 275 per school).
4-year change in Prairie-Hills ESD 144
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
9
+1 (+13%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Prairie-Hills ESD 144 ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Illinois | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 19.1% | #313 of 327 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 2,473 | #151 of 508 | #3,800 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 9 | #65 of 508 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 21.1:1 | #506 of 506 | #8,552 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 94.8% | #16 of 456 | #542 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 37.4% | #222 of 341 | #4,197 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Prairie-Hills ESD 144
State test results across the district's 8 scored schools run from Prairie-Hills STEAM Academy at 30.3% proficient to Mae Jemison School at 12.5%, a gap of 17.9 points. That is the 95th widest gap among 172 Illinois districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 7 district schools that reported both years went from 2,740 to 2,367 students (down 14%) and from 169 to 109 full-time teachers (down 36%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie-Hills Junior High School | Markham | Middle | 06-08 | 766 |
| Mae Jemison School | Hazel Crest | Elementary | PK-05 | 368 |
| Highlands Elem School | Hazel Crest | Elementary | PK-05 | 311 |
| Markham Park Elem School | Markham | Elementary | PK-05 | 292 |
| Chateaux School | Hazel Crest | Elementary | PK-05 | 249 |
| Fieldcrest Elem School | Oak Forest | Elementary | PK-05 | 217 |
| Nob Hill Elem School | Country Club Hills | Elementary | PK-05 | 164 |
| Prairie-Hills STEAM Academy | Markham | Elementary | PK-05 | 102 |
| Primary Learning Center | Markham | Elementary | PK-PK | 4 |
About Prairie-Hills ESD 144
Prairie-Hills ESD 144 is a rural-scale Illinois school district running 9 schools with combined enrollment near 2,473.
Looking at the level breakdown, Prairie-Hills ESD 144 covers 8 elementary and 1 middle.
Per-school enrollment averages around 275 in this district, below the Illinois typical of 480.
Looking at the last 4 years. Total public-school enrollment in Prairie-Hills ESD 144 has declined 6% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 2,633 students to 2,473. Prairie-Hills ESD 144 now counts 9 public schools, up from 8 in SY 2020-21.
On this page, the community for Prairie-Hills ESD 144 discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.