Hawthorn Middle School South

Hawthorn Middle School South is a moderately sized middle-grades school in Vernon Hills, Illinois, overseen by Hawthorn CCSD 73. The school teaches 609 students in grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 462 students each, so Hawthorn Middle School South sits 32% above that benchmark.

Across the 9 schools in Hawthorn CCSD 73 (3,496 students total), Hawthorn Middle School South accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Hawthorn Middle School South logs that the largest single group is White at 37%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder comes out to 28% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 5% Black, 4% multiracial. By comparison, Lake County as a whole is about 61% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Hawthorn Middle School South lists 54 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting Hawthorn Middle School South tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 31% of students at Hawthorn Middle School South qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Lake County runs at roughly 54%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Hawthorn Middle School South tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 53.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 51.7%.

Around the school, Lake County reports that the typical household earns roughly $110,416 per year, 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Hawthorn Middle School South is one of 214 public schools in Lake County (combined enrollment of about 118,032 students).

Hawthorn Sch for Young Learners is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Hawthorn Middle School South at 5th of 7; the average score across the group is 57.6%.

Hawthorn Middle School South operates from an outer-ring location.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Hawthorn Middle School South has contracted 19%, going from 756 students in 2018 to 609 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 52% to 37% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 11.2:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.