Enrollment
236
Middle
DISTRICT 208 · STATE 462
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PALOS HEIGHTS SD 128·NCES 173057003177
Independence Jr High School
6610 W Highland Dr, Palos Heights, IL 60463 · (708) 448-0737 · Cook County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL236 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 88% of Illinois public middle schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Illinois public middle schools
Student : Teacher
10.9:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.5:1 · STATE 13.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 56%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 84 | 36% |
| Grade 7 | 73 | 31% |
| Grade 8 | 79 | 33% |
Student demographics
27%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 34% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Palos Heights SD 128. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)English Language Arts
87.4%
IL avg 51.0% . +8.7pp since 2023
Math
49.8%
IL avg 37.9% . +21.2pp since 2023
What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 87 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 50 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 9 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 21 points.
IAR + ISA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 87.4% | 49.8% |
| 2023-24 | 78.7% | 28.6% |
% Proficient (Levels 4-5), all students and all tested grades.
Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Independence Jr High School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Cook County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 49.8% | #145 of 640 ▲ 118 | #43 of 146 ▲ 18 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 87.4% | #23 of 640 ▲ 12 | #12 of 146 ▼ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 236 | #521 of 691 | #133 of 148 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.9:1 | #87 of 558 | #35 of 138 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 27.1% | #426 of 560 | #114 of 138 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +6.8% | #71 of 127 | #25 of 40 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
236
-14 (-6%) vs 2020
0% since 1990-91, when it was 235
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 236 | 21.6 | 10.9:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 208 | 21.6 | 9.6:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 224 | 19.9 | 11.3:1 | N/A |
| 2020-21 | 250 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 221 | 20 | 11.1:1 | 12% (26) |
| 2015-16 | 247 | 17 | 14.5:1 | 24% (59) |
| 2010-11 | 254 | 15 | 16.9:1 | 0% (0) |
| 2000-01 | 241 | 18 | 13.4:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 235 | 15 | 15.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Independence Jr High School.
Since 2017-18: students up 7% (221 to 236); teachers up 8% (20 to 21.6).
About Independence Jr High School
Families in Palos Heights, Illinois, are served by Independence Jr High School, a small middle-grades school. A federal count lists 236 students at the school, in grades 6 through 8. Average enrollment for middle schools in Illinois is about 462, so this school runs 49% smaller than that.
Palos Heights SD 128 has 4 schools; together they serve 830 students.
The student body at Independence Jr High School is 85% White. Beyond that, enrollment is 10% Hispanic and 4% Black. The White share of the county population is lower, at 44%. Independence Jr High School's diversity index is 27%, against a US figure of 70%.
Teacher staffing is 21.6 full-time equivalents, or about 10.9 students per teacher. This ratio sits 2.1 below the 13.0:1 average for middle schools in Illinois.
allk12 grades Independence Jr High School an A. The grade compares the school only with Illinois public middle schools, because each state gives its own test.
In the county around the school, Cook County, the median household income is $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 1,406 public schools in Cook County, enrolling about 697,934 students in all.
Nearby, A B Shepard High School (Campus) is about 0.4 miles away. Within five miles of Independence Jr High School, there are at least 8 other public schools.
Independence Jr High School has an NCES locale of Suburb: Large.
Enrollment is down 6% from 2020-21, when Independence Jr High School had 250 students, to 2024-25, when it had 236.
Discussion on this page can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Cook County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
5,182,090
Census ACS
Median income
$83,498
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
1,406
697,934 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Palos Heights SD 128
- Chippewa Elementary SchoolElementary · 237 students
- Indian HillElementary · 183 students
- Navajo Heights Elementary SchoolElementary · 174 students
Other schools in Palos Heights
- A B Shepard High School (Campus)High · 1,916 students
- Palos East Elementary SchoolElementary · 705 students
- Chippewa Elementary SchoolElementary · 237 students
- Indian HillElementary · 183 students
- Navajo Heights Elementary SchoolElementary · 174 students
Nearby schools
- A B Shepard High School (Campus)0.4 mi · 1,916
- Navajo Heights Elementary School0.6 mi · 174
- Indian Hill0.7 mi · 183
- Chippewa Elementary School0.9 mi · 237
- Palos East Elementary School1.3 mi · 705
- Nathan Hale Primary School1.8 mi · 334
Frequently asked questions
About Independence Jr High SchoolHow many students attend Independence Jr High School?
Independence Jr High School enrolls approximately 236 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Independence Jr High School serve?
Independence Jr High School serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Jr High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Independence Jr High School is approximately 10.9:1 (22 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Independence Jr High School?
Student demographics at Independence Jr High School are roughly 85% White, 10% Hispanic, 4% Black, 1% Asian.
Is Independence Jr High School public or private?
Independence Jr High School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Palos Heights SD 128.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.