Parkland School

Parkland School is one of the mid-sized intermediate schools in McHenry, Illinois, one of the schools within McHenry CCSD 15, with 645 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 462 students per school, that is 40% above typical.

McHenry CCSD 15 runs 8 schools in total, collectively educating 4,025 students. Parkland School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Parkland School records that the largest single group is White, at 65% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 29% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 80% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 57 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.3:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting Parkland School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 38% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Parkland School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 49.8%; this one delivers 47.3%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for McHenry County indicate median household income runs about $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%. Across McHenry County's 89 public schools (combined enrollment of about 50,123 students), Parkland School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Valley View Elem School, roughly 1.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Parkland School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Parkland School ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 43.9%.

Geographically, the school is in an outer-ring area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Parkland School's enrollment has shrank 21% since 2018, when it stood at 819 (now 645). Over the same period, the White share shrank from 70% to 65%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 15.2:1 in 2018 to 11.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Parkland School typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.