Prairie Knolls Middle Sch

Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is one of the sprawling junior highs in Elgin, Illinois, operated by Central CUSD 301, with 770 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 7. Enrollment runs roughly 67% bigger than the state mean of about 462.

Across the 7 schools in Central CUSD 301 (5,082 students total), Prairie Knolls Middle Sch accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Prairie Knolls Middle Sch records that White students make up the majority at 61%. The remainder is composed of 16% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 4% multiracial, 3% Black. Compared to Kane County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 17.2:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting Prairie Knolls Middle Sch higher than the state norm the norm. Around 17% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Kane County runs at roughly 48%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Prairie Knolls Middle Sch tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 61.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 67.0%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Kane County put median household income runs about $103,163, about 38% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Across Kane County's 167 public schools (combined enrollment of about 87,252 students), Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Prairie View Grade School, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Prairie Knolls Middle Sch comes 3rd of 9 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 41.2%.

The campus sits in a city-core setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Prairie Knolls Middle Sch's enrollment has ticked up 20% since 2018, when it stood at 642 (now 770). Class-load math has loosened: from 15.1:1 in 2018 to 17.2:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.