River Trail School

Set in Gurnee, Illinois, River Trail School is an average-sized primary school, operated by Gurnee SD 56. It caters to 471 students across grades K through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 24% above the state mean of about 381.

Across the 4 schools in Gurnee SD 56 (1,836 students total), River Trail School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, River Trail School logs that 57% of the student body identifies as Hispanic; the rest comes out to 19% White, 14% Black, 6% multiracial, 4% Asian. By comparison, Lake County as a whole is about 25% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, River Trail School logs 38 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.5:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 52% 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, River Trail School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 41.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 28.8%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Lake County indicate median household earnings sit near $110,416, 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. River Trail School is one of 214 public schools in Lake County (combined enrollment of about 118,032 students).

The closest other public school is Viking School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around River Trail School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts River Trail School at 2nd of 7; the average score across the group is 23.2%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at River Trail School has edged down 6%, going from 499 students in 2018 to 471 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 42% to 57% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 12.5:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for River Trail School typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.