Shepherd Middle School

Shepherd Middle School is an intimate middle-grades school in Ottawa, Illinois, overseen by Ottawa ESD 141. The school works with 353 students in grades 7 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 24% below the state mean of about 462.

Across the 5 schools in Ottawa ESD 141 (1,747 students total), Shepherd Middle School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Shepherd Middle School reports that 70% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder reads as 20% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 4% Black. By comparison, LaSalle County as a whole is about 86% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, The school lists 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.5:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.0:1 average. Roughly 55% of students at Shepherd Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Shepherd Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 39.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 35.6%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for LaSalle County indicate median household earnings sit near $73,045, roughly 21% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Shepherd Middle School is one of 54 public schools in LaSalle County (combined enrollment of about 14,523 students).

Central Intermediate School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 5 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Shepherd Middle School at 6th of 8; the average score across the group is 46.2%.

The school occupies a town-center site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Shepherd Middle School has fell 15%, going from 413 students in 2018 to 353 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 77% to 70% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 11.5:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.