Best Public Schools in Dekalb, IL

Summary:

The city of DeKalb, Illinois is home to 10 schools, including 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school, all part of the DeKalb CUSD 428 district. While the district as a whole faces challenges, with all schools ranking below the state average, a few standout schools shine through the data.

DeKalb High School has a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 89% and a low dropout rate of 2.4%. At the elementary level, Jefferson Elementary School is the top performer, ranking 885 out of 2,056 Illinois elementary schools and boasting the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts (46%) and Mathematics (49.7%) on state assessments. Littlejohn Elementary School also stands out, ranking 1,528 out of 2,056 and having the second-highest proficiency rates in ELA (30.8%) and Math (29%).

However, the data reveals significant performance gaps between the highest-performing and lowest-performing schools in the district. For example, the proficiency rate in ELA at Jefferson Elementary (46%) is more than double the rate at Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary (17.8%). This disparity appears to be correlated with socioeconomic status, as schools with higher percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, such as Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary and Tyler Elementary, tend to have the lowest proficiency rates. Addressing these achievement gaps and improving outcomes for all students in the DeKalb CUSD 428 district will be a key priority moving forward.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PreACT Secure English Language Arts (2025)		PreACT Secure Mathematics (2025)		PreACT Secure Science (2025)		ACT English Language Arts (2025)	ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (2025)	ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)							IAR Mathematics (2025)							% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PreACT Secure English Language Arts 9th Grade	PreACT Secure English Language Arts 10th Grade	PreACT Secure Mathematics 9th Grade	PreACT Secure Mathematics 10th Grade	PreACT Secure Science 9th Grade	PreACT Secure Science 10th Grade	ACT English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
DeKalb High School	Public	9-12	501 W Dresser Rd	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 754-2100	2,134	142	15.0	61.3%	733 (34.3%)	508 (23.8%)	736 (34.5%)	27 (1.3%)	8 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	116 (5.4%)	34.9	484^th of 698 public high schools	30.7%		39.8	391^st of 697 public high schools	43.9%	93	48.8	44.3	24.6	23.9	40.7	28.2	34.6	24.3	31.5																	97.7	97.8	97.8	97.8	98.0	97.4	97.8	92.7	$18,397	$1,000	$17,397
Huntley Middle School	Public	6-8	1515 S 4th St	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2241	865	73	11.8	63.8%	302 (34.9%)	231 (26.7%)	255 (29.5%)	11 (1.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (7.4%)	20.3	1107^th of 1368 public middle schools	19.1%		24.9	1005^th of 1363 public middle schools	26.3%	102											25.7				29.1	17.6	20.4	22.3				21.2	18.7	13.6	17.8	98.3	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.6	98.5	98.8	94.6	$19,373	$1,225	$18,147
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	211 McCormick Dr	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2263	308	28	11.1	56.8%	111 (36.0%)	95 (30.8%)	56 (18.2%)	21 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.1%)	56.1	885^th of 2056 public elementary schools	57.0%		55.4	814^th of 2067 public elementary schools	60.6%	71										39.6		40.9	40.4	58.3				46.0	42.4	53.2	56.3				49.7	96.5	96.2	96.2	96.2	98.1	95.0	96.5		$21,393	$1,449	$19,944
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-5	220 E Sunset Pl	DeKalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2212	272	17	15.8	62.9%	100 (36.8%)	123 (45.2%)	28 (10.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.0%)	12.9	1849^th of 2056 public elementary schools	10.1%		16.3	1787^th of 2067 public elementary schools	13.5%	62										12.5		20.0	21.6	29.2				23.4	16.4	15.7	10.4				14.3	95.5	95.1	95.1	95.1	99.2	94.7	95.1		$18,066	$1,371	$16,695
Littlejohn Elementary School	Public	K-5	1121 School St	DeKalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2258	362	24	14.9	70.7%	98 (27.1%)	51 (14.1%)	184 (50.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.7%)	26.4	1528^th of 2056 public elementary schools	25.7%		22.7	1600^th of 2067 public elementary schools	22.6%	72										20.6		31.0	35.2	27.1				30.8	39.0	29.6	20.0				29.0	98.1	98.3	98.3	98.3		96.1	97.5		$19,282	$1,674	$17,608
Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School	Public	K-5	3225 Sangamon Dr	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-9936	328	23	13.9	80.2%	53 (16.2%)	182 (55.5%)	48 (14.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (13.1%)	11	1911^th of 2056 public elementary schools	7.1%		13.3	1931^st of 2067 public elementary schools	6.6%	20										13.7		6.0	17.8	29.4				17.8	10.0	12.3	13.7				12.1	98.2	97.9	97.9	97.9	99.7	97.9	97.9		$19,757	$1,506	$18,251
Tyler Elementary School	Public	K-5	1021 Alden Circle	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-2389	265	19	13.9	78.9%	57 (21.5%)	148 (55.8%)	29 (10.9%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.6%)	10.1	1942^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	5.5%		14.4	1871^st of 2067 public elementary schools	9.5%	71										9.3		16.2	26.5	11.6				18.6	13.5	16.3	4.7				11.6	92.8	97.9	97.9	97.9		97.5	97.5		$19,143	$1,692	$17,451
Founders Elementary School	Public	K-5	821 S 7th St	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 754-3800	565	39	14.5	78.1%	103 (18.2%)	167 (29.6%)	248 (43.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (7.6%)	17.5	1729^th of 2056 public elementary schools	15.9%		20.5	1665^th of 2067 public elementary schools	19.4%	64										16.3		23.3	34.2	15.2				23.7	24.4	26.6	9.9				19.9	97.3	97.1	97.1	97.1	32.1	95.8	97.1		$18,460	$1,482	$16,977
Clinton Rosette Middle School	Public	6-8	650 N 1st St	DeKalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 754-2226	575	47	12.1	74.1%	151 (26.3%)	149 (25.9%)	225 (39.1%)	9 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.8%)	15.4	1209^th of 1368 public middle schools	11.6%		17.1	1175^th of 1363 public middle schools	13.8%	34											24.0				15.8	17.6	20.3	17.9				12.1	14.8	13.0	13.3	98.1	98.3	98.3	98.3	98.3	97.8	98.3	94.0	$19,853	$1,099	$18,754
Beyond One Barb Transition Center	Public	12	530 Charter St	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 754-2100	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Cities Near Dekalb

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Sycamore	4.08 mi	7	263^rd
Cortland	4.14 mi	1	744^th
Malta	4.97 mi	3	761^st
Waterman	11 mi	2	438^th
Creston	11.11 mi	1	146^th

See the top IL Illinois cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.