Best Public Schools in Wilmette, IL

The city of Wilmette, Illinois is home to a high-performing school district, Wilmette School District 39, which operates 7 schools - 4 elementary schools and 3 middle schools. The district is ranked 23rd out of 811 school districts in Illinois and is rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, indicating an exceptional educational system.

Among the standout schools in the district are McKenzie Elementary School, which ranks 14th out of 2,056 Illinois elementary schools and boasts exceptional test scores, with 91.9% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 90.2% proficient or better in Mathematics. Another high-performing school is Highcrest Middle School, which has 89.1% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 78.2% proficient or better in Mathematics. Additionally, Marie Murphy School, which is part of the Avoca School District 37, ranks 22nd out of 1,368 Illinois middle schools and boasts impressive test scores.

The Wilmette School District 39 stands out for its significant investment in education, as evidenced by the high spending per student, ranging from $20,487 to $26,213 for the 2023-2024 school year, and the relatively low student-teacher ratios, which range from 9.9 to 12.8. While the district's test scores are exceptional, with students significantly outperforming state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, the chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4% across the district is an area that could benefit from further attention and improvement.