Middle Schools in Palos Heights School District 128

Summary:

Palos Heights School District 128 in Illinois is home to a single standout middle school, Independence Junior High School. This highly-ranked institution serves students in grades 6-8 and has consistently demonstrated exceptional academic performance, outpacing both district and state averages.

Palos Heights School District 128 is a high-achieving district, and Independence Junior High School is a shining example of its educational excellence. The school ranks 125th out of 1,368 Illinois middle schools and boasts a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its students excel in English Language Arts, with 87.4% proficient or better, compared to the state average of 53.1%. In mathematics, 49.8% of students are proficient or better, surpassing the state's 38.5% average. Additionally, the school's 8th-grade science proficiency rate of 74.7% is significantly higher than the state's 45.4%.

Beyond its academic prowess, Independence Junior High School also stands out for its low chronic absenteeism rate of 25.4%, which is lower than the state average. The school's student-teacher ratio of 9.6 to 1 suggests a personalized learning environment, and its per-student spending of $17,673 in the 2023-2024 school year indicates a commitment to resource allocation. While data on free and reduced lunch rates is unavailable, the school's overall performance and efficiency make it a highly desirable option for families in the Palos Heights area.

District Detail

12809 S McVickers Ave
Palos Heights, IL 60463-2351

(708) 597-9040

SchoolDigger Rank:
160^th of 811 Illinois districts

See the 2025 Illinois District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-8
Students: 830

Primary Schools: 3
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 0
Alternative Schools: 0

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				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	ISA Science 8th 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 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
Independence Junior High School	Public	6-8	6610 W Highland Dr	Palos Heights	60463	Cook County	Palos Heights School District 128	No	(n/a)	No	No	(708) 448-0737	236	22	10.9		200 (84.7%)	9 (3.8%)	23 (9.7%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	89.4	125^th of 1368 public middle schools	90.9%		77.6	258^th of 1363 public middle schools	81.1%	133	74.7	86.7	87.0	88.6	87.4	38.6	63.8	49.4	49.8	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.5	100.0	100.0	96.1	$17,319	$364	$16,954

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Chsd 218	0.83 mi	4	624^th
Eisenhower Cooperative	1.43 mi	3
Cook County School District 130	1.45 mi	14	727^th
Alsip-Hazlgrn-Oaklwn School District 126	1.48 mi	5	522^nd
Region 07 South Cook ISC 4	1.68 mi	5

See the top IL Illinois districts

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.