Rockford School District 205

The Rockford School District 205 in Illinois operates 44 schools, including 31 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 5 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district serves a diverse student population and faces significant challenges, with overall performance lagging behind state averages. However, the data reveals a mix of high-performing and struggling schools within the district.

A few schools stand out as exceptional performers, including Thurgood Marshall School, which ranks 1st out of 1,368 Illinois middle schools, and Thurgood Marshall Elementary, which ranks 3rd out of 2,056 Illinois elementary schools. These schools demonstrate that high levels of student achievement are possible within the Rockford School District 205. Another standout is Haskell Elementary, which ranks 587th out of 2,056 Illinois elementary schools and has strong test scores.

However, the district as a whole is underperforming, ranking 745th out of 811 districts in Illinois and receiving a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Many of the district's lowest-performing schools have high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting that high-poverty schools are struggling the most. Chronic absenteeism is also a significant concern, averaging 25.4% across all schools. Despite these challenges, the presence of high-performing outliers indicates that with the right strategies and resources, student success can be achieved even in this struggling district.