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Hawthorn Middle School South

Q: Is Hawthorn Middle School South a good school?

Hawthorn Middle School South ranks 365 th of 1126 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

365^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,126 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 68% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Hawthorn Middle School South in Vernon Hills serves 609 students in grades 6–8 and is part of a group of nearby suburban middle schools. In 2025–2026, its proficiency rates in English language arts (ELA), math, and eighth-grade science were all above Illinois averages. The most important comparison, however, is that South scored below the average of nearby schools in all three subjects.

South’s results are strongest relative to the state and weaker against local peers and its district. ELA proficiency was 64%, compared with 56% statewide, 68% in Hawthorn CCSD 73, and a 77% average among nearby schools. Math was 49%, versus 40% statewide, 55% districtwide, and a 56% nearby-school average. In eighth-grade science, South reached 65%, above the state’s 52% but below the district’s 68% and nearby average of 72%. South ranked third-lowest among the ten schools in each subject. The same-district comparison is notable: Hawthorn Middle School North scored 75% in ELA and 54% in math, 10 and 5 points above South, respectively.

Recent ELA and math scores have risen, but South remains behind local peers: from 2023–2024 to 2025–2026, ELA increased 11 points to 64%, and math increased 11 points to 49%. Its state advantage in ELA narrowed by 4 points across those years, while its math advantage was nearly unchanged. SchoolDigger placed South at the 68th statewide percentile with 3 stars in 2025–2026, down from the 90th percentile in 2020–2021. Its group-specific SchoolDigger rankings were notably lower: Hispanic students ranked at the 14th percentile and Low Socio Economic Status Students at the 19th, compared with 68 overall. In 2024–2025, South’s student-teacher ratio was 11.2, below the nearby-school average of 13.7; 31% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year.

609

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,689

Per pupil spending ?

30.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

98.3%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

600 N Aspen Dr
Vernon Hills, IL 60061-1621

(847) 990-4100

District: Hawthorn CCSD 73

Students who attend Hawthorn Middle School South usually attend:

High:

Vernon Hills High School

Feeder schools for Hawthorn Middle School South:

Elementary:

Hawthorn Elementary School South

Racial breakdown:

White:

37.1%

Asian:

27.9%

Hispanic:

25.5%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Hawthorn Middle School South to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2016 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (60% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Above the Illinois median (68th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 27 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg64%

Illinois avg49%

365^th of 1,126

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 27 pts since 2016

From top 5% (2016) to top 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Hawthorn CCSD 73

222^nd of 738Hawthorn CCSD 73 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	63.2	365 of 1126	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.7	380 of 1368	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	72.8	309 of 1363	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	78.2	238 of 1367	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	84.6	158 of 1369	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	86.1	130 of 1241	89.5%	★★★★☆
2019	81.3	213 of 1356	84.3%	★★★★☆
2018	87.0	137 of 1293	89.4%	★★★★☆
2017	87.1	138 of 1293	89.3%	★★★★☆
2016	92.6	68 of 1294	94.7%	★★★★★
2015	93.8	64 of 1302	95.1%	★★★★★
2014	85.5	143 of 1322	89.2%	★★★★☆
2013	83.3	185 of 1367	86.5%	★★★★☆
2012	78.9	229 of 1365	83.2%	★★★★☆
2011	79.3	214 of 1344	84.1%	★★★★☆
2010	77.6	258 of 1327	80.6%	★★★★☆
2009	80.8	184 of 1318	86.0%	★★★★☆
2008	80.0	204 of 1293	84.2%	★★★★☆
2007	84.2	102 of 1287	92.1%	★★★★★
2006	83.6	129 of 1272	89.9%	★★★★☆
2005	84.8	135 of 1209	88.8%	★★★★☆
2004	87.1	104 of 1204	91.4%	★★★★★
2003	86.0	119 of 1185	90.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	52.5	221 of 574	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.6	287 of 548	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	68.4	103 of 573	82.0%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	70 of 154	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.5	77 of 186	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.1	65 of 184	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.0	49 of 192	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	38 of 198	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	73.8	25 of 112	77.7%	★★★★☆
2019	75.5	35 of 201	82.6%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	21 of 209	90.0%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	29.9	31 of 40	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	51.5	248 of 694	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	235 of 639	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	194 of 674	71.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	47.1	215 of 483	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.1	179 of 486	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.0	124 of 480	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	46.6	178 of 454	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.5	50 of 277	81.9%	★★★★☆
2019	64.6	46 of 339	86.4%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	40 of 285	86.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	52.8	404 of 867	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.8	341 of 1248	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	76.0	252 of 1251	79.9%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	175 of 1275	86.3%	★★★★☆
2022	84.4	148 of 1286	88.5%	★★★★☆
2021	80.9	139 of 1017	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	77.5	243 of 1276	81.0%	★★★★☆
2018	84.4	154 of 1226	87.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	417 of 483	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.0	590 of 669	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	507 of 643	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.9	401 of 661	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.9	421 of 662	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.3	253 of 517	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.0	442 of 639	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.6	330 of 590	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	23.9	639 of 788	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.7	902 of 1229	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.6	618 of 1219	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.5	614 of 1234	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.6	427 of 1221	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.8	331 of 1019	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.4	515 of 1217	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	413 of 1161	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	326 of 829	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.7	382 of 1271	69.9%	★★★★☆
2024	66.6	337 of 1264	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.3	285 of 1292	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	82.0	169 of 1286	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	86.4	93 of 1048	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	83.3	175 of 1296	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	87.4	113 of 1223	90.8%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	85.7	21 of 194	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	76.0	40 of 195	79.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	31.0	165 of 244	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.8	217 of 812	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	61.2	216 of 802	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	70.4	154 of 805	80.9%	★★★★☆
2022	44.6	316 of 781	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.7	179 of 548	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.5	91 of 792	88.5%	★★★★☆
2018	78.7	65 of 602	89.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	58.9	271 of 754	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.5	326 of 884	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.7	267 of 875	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.4	259 of 895	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	78.9	127 of 898	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.4	113 of 813	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	71.4	217 of 905	76.0%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	126 of 889	85.8%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Multi-racial (2023)89th percentile+7 vs school

White (2026)64th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)61st percentile-11 vs school

Male (2026)61st percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)55th percentile-17 vs school

Asian (2026)55th percentile-13 vs school

Female (2026)53rd percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2026)32nd percentile-35 vs school

Disabled (2026)22nd percentile-45 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile-49 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile-54 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

Science65%+13 vs state

English Language Arts64%+8 vs state

Mathematics49%+10 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, January 24, 2014

Majority of teaching staff is excellent but there are a handful of teachers who are belligerent and wholly unfit. Apathetic administration is the biggest problem; they can't be bothered with problems and spend very little time (if any) visiting classrooms to see what is actually transpiring there. Overall, the school is disappointing. Close Quote

Schools Near Hawthorn Middle School South

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISA Science (2026)	IAR English Language Arts (2026)				IAR Mathematics (2026)				Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
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/reduced lunch (2021-22)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Measles protection (all grades)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hawthorn Middle School South	Public	6-8	600 N Aspen Dr	Vernon Hills	60061	Lake County	Hawthorn CCSD 73	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 990-4100	609	54	11.2	—	226 (37.1%)	32 (5.3%)	155 (25.5%)	170 (27.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.1%)	63.2	365^th of 1126 public middle schools	67.6%		68.7	380^th of 1368 public middle schools	72.2%	15	65.2	62.6	65.9	64.6	64.4	44.5	54.3	48.6	49.2	98.3%		$19,689	$221	$19,468
Hawthorn Middle School North	Public	6-8	201 W Hawthorn Pkwy	Vernon Hills	60061	Lake County	Hawthorn CCSD 73	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 990-4400	627	55	11.3	—	289 (46.1%)	28 (4.5%)	135 (21.5%)	149 (23.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.3%)	75.3	243^rd of 1126 public middle schools	78.4%		76.8	281^st of 1368 public middle schools	79.5%	38	71.5	72.0	78.7	72.4	74.6	48.4	61.9	49.4	53.7	98.4%		$19,021	$407	$18,615
Lake County Hulse Detention Center 6-8	Public	6-8	25467 N Milwaukee Ave	Vernon Hills	60061	Lake County	Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District 103	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 377-7800	0	0		—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Oak Middle School	Public	6-8	26156 N Acorn Ln	Mundelein	60060	Lake County	Diamond Lake School District 76	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 566-9220	280	27	10.3	—	56 (20.0%)	11 (3.9%)	190 (67.9%)	14 (5.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.9%)	26.9	826^th of 1126 public middle schools	26.6%		31.5	915^th of 1368 public middle schools	33.1%	89	38.9	41.6	60.2	66.7	56.8	18.2	25.3	15.6	19.6	100%		$26,404	$723	$25,681
Woodlawn Middle School	Public	6-8	6362 Gilmer Rd	Long Grove	60047	Lake County	Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 353-8500	632	41	15.5	13.5%	315 (49.8%)	23 (3.6%)	49 (7.8%)	220 (34.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.3%)	88.5	93^rd of 1126 public middle schools	91.7%		93.6	75^th of 1368 public middle schools	94.5%	18	86.4	75.4	80.7	85.6	80.4	68.9	60.4	72.3	67.1	97.8%		$22,696	$319	$22,377
Twin Groves Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 N Buffalo Grove Rd	Buffalo Grove	60089	Lake County	Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 821-8946	625	42	14.7	4.0%	234 (37.4%)	10 (1.6%)	32 (5.1%)	329 (52.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.0%)	91.2	63^rd of 1126 public middle schools	94.4%		94.3	65^th of 1368 public middle schools	95.2%	2	83.8	83.4	86.7	79.9	83.5	68.1	75.8	70.1	71.5	98%		$22,318	$319	$21,999
Highland Middle School	Public	6-8	310 W Rockland Rd	Libertyville	60048	Lake County	Libertyville School District 70	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 362-9020	701	67	10.5	4.3%	544 (77.6%)	14 (2.0%)	65 (9.3%)	35 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.1%)	89.3	82^nd of 1126 public middle schools	92.7%		87.5	158^th of 1368 public middle schools	88.5%	76	81.1	92.3	88.3	88.7	90.0	74.4	73.1	45.5	65.0	97.6%		$22,820	$60	$22,759
Carl Sandburg Middle School	Public	6-8	855 W Hawley St	Mundelein	60060	Lake County	Mundelein Education Service District 75	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 949-2707	529	44	12.1	—	175 (33.1%)	19 (3.6%)	297 (56.1%)	16 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.0%)	39.6	657^th of 1126 public middle schools	41.7%		53.8	575^th of 1368 public middle schools	58.0%	82	41.1	66.3	58.1	55.7	60.4	31.7	42.5	28.5	34.2	97.9%		$18,599	$369	$18,230
Daniel Wright Junior High School	Public	6-8	1370 N Riverwoods Rd	Lincolnshire	60069	Lake County	Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District 103	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 295-1560	720	66	10.9	1.0%	278 (38.6%)	12 (1.7%)	18 (2.5%)	385 (53.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.8%)	95.4	26^th of 1126 public middle schools	97.7%		97.8	17^th of 1368 public middle schools	98.8%	9	84.8	89.5	92.4	88.9	90.3	72.4	84.0	79.9	78.8	98.2%		$21,363	$277	$21,086
Aptakisic Junior High School	Public	6-8	1231 Weiland Rd	Buffalo Grove	60089	Lake County	Aptakisic-Tripp CCSD 102	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 353-5506	940	67	14.1	5.9%	294 (31.3%)	20 (2.1%)	52 (5.5%)	526 (56.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.9%)	85.5	119^th of 1126 public middle schools	89.4%		91.6	94^th of 1368 public middle schools	93.1%	25	79.6	72.6	72.5	81.5	75.5	67.0	65.8	68.7	67.2	97.4%		$19,436	$288	$19,148

Frequently Asked Questions about Hawthorn Middle School South

What is the racial makeup of Hawthorn Middle School South?

Students at Hawthorn Middle School South are 37% White, 28% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 5% African American, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Hawthorn Middle School South?

In the 2024-25 school year, 609 students attended Hawthorn Middle School South.

Is Hawthorn Middle School South a good school?

Hawthorn Middle School South ranks 365^th of 1126 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Hawthorn Middle School South attend?

Students who attend Hawthorn Middle School South usually go on to attend Vernon Hills High School

What district is Hawthorn Middle School South in?

Hawthorn CCSD 73

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresNewOct 30, 2026

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

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.