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The Joseph Sears School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

26^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 99% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

The Joseph Sears School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Kenilworth, Illinois, part of the highly-ranked Kenilworth School District 38. With 480 students, this exceptional school has consistently been among the top-performing elementary schools in the state, ranking as high as 11th out of 1,948 schools in the 2020-2021 school year.

The Joseph Sears School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with 87.6% of students scoring proficient or better in English Language Arts and 85.2% in Mathematics for the 2024-2025 school year - significantly outpacing the state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. The school's performance is consistently high across different student subgroups, ranking in the top 55 for female students, top 19 for male students, top 24 for white students, and top 16 for special education students. Additionally, the school maintains very low chronic absenteeism rates at just 3.8%, compared to the state average of around 25%.

Compared to nearby schools in the Evanston, Winnetka, and Skokie areas, The Joseph Sears School outperforms many of its peers. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 87.6% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 63.1% at Willard Elementary (Evanston), 82.1% at Crow Island Elementary (Winnetka), and 67.1% at Highland Elementary (Skokie). This exceptional performance, combined with the school's low student-teacher ratio of 9:1 and high per-student spending of $32,041, demonstrates the Joseph Sears School's commitment to providing an outstanding educational experience for its students.

471

Students ?

8.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,709

Per pupil spending ?

0.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

542 Abbotsford Rd
Kenilworth, IL 60043-1161

(847) 853-3803

District: Kenilworth School District 38

Students who attend The Joseph Sears School usually attend:

High:

New Trier Township H S Winnetka

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.9%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Asian:

5.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare The Joseph Sears School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (86% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Illinois elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school86%

District avg86%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

26^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

16^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 811Kenilworth School District 38 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	97.0	26 of 2056	98.7%	★★★★★
2024	96.6	57 of 2067	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	97.9	26 of 2077	98.7%	★★★★★
2022	98.3	21 of 2082	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	99.5	11 of 1948	99.4%	★★★★★
2019	98.0	14 of 2086	99.3%	★★★★★
2018	98.2	14 of 2037	99.3%	★★★★★
2017	97.1	38 of 2044	98.1%	★★★★★
2016	97.2	37 of 2046	98.2%	★★★★★
2015	98.6	22 of 2052	98.9%	★★★★★
2014	94.2	29 of 2093	98.6%	★★★★★
2013	95.1	16 of 2167	99.3%	★★★★★
2012	88.7	21 of 2166	99.0%	★★★★★
2011	90.5	7 of 2147	99.7%	★★★★★
2010	89.6	16 of 2139	99.3%	★★★★★
2009	87.9	55 of 2120	97.4%	★★★★★
2008	88.6	30 of 2092	98.6%	★★★★★
2007	84.7	107 of 2095	94.9%	★★★★★
2006	88.9	12 of 2086	99.4%	★★★★★
2005	88.7	41 of 2022	98.0%	★★★★★
2004	89.3	41 of 2030	98.0%	★★★★★
2003	90.6	24 of 2020	98.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	94.5	55 of 1942	97.2%	★★★★★
2024	95.2	73 of 1942	96.2%	★★★★★
2023	96.9	35 of 1957	98.2%	★★★★★
2022	96.9	40 of 1970	98.0%	★★★★★
2021	98.5	13 of 1680	99.2%	★★★★★
2019	98.2	7 of 2019	99.7%	★★★★★
2018	97.5	15 of 1964	99.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	97.2	19 of 1947	99.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.2	55 of 1959	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	97.2	31 of 1984	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	98.1	20 of 1977	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	99.4	8 of 1707	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	97.2	20 of 2019	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	98.0	16 of 1972	99.2%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	98.2	16 of 1292	98.8%	★★★★★
2023	97.1	18 of 1156	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	99.5	7 of 1113	99.4%	★★★★★
2019	93.2	42 of 1194	96.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	93.9	24 of 1389	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	91.0	77 of 1392	94.5%	★★★★★
2023	93.8	28 of 1419	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	95.1	24 of 1425	98.3%	★★★★★
2021	98.5	4 of 1308	99.7%	★★★★★
2019	95.6	15 of 1462	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	96.0	9 of 1463	99.4%	★★★★★

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	97.9	16 of 1368	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	97.5	25 of 1363	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	41 of 1367	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	97.9	25 of 1369	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	98.4	23 of 1241	98.1%	★★★★★
2019	96.5	34 of 1356	97.5%	★★★★★
2018	98.5	18 of 1293	98.6%	★★★★★
2017	97.9	23 of 1293	98.2%	★★★★★
2016	98.8	12 of 1294	99.1%	★★★★★
2015	98.4	25 of 1302	98.1%	★★★★★
2014	96.3	14 of 1322	98.9%	★★★★★
2013	96.2	16 of 1367	98.8%	★★★★★
2012	91.9	13 of 1365	99.0%	★★★★★
2011	92.1	12 of 1344	99.1%	★★★★★
2010	88.7	35 of 1327	97.4%	★★★★★
2009	86.9	61 of 1318	95.4%	★★★★★
2008	90.9	13 of 1293	99.0%	★★★★★
2007	89.5	27 of 1287	97.9%	★★★★★
2006	92.1	13 of 1272	99.0%	★★★★★
2005	93.3	12 of 1209	99.0%	★★★★★
2004	90.7	47 of 1204	96.1%	★★★★★
2003	95.4	15 of 1185	98.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	96.9	12 of 1248	99.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.7	20 of 1251	98.4%	★★★★★
2023	95.5	32 of 1275	97.5%	★★★★★
2022	97.6	19 of 1286	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	98.0	12 of 1017	98.8%	★★★★★
2019	92.2	64 of 1276	95.0%	★★★★★
2018	95.1	37 of 1226	97.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	97.5	23 of 1271	98.2%	★★★★★
2024	96.2	36 of 1264	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	95.8	39 of 1292	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	97.4	20 of 1286	98.4%	★★★★★
2021	98.2	18 of 1048	98.3%	★★★★★
2019	97.5	24 of 1296	98.1%	★★★★★
2018	99.2	12 of 1223	99.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	99.8	3 of 812	99.6%	★★★★★
2023	98.9	15 of 805	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	97.3	12 of 781	98.5%	★★★★★
2019	99.9	3 of 792	99.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	95.0	13 of 884	98.5%	★★★★★
2024	92.1	39 of 875	95.5%	★★★★★
2023	91.2	45 of 895	95.0%	★★★★★
2022	94.4	16 of 898	98.2%	★★★★★
2021	96.9	13 of 813	98.4%	★★★★★
2019	91.2	39 of 905	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	95.9	19 of 889	97.9%	★★★★★

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)

Elementary school

Male (2025)99th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)99th percentile~ school

White (2025)98th percentile~ school

Female (2025)97th percentile~ school

Middle school

Special Education (2025)100th percentile~ school

Female (2025)99th percentile~ school

White (2025)99th percentile~ school

Male (2025)98th percentile~ school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts88%+34 vs state

Science85%+42 vs state

Mathematics85%+47 vs state

3.5

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, November 2, 2009

This is a wonderful school, offering academics and opportunities that exceed any averages or standards. However, some parents have a skewed idea of what a great school is, but the children and teachers clearly lead the way. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, October 10, 2009

Parents (and taxpayers) should expect that this school would have a stellar curriculum focused on strong academics while steering clearing of educational fads and fuzzy methods.

Sadly, that is not the case.

Like most North Shore schools, Sears revolves around the *appearance* of quality -- curb-appeal education, we can call it. Grab a copy of the Core Knowledge Sequence (or the popular press equivalent books by E. D. Hirsch) and you'll be in for a shock: it's not clear if Sears comes up to that standard for ANY subject in ANY grade! Meanwhile, what you will get for your astoundingly high property taxes is an overall emphasis on process over learning.

But are there other schools on the North Shore that are any better? The awful answer is, probably not. There isn't a single government district anywhere that offers a learning-centered environment, and the state education bureaucracy keeps school districts safely unthreatened by charter schools, which might offer some competition and incentive to do better. Close Quote

Schools Near The Joseph Sears School

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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 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)	% Pneumococcal (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 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	% Pneumococcal All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
The Joseph Sears School	Public	PK, KG-8	542 Abbotsford Rd	Kenilworth	60043	Cook County	Kenilworth School District 38	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 853-3803	471	53	8.8		400 (84.9%)	2 (0.4%)	15 (3.2%)	26 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.9%)	97	26^th of 2056 public elementary schools	98.7%		96.6	57^th of 2067 public elementary schools	97.2%	31	88.0	82.9	78.4	83.6	90.0	90.0	95.5	90.2	87.6	92.2	94.5	76.0	82.0	88.6	75.6	85.2	99.6	99.6	99.6	99.6	100.0	100.0	99.6	4.6	27.5	$30,709	$782	$29,927
Greeley Elementary School	Public	K-4	275 Fairview Ave	Winnetka	60093	Cook County	Winnetka School District 36	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 446-6060	355	28	12.8		305 (85.9%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (7.3%)	20 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	96.6	32^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	98.4%		97	47^th of 2067 public elementary schools	97.7%	15			94.5	81.7					87.8	92.7	81.7					87.0	98.5	98.2	98.2	98.2		97.9	98.5			$23,552	$293	$23,260
Harper Elementary School	Public	K-4	1101 Dartmouth St	Wilmette	60091	Cook County	Wilmette School District 39	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 512-6200	366	30	12.2		303 (82.8%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.3%)	15 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	93.3	109^th of 2056 public elementary schools	94.7%		95.4	99^th of 2067 public elementary schools	95.2%	10			73.4	82.8					79.1	84.4	76.0					79.3	99.7	99.5	99.5	99.5	98.3	99.2	99.7			$23,722	$327	$23,395
McKenzie Elementary School	Public	K-4	649 Prairie Ave	Wilmette	60091	Cook County	Wilmette School District 39	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 512-6300	461	34	13.5		378 (82.0%)	4 (0.9%)	20 (4.3%)	16 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.3%)	97.9	14^th of 2056 public elementary schools	99.3%		96.5	61^st of 2067 public elementary schools	97.0%	47			87.9	95.8					91.9	92.1	88.4					90.2	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9	98.9			$21,558	$261	$21,297
Central Elementary School	Public	K-4	910 Central Ave	Wilmette	60091	Cook County	Wilmette School District 39	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 512-6100	485	39	12.4		394 (81.2%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.9%)	16 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (10.1%)	95.6	50^th of 2056 public elementary schools	97.6%		96.5	62^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	97.0%	12			79.8	85.6					83.0	85.7	83.7					84.6	99.8	99.6	99.6	99.6	98.2	99.3	99.8			$21,987	$265	$21,722
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2700 Hurd Ave	Evanston	60201	Cook County	Evanston CCSD 65	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 905-3601	355	32	11.2	22.5%	209 (58.9%)	41 (11.5%)	71 (20.0%)	9 (2.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.9%)	80.1	390^th of 2056 public elementary schools	81.0%		79	389^th of 2067 public elementary schools	81.2%	1	56.9		63.8	55.6	68.1				63.1	78.3	63.0	54.2				65.1	99.7	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.5	99.7			$22,866	$501	$22,365
Crow Island Elementary School	Public	K-4	1112 Willow Rd	Winnetka	60093	Cook County	Winnetka School District 36	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 446-0353	360	32	11.3		323 (89.7%)	3 (0.8%)	21 (5.8%)	13 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95.5	53^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	97.4%		96.5	63^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	97.0%	10			78.8	85.1					82.1	89.4	81.1					85.0	98.1	98.5	98.5	98.5		98.5	98.5			$27,478	$293	$27,186
Romona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	600 Romona Rd	Wilmette	60091	Cook County	Wilmette School District 39	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 512-6400	462	49	9.4		253 (54.8%)	9 (1.9%)	47 (10.2%)	64 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	88 (19.0%)	95.7	46^th of 2056 public elementary schools	97.8%		97.4	38^th of 2067 public elementary schools	98.2%	8			86.2	84.8					85.5	83.0	82.4					82.7	98.8	98.6	98.6	98.6	99.2	98.8	98.8	11.3		$27,540	$648	$26,892
Lincolnwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	2600 Colfax St	Evanston	60201	Cook County	Evanston CCSD 65	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 859-8881	288	27	10.5	34.7%	155 (53.8%)	90 (31.3%)	19 (6.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.6%)	81.4	366^th of 2056 public elementary schools	82.2%		87.7	226^th of 2067 public elementary schools	89.1%	140	60.4		57.9	63.0	64.6				61.6	75.4	67.4	58.3				67.5	95.8	96.1	96.1	96.1	100.0	95.8	95.5			$26,663	$545	$26,118
Hubbard Woods Elementary School	Public	K-4	1110 Chatfield Rd	Winnetka	60093	Cook County	Winnetka School District 36	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 446-0920	350	32	11.0		316 (90.3%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.0%)	18 (5.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	95.6	49^th of 2056 public elementary schools	97.6%		98	25^th of 2067 public elementary schools	98.8%	24			78.9	92.8					86.5	78.9	94.2					87.3	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0		98.0	98.0			$24,956	$293	$24,664

Frequently Asked Questions about The Joseph Sears School

What schools do graduates of The Joseph Sears School attend?

Students who attend The Joseph Sears School usually go on to attend:

High : New Trier Township H S Winnetka

How many students attend The Joseph Sears School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 471 students attended The Joseph Sears School.

Is The Joseph Sears School a good school?

Yes! The Joseph Sears School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 26^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of The Joseph Sears School?

Students at The Joseph Sears School are 85% White, 6% Two or more races, 6% Asian, 3% Hispanic.

What district is The Joseph Sears School in?

Kenilworth School District 38

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 30, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 30, 2025

2024–25 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresOct 30, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataOct 30, 2024

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.