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Shepherd Middle School

Q: Is Shepherd Middle School a good school?

Shepherd Middle School ranks 771 st of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

771^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 44% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Shepherd Middle School is a public middle school located in Ottawa, Illinois, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 381 students. The school is part of the Ottawa Education Service District 141, which is ranked 462 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shepherd Middle School's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in IAR/English Language Arts and IAR/Mathematics, is consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grades and years. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 46.2% of Shepherd Middle School students were proficient or better in IAR/English Language Arts, compared to 50.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In IAR/Mathematics, the school's proficiency rate was 19.7%, while the district and state had 29.6% and 38.5%, respectively. The school's performance in science, as measured by the ISA/Science assessment, is closer to the district and state averages, with 46% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in 2024-2025.

Shepherd Middle School's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with Hispanic and White students consistently performing lower than the state averages. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 19.0% to 26.3% in recent years, which is higher than the state average. Compared to nearby schools, such as Parkside Middle School and Seneca Elementary School South Campus, Shepherd Middle School's academic performance is generally lower, and its statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 472 out of 1,302 Illinois middle schools in 2014-2015 to 771 out of 1,368 in 2024-2025.

353

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,253

Per pupil spending ?

54.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

701 E McKinley Rd
Ottawa, IL 61350-4811

(815) 433-1133

District: Ottawa Education Service District 141

Students who attend Shepherd Middle School usually attend:

High:

Ottawa Township High School

Feeder schools for Shepherd Middle School:

Elementary:	Jefferson Elementary School
	Lincoln Elementary School
	McKinley Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.0%

Hispanic:

19.5%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Shepherd Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (37% vs 46% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school37%

District avg42%

Illinois avg46%

771^st of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to bottom 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

462^nd of 811Ottawa Education Service District 141 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
2025	40.4	771 of 1368	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.0	793 of 1363	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	844 of 1367	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	735 of 1369	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.8	586 of 1241	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.2	628 of 1356	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.4	624 of 1293	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	39.0	762 of 1293	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	53.1	542 of 1294	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	56.1	472 of 1302	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	43.8	766 of 1322	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.9	731 of 1367	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.8	982 of 1365	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	56.5	680 of 1344	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.7	600 of 1327	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	56.9	673 of 1318	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	66.8	479 of 1293	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.4	564 of 1287	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.4	569 of 1272	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	59.2	588 of 1209	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	49.3	696 of 1204	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2003	45.0	727 of 1185	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2019	48.0	239 of 565	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	41.0	345 of 694	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	325 of 639	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.7	521 of 674	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.0	746 of 1248	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	774 of 1251	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	779 of 1275	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.6	724 of 1286	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.3	588 of 1017	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.5	621 of 1276	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.7	612 of 1226	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.3	490 of 669	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	437 of 643	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.6	355 of 661	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.3	376 of 662	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.6	408 of 517	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	486 of 639	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	407 of 590	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	724 of 1229	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.4	679 of 1219	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	683 of 1234	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.4	626 of 1221	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.2	564 of 1019	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.9	575 of 1217	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.5	534 of 1161	54.0%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	683 of 1271	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.5	705 of 1264	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.3	805 of 1292	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.2	662 of 1286	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.8	475 of 1048	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.3	590 of 1296	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.2	610 of 1223	50.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	22.2	136 of 184	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	152 of 194	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	495 of 812	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.9	495 of 802	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.4	604 of 805	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	734 of 781	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	38.5	292 of 548	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.4	456 of 792	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.5	231 of 602	61.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.1	693 of 884	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	697 of 875	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.0	791 of 895	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	707 of 898	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.3	510 of 813	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.8	607 of 905	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.6	602 of 889	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2019)58th percentile+4 vs school

Disabled (2025)50th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)46th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)40th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2025)39th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)27th percentile-17 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)26th percentile-16 vs school

White (2025)22nd percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts46%-7 vs state

Science46%~ state avg

Mathematics20%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Shepherd Middle School

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 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th 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 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	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shepherd Middle School	Public	7-8	701 E McKinley Rd	Ottawa	61350	LaSalle County	Ottawa Education Service District 141	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 433-1133	353	31	11.5	54.7%	247 (70.0%)	14 (4.0%)	69 (19.5%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.1%)	40.4	771^st of 1368 public middle schools	43.6%		37	793^rd of 1363 public middle schools	41.8%	22		46.0			42.2	50.0	46.2			25.3	14.4	19.7	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	98.2	$18,253	$868	$17,385
Central Intermediate School	Public	5-6	711 E McKinley Rd	Ottawa	61350	LaSalle County	Ottawa Education Service District 141	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 433-3761	339	28	12.3	56.3%	246 (72.6%)	9 (2.7%)	64 (18.9%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.4%)								(n/a)	39.5		43.5	54.6			48.9	25.6	27.0			26.3	98.5	97.9	97.9	97.9	98.8	97.2	98.8	48.6	$17,009	$923	$16,086
LaSalle County Detention Center 6-8	Public	6-8	707 Etna Rd	Ottawa	61350	LaSalle County	Wallace CCSD 195	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 434-8300	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Seneca Elementary School South Campus	Public	5-8	174 Oak St	Seneca	61360	LaSalle County	Seneca CCSD 170	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 357-8744	209	20	10.4	36.8%	179 (85.6%)	4 (1.9%)	17 (8.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (2.9%)	74.6	302^nd of 1368 public middle schools	77.9%		66.8	380^th of 1363 public middle schools	72.1%	78	58.5	48.1	51.2	76.8	59.6	58.8	62.5	41.5	57.1	53.8	38.5	48.3	99.1	98.6	98.6	98.6	99.1	98.6	99.1	70.6	$23,176	$1,589	$21,587
Washington Elementary School	Public	6-8	212 W Walnut St	Oglesby	61348	LaSalle County	Oglesby Education Service District 125	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 883-3517	116	9	12.8	46.6%	91 (78.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (15.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.0%)	56.3	531^st of 1368 public middle schools	61.2%		40.5	739^th of 1363 public middle schools	45.8%	208		40.0		68.4	39.5	73.8	61.0		36.8	26.3	26.8	29.9	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	97.5	$16,275	$964	$15,311
Serena Middle School	Public	5-8	2283 N 3812th Rd	Serena	60549	LaSalle County	Serena CUSD 2	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 496-9250	184	15	11.9	44.6%	154 (83.7%)	1 (0.5%)	24 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	44.6	701^st of 1368 public middle schools	48.8%		45.8	659^th of 1363 public middle schools	51.7%	42	33.3	36.2	78.4	52.0	62.5	27.1	51.1	67.6	24.0	43.8	13.6	33.1	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	71.4	$22,056	$2,665	$19,391
Northlawn Junior High School	Public	5-8	202 E 1st St	Streator	61364	LaSalle County	Streator Education Service District 44	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 672-4558	614	39	15.6	71.7%	376 (61.2%)	28 (4.6%)	152 (24.8%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.6%)	30.6	926^th of 1368 public middle schools	32.3%		20	1097^th of 1363 public middle schools	19.5%	171	31.8	34.0	32.3	49.7	45.1	36.4	40.4	15.8	12.7	11.4	15.2	13.8	100.0	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.5	100.0	72.4	$15,224	$2,614	$12,610
Lincoln Junior High School	Public	6-8	1165 Saint Vincents Ave	La Salle	61301	LaSalle County	La Salle Education Service District 122	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 223-0786	269	23	11.6	75.1%	142 (52.8%)	20 (7.4%)	87 (32.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.1%)	19.7	1120^th of 1368 public middle schools	18.1%		11.6	1301^st of 1363 public middle schools	4.5%	181		37.8		33.7	22.5	26.2	27.4		12.4	6.7	7.3	8.8	99.2	98.5	98.5	98.5	99.6	98.1	99.2	96.6	$15,864	$1,817	$14,048
Parkside Middle School	Public	5-8	1800 Church St	Peru	61354	LaSalle County	Peru Education Service District 124	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 223-1111	372	29	12.8	54.6%	254 (68.3%)	14 (3.8%)	72 (19.4%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.3%)	59.6	494^th of 1368 public middle schools	63.9%		57.9	482^nd of 1363 public middle schools	64.6%	12	37.8	58.0	56.1	52.6	57.0	64.2	57.2	29.6	27.8	37.2	25.9	30.1	97.8	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	67.3	$13,626	$794	$12,832

Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd Middle School

What high school do graduates of Shepherd Middle School attend?

Students who attend Shepherd Middle School usually go on to attend Ottawa Township High School

What is the racial makeup of Shepherd Middle School?

Students at Shepherd Middle School are 70% White, 20% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is Shepherd Middle School in?

Ottawa Education Service District 141

Is Shepherd Middle School a good school?

Shepherd Middle School ranks 771^st of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Shepherd Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 353 students attended Shepherd Middle School.

Rate Shepherd Middle School!

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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.