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Walter R Sundling Middle School

Q: Is Walter R Sundling Middle School a good school?

Walter R Sundling Middle School ranks 854 th of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

854^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 38% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Walter R Sundling Junior High School is a public middle school located in Palatine, Illinois, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 614 students. The school is part of the Palatine CCSD 15 district, which is ranked 415 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Walter R Sundling Junior High School has consistently ranked in the middle range of Illinois middle schools, typically between the 300-800 range out of around 1,300-1,400 schools. The school's performance on standardized tests, such as the IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) in English Language Arts and Mathematics, is generally below the Palatine CCSD 15 district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 36.8% in ELA and 25.9% in Math, compared to 55.1% and 42.9% for the district, and 53.1% and 38.5% for the state. The school's performance on the ISA (Illinois Science Assessment) for 8th grade is also below the district and state averages, with a 36.2% proficiency rate in 2024-2025 compared to 49.4% for the district and 45.4% for the state.

Walter R Sundling Junior High School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17.1% to 26.3% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the Palatine CCSD 15 district and state averages. The nearby schools within the same district generally perform better than Walter R Sundling Junior High School, with higher academic proficiency rates and lower chronic absenteeism. For example, Carl Sandburg Junior High School and Plum Grove Junior High School have significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA and Math compared to Walter R Sundling. However, when compared to schools in other nearby districts, such as South Middle School in Arlington Heights School District 25 and Lake Zurich Middle - S Campus in Lake Zurich CUSD 95, Walter R Sundling Junior High School's performance is more comparable, or even slightly better in some areas.

679

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,664

Per pupil spending ?

47%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1100 N Smith St
Palatine, IL 60067-2606

(847) 963-3700

District: Palatine CCSD 15

Feeder schools for Walter R Sundling Middle School:

Elementary:	Frank C Whiteley Elementary School
	Gray M Sanborn Elementary School
	Lincoln Elementary School
	Marion Jordan Elementary School
	More...
	Virginia Lake Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

44.9%

White:

34.9%

Asian:

10.0%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Walter R Sundling Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2015 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (33% vs 46% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 51 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg49%

Illinois avg46%

854^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 52 pts since 2015

From top 11% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Middle Schools in the Palatine CCSD 15

415^th of 811Palatine CCSD 15 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	35.3	854 of 1368	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.7	384 of 1363	71.8%	★★★★☆
2023	58.1	470 of 1367	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.0	367 of 1369	73.2%	★★★★☆
2021	64.4	343 of 1241	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	188 of 1356	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	243 of 1293	81.2%	★★★★☆
2017	79.5	215 of 1293	83.4%	★★★★☆
2016	83.3	169 of 1294	86.9%	★★★★☆
2015	87.9	139 of 1302	89.3%	★★★★☆
2014	79.9	228 of 1322	82.8%	★★★★☆
2013	85.3	161 of 1367	88.2%	★★★★☆
2012	79.7	214 of 1365	84.3%	★★★★☆
2011	79.4	211 of 1344	84.3%	★★★★☆
2010	83.9	116 of 1327	91.3%	★★★★★
2009	81.5	169 of 1318	87.2%	★★★★☆
2008	80.3	194 of 1293	85.0%	★★★★☆
2007	79.4	208 of 1287	83.8%	★★★★☆
2006	83.2	137 of 1272	89.2%	★★★★☆
2005	87.5	92 of 1209	92.4%	★★★★★
2004	86.8	107 of 1204	91.1%	★★★★★
2003	86.9	105 of 1185	91.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.7	430 of 574	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.2	208 of 548	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.9	393 of 569	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.9	321 of 573	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.1	228 of 565	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.7	283 of 511	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	149 of 186	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	57.7	81 of 184	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.4	113 of 192	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.2	117 of 198	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.7	52 of 112	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.4	70 of 201	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.8	86 of 209	58.9%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	41.6	335 of 694	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	244 of 639	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.8	318 of 674	52.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	398 of 483	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	357 of 486	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	437 of 480	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	65.7	57 of 454	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.2	36 of 277	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	56.4	77 of 339	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	44.3	129 of 285	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	32.9	822 of 1248	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.8	344 of 1251	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	60.9	409 of 1275	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.9	340 of 1286	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	66.3	283 of 1017	72.2%	★★★★☆
2019	81.8	189 of 1276	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	74.9	253 of 1226	79.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	13.8	644 of 669	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.0	481 of 643	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.4	475 of 661	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.0	435 of 662	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.9	477 of 517	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	42.3	348 of 639	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.6	411 of 590	30.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.2	1024 of 1229	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.0	518 of 1219	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.7	795 of 1234	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.7	685 of 1221	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.9	699 of 1019	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.9	454 of 1217	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.0	566 of 1161	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	36.9	758 of 1271	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.0	374 of 1264	70.4%	★★★★☆
2023	53.9	505 of 1292	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.5	350 of 1286	72.8%	★★★★☆
2021	57.9	341 of 1048	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.4	184 of 1296	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.5	220 of 1223	82.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	57.7	70 of 184	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.6	111 of 194	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.5	112 of 195	42.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	60.5	225 of 812	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	74.6	149 of 802	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	144 of 805	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	31.5	561 of 781	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	41.1	270 of 548	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.9	160 of 792	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	41.0	287 of 602	52.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	35.5	594 of 884	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.7	316 of 875	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.9	434 of 895	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	311 of 898	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.4	325 of 813	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.1	144 of 905	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.8	250 of 889	71.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2025)72nd percentile+35 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)62nd percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2025)52nd percentile+14 vs school

Male (2025)40th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)34th percentile-3 vs school

White (2025)33rd percentile-5 vs school

African American (2025)25th percentile-12 vs school

Asian (2025)20th percentile-18 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)18th percentile-20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)17th percentile-21 vs school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts37%-16 vs state

Science36%-9 vs state

Mathematics26%-13 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, March 18, 2016

Awesome school - most improved in the area. Great Music Program. Very dedicated staff. Went from no Mathcounts program to having students in State finals. Close Quote

Schools Near Walter R Sundling 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 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
Walter R Sundling Middle School	Public	6-8	1100 N Smith St	Palatine	60067	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 963-3700	679	61	11.2	47.0%	237 (34.9%)	47 (6.9%)	305 (44.9%)	68 (10.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (2.7%)	35.3	854^th of 1368 public middle schools	37.6%		66.7	384^th of 1363 public middle schools	71.8%	470	36.2	33.3	34.9	42.0	36.8	22.1	32.5	23.1	25.9	98.4	98.7	98.7	98.7	98.7	98.5	98.7	98.2	$20,664	$720	$19,944
Winston Campus Middle School	Public	6-8	120 N Babcock Dr	Palatine	60074	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 963-7400	847	65	12.9	49.9%	240 (28.3%)	41 (4.8%)	510 (60.2%)	35 (4.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.0%)	33.2	894^th of 1368 public middle schools	34.6%		30.5	891^st of 1363 public middle schools	34.6%	3	27.3	32.4	42.0	38.0	37.4	20.1	30.6	25.1	25.2	96.9	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.4	96.7	99.8	97.7	$17,197	$1,022	$16,175
Plum Grove Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 Plum Grove Rd	Rolling Meadows	60008	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 963-7600	1,128	68	16.5	14.9%	544 (48.2%)	35 (3.1%)	103 (9.1%)	393 (34.8%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (4.3%)	86.5	170^th of 1368 public middle schools	87.6%		88.2	131^st of 1363 public middle schools	90.4%	39	63.1	74.6	73.5	75.7	74.6	56.7	58.4	48.7	54.3	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.2	98.7	98.6	99.3	98.3	$15,195	$512	$14,683
Lake Zurich Middle - S Campus	Public	6-8	435 W Cuba Rd	Lake Zurich	60047	Lake County	Lake Zurich CUSD 95	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 540-7070	599	55	10.8	15.4%	481 (80.3%)	6 (1.0%)	37 (6.2%)	52 (8.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.3%)	96.2	32^nd of 1368 public middle schools	97.7%		94.7	60^th of 1363 public middle schools	95.6%	28	75.9	85.7	93.3	85.4	88.4	65.9	79.5	75.9	74.1	98.2	97.2	97.2	97.2	98.2	96.1	98.0	93.2	$20,351	$215	$20,136
Thomas Jefferson Middle School	Public	6-8	3805 Winston Dr	Hoffman Estates	60192	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 963-5400	621	41	15.0	11.6%	342 (55.1%)	18 (2.9%)	40 (6.4%)	191 (30.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.7%)								(n/a)
Cooper Middle School	Public	6-8	1050 Plum Grove Cir	Buffalo Grove	60089	Cook County	Wheeling CCSD 21	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 520-2750	732	57	12.9	56.0%	440 (60.1%)	18 (2.5%)	175 (23.9%)	75 (10.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.7%)	67.8	392^nd of 1368 public middle schools	71.3%		64.5	400^th of 1363 public middle schools	70.7%	8	57.9	53.1	47.2	64.4	54.4	40.4	47.6	45.0	44.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.8	89.5	98.7	94.9	$20,945	$597	$20,348
Barrington Mdle School- Prairie Cmps	Public	6-8	40 E Dundee Rd	Barrington	60010	Cook County	Barrington CUSD 220	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 304-3990	980	72	13.7	20.2%	525 (53.6%)	16 (1.6%)	184 (18.8%)	211 (21.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (4.3%)	92.3	87^th of 1368 public middle schools	93.6%		92.1	94^th of 1363 public middle schools	93.1%	7	81.3	79.8	76.7	85.1	80.7	51.6	65.6	68.0	61.9	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.8	98.3	97.7	99.3	96.7	$21,000	$352	$20,648
Barrington Middle School Station	Public	6-8	215 Eastern Ave	Barrington	60010	Cook County	Barrington CUSD 220	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 756-6400	886	71	12.4	19.4%	560 (63.2%)	10 (1.1%)	146 (16.5%)	120 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (5.6%)	85.9	177^th of 1368 public middle schools	87.1%		90.8	107^th of 1363 public middle schools	92.1%	70	69.3	76.4	84.4	76.6	79.0	39.8	64.7	44.6	49.5	98.4	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.4	97.3	98.3	96.5	$22,437	$524	$21,913
Thomas Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 N Belmont Ave	Arlington Heights	60004	Cook County	Arlington Heights School District 25	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 398-4260	1,024	77	13.2	16.0%	722 (70.5%)	16 (1.6%)	94 (9.2%)	174 (17.0%)	2 (0.2%)	10 (1.0%)	6 (0.6%)	91.8	93^rd of 1368 public middle schools	93.2%		82.3	209^th of 1363 public middle schools	84.7%	116	81.1	76.9	78.8	81.5	79.1	61.9	60.0	57.6	59.7	97.9	97.7	97.7	97.7	100.0	97.0	98.2	94.6	$17,182	$665	$16,517
Carl Sandburg Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 Martin Ln	Rolling Meadows	60008	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 963-7800	468	40	11.6	48.5%	179 (38.2%)	13 (2.8%)	226 (48.3%)	31 (6.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.6%)	44.1	711^th of 1368 public middle schools	48.0%		54.9	525^th of 1363 public middle schools	61.5%	186	43.2	43.7	57.6	56.4	52.3	14.6	33.6	10.7	19.3	97.3	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.2	98.0	97.7	96.8	$20,371	$684	$19,687

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter R Sundling Middle School

Is Walter R Sundling Middle School a good school?

Walter R Sundling Middle School ranks 854^th of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Walter R Sundling Middle School in?

Palatine CCSD 15

How many students attend Walter R Sundling Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 679 students attended Walter R Sundling Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Walter R Sundling Middle School?

Students at Walter R Sundling Middle School are 45% Hispanic, 35% White, 10% Asian, 7% African American, 3% Two or more races.

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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.