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Jack Benny Middle School

Q: Is Jack Benny Middle School a good school?

Jack Benny Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.8% of Illinois middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Jack Benny Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 475 students attended Jack Benny Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Jack Benny Middle School?

Students at Jack Benny Middle School are 75% Hispanic, 10% African American, 7% Asian, 4% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Jack Benny Middle School attend?

Students who attend Jack Benny Middle School usually go on to attend Waukegan High School

Public Grades 6-8

1206^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 12% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Jack Benny Middle School is a public middle school located in Waukegan, Illinois, serving 506 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Waukegan CUSD 60 district, which is ranked 760 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Jack Benny Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Illinois middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years.

The school faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, with only 20.9% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 12.2% proficient or better in mathematics, compared to state averages of 53.1% and 38.5%, respectively. Additionally, Jack Benny Middle School has high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 22.0% to 38.7% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also serves a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 64.23% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year.

When comparing Jack Benny Middle School to other nearby schools in the Waukegan CUSD 60 district, it becomes clear that the academic performance issues are not isolated to Jack Benny. The other middle schools in the district, such as John R. Lewis Middle School and Edith M. Smith Middle School, also struggle with low academic achievement and high rates of chronic absenteeism. Addressing these systemic challenges will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach that focuses on improving instructional practices, increasing student support services, and ensuring the efficient use of available resources.

475

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,158

Per pupil spending ?

62.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1401 Montesano Ave
Waukegan, IL 60087-4818

(224) 303-2470

District: Waukegan CUSD 60

Students who attend Jack Benny Middle School usually attend:

High:

Waukegan High School

Feeder schools for Jack Benny Middle School:

Elementary:	H R McCall Elementary School
	John S Clark Elementary School
	Little Fort Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.2%

African American:

9.9%

Asian:

7.2%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Jack Benny Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 11th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (18% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 32 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school18%

District avg21%

Illinois avg46%

1,206^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Middle Schools in the Waukegan CUSD 60

760^th of 811Waukegan CUSD 60 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	15.5	1206 of 1368	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	1252 of 1363	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.1	1228 of 1367	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	1090 of 1369	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.3	934 of 1241	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	994 of 1356	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.7	1024 of 1293	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	22.4	1025 of 1293	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.5	1121 of 1294	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	15.8	1153 of 1302	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.3	1156 of 1322	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	17.6	1179 of 1367	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.5	1172 of 1365	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	20.6	1145 of 1344	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	25.5	1066 of 1327	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	16.6	1135 of 1318	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	19.5	1084 of 1293	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	16.1	1102 of 1287	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	11.7	1133 of 1272	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	10.6	1055 of 1209	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	9.6	1068 of 1204	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	15.2	995 of 1185	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.8	506 of 574	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	545 of 548	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.1	489 of 569	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.3	366 of 573	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.4	188 of 385	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.8	377 of 565	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.2	380 of 511	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	0.4	184 of 184	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	2.1	197 of 198	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	560 of 694	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.6	595 of 639	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	628 of 674	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.0	396 of 483	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	431 of 486	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	411 of 480	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.0	365 of 454	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.6	162 of 277	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.8	236 of 339	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.4	157 of 285	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	15.0	1095 of 1248	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.0	1125 of 1251	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.3	1137 of 1275	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.1	1031 of 1286	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.4	764 of 1017	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.7	956 of 1276	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	1005 of 1226	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	620 of 669	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	590 of 643	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.7	627 of 661	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	21.0	581 of 662	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.2	388 of 517	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.7	433 of 639	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.2	478 of 590	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.2	1020 of 1229	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	1072 of 1219	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	1088 of 1234	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	938 of 1221	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.0	680 of 1019	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.8	853 of 1217	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.7	869 of 1161	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.9	1108 of 1271	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	1187 of 1264	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	1147 of 1292	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.6	1010 of 1286	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.7	890 of 1048	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.9	933 of 1296	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	941 of 1223	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	698 of 812	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	722 of 802	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.0	756 of 805	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.7	627 of 781	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	413 of 548	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.8	615 of 792	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	496 of 602	17.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	24.4	714 of 898	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.0	785 of 905	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	739 of 889	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2022)20th percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)19th percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)18th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)17th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2025)14th percentile~ school

Male (2025)13th percentile~ school

Female (2025)12th percentile~ school

African American (2025)12th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)7th percentile-5 vs school

Asian (2024)<1st percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science22%-23 vs state

English Language Arts21%-32 vs state

Mathematics12%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near Jack Benny 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
Jack Benny Middle School	Public	6-8	1401 Montesano Ave	Waukegan	60087	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2470	475	38	12.5	62.1%	19 (4.0%)	47 (9.9%)	357 (75.2%)	34 (7.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.3%)	15.5	1206^th of 1368 public middle schools	11.8%		13.8	1252^nd of 1363 public middle schools	8.1%	46	22.3	24.0	16.7	22.3	20.9	14.7	14.8	7.7	12.2	95.5	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	93.8	95.3	72.9	$21,158	$1,607	$19,551
Edith M Smith Middle School	Public	6-8	930 New York St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2760	493	44	11.2	72.2%	19 (3.9%)	53 (10.8%)	403 (81.7%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.2%)	9.4	1324^th of 1368 public middle schools	3.2%		14.5	1237^th of 1363 public middle schools	9.2%	87	14.6	8.7	12.9	17.2	13.0	4.7	10.0	5.7	6.7	96.7	96.1	96.1	96.1	95.2	94.4	95.9	63.3	$22,545	$1,300	$21,244
Miguel Juarez Middle School	Public	6-8	201 N Butrick St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2660	651	61	10.6	69.6%	14 (2.2%)	66 (10.1%)	543 (83.4%)	10 (1.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (1.8%)	12	1276^th of 1368 public middle schools	6.7%		10.9	1317^th of 1363 public middle schools	3.4%	41	16.6	15.0	10.3	19.0	14.4	11.5	12.4	8.0	10.8	94.7	96.3	96.3	96.3	95.6	95.1	95.5	69.6	$22,276	$1,596	$20,680
Robert E Abbott Middle School	Public	6-8	1319 Washington St	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2360	585	49	11.9	71.1%	14 (2.4%)	37 (6.3%)	523 (89.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	12.3	1269^th of 1368 public middle schools	7.2%		14.8	1232^nd of 1363 public middle schools	9.6%	37	16.8	21.5	16.0	26.8	21.8	7.7	8.6	7.4	7.9	94.4	95.9	95.9	95.9	94.7	94.7	95.3	57.2	$21,327	$1,293	$20,034
John R Lewis Middle School	Public	6-8	600 S Lewis Ave	Waukegan	60085	Lake County	Waukegan CUSD 60	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(224) 303-2560	721	64	11.2	74.1%	26 (3.6%)	101 (14.0%)	569 (78.9%)	9 (1.2%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.1%)	28.7	953^rd of 1368 public middle schools	30.3%		27.5	952^nd of 1363 public middle schools	30.2%	1	29.9	33.2	31.8	38.2	34.5	19.6	20.4	23.5	21.2	94.6	81.9	96.3	96.3	95.5	95.1	95.6	69.6	$23,464	$1,526	$21,938
Zion Central Middle School	Public	6-8	1716 27th St	Zion	60099	Lake County	Zion Education Service District 6	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 379-0227	330	30	11.1	85.5%	22 (6.7%)	85 (25.8%)	208 (63.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.9%)	11.1	1292^nd of 1368 public middle schools	5.6%		16.4	1188^th of 1363 public middle schools	12.8%	104	11.5	14.4	26.7	23.0	21.1	7.1	7.7	4.7	6.6	72.5	79.1	78.8	78.0	76.6	84.3	82.6	73.3	$24,986	$1,124	$23,862
Shiloh Park Middle School	Public	6-8	2635 Gabriel Ave	Zion	60099	Lake County	Zion Education Service District 6	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 379-0400	358	27	13.5	85.8%	9 (2.5%)	99 (27.7%)	233 (65.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.7%)	10.8	1298^th of 1368 public middle schools	5.1%		12.2	1283^rd of 1363 public middle schools	5.9%	15	7.1	18.9	19.4	23.2	20.5	8.9	9.3	5.3	7.8	71.5	80.3	80.3	80.3	76.7	77.4	86.2	65.3	$24,475	$1,140	$23,335
Viking School	Public	6-8	4460 Old Grand Ave	Gurnee	60031	Lake County	Gurnee School District 56	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 336-2108	461	39	11.8	54.4%	88 (19.1%)	108 (23.4%)	216 (46.9%)	17 (3.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.5%)	19.1	1138^th of 1368 public middle schools	16.8%		25.6	990^th of 1363 public middle schools	27.4%	148	34.1	25.4	16.1	34.7	25.8	6.8	7.5	16.6	10.7	95.2	95.8	95.8	95.8	96.4	95.2	96.8	82.7	$19,652	$740	$18,912
Beach Park Middle School	Public	6-8	40667 N Green Bay Rd	Beach Park	60099	Lake County	Beach Park CCSD 3	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 596-5860	715	49	14.5	56.8%	68 (9.5%)	142 (19.9%)	451 (63.1%)	11 (1.5%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.3%)	16.8	1178^th of 1368 public middle schools	13.9%		23.8	1027^th of 1363 public middle schools	24.7%	151	19.7	29.4	26.5	32.7	29.4	7.4	8.4	13.2	9.5	91.4	91.4	91.4	91.4	91.4	91.4	91.4	91.4	$19,757	$783	$18,974
Neal Math Science Academy	Public	6-8	1905 Argonne Dr	North Chicago	60064	Lake County	North Chicago School District 187	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 689-6313	601	39	15.4	98.8%	13 (2.2%)	202 (33.6%)	365 (60.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.5%)	14.3	1225^th of 1368 public middle schools	10.5%		16.1	1196^th of 1363 public middle schools	12.3%	29	21.3	24.4	17.2	25.7	22.3	6.9	9.7	12.4	9.8	99.3	99.1	99.1	99.1	99.4	98.1	99.6	96.4	$19,603	$1,141	$18,461

Frequently Asked Questions about Jack Benny Middle School

What high school do graduates of Jack Benny Middle School attend?

Students who attend Jack Benny Middle School usually go on to attend Waukegan High School

How many students attend Jack Benny Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 475 students attended Jack Benny Middle School.

What district is Jack Benny Middle School in?

Waukegan CUSD 60

Is Jack Benny Middle School a good school?

Jack Benny Middle School ranks in the bottom 11.8% of Illinois middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Jack Benny Middle School?

Students at Jack Benny Middle School are 75% Hispanic, 10% African American, 7% Asian, 4% White, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Rate Jack Benny 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.