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Zion Central Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

1292^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 6% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Zion Central Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Zion, Illinois, with an enrollment of 342 students. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Illinois middle schools over the past decade, with significant challenges in academic performance, student engagement, and supporting the needs of its diverse student population.

Zion Central Middle School significantly underperforms the state and district averages in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 21.1% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 53.1% statewide, and just 6.6% were proficient in mathematics, compared to 38.5% statewide. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 32.9% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Despite the school's academic challenges, Zion Central Middle School spends a relatively high amount per student, with $24,256 spent per student in the 2023-2024 school year. This suggests that the school's struggles may not be solely due to a lack of funding, but rather a complex combination of factors. Interestingly, the nearby Shiloh Park Middle School, which is also part of the Zion Education Service District 6, outperforms Zion Central in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, as well as in overall school ranking.

330

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,986

Per pupil spending ?

85.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1716 27th St
Zion, IL 60099-2553

(847) 379-0227

District: Zion Education Service District 6

Students who attend Zion Central Middle School usually attend:

High:	Zion-Benton East High School
	Zion-Benton Township High School

Feeder schools for Zion Central Middle School:

Elementary:	Beulah Park Elementary School
	East Elementary School
	Elmwood Elementary School
	West Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

63.0%

African American:

25.8%

White:

6.7%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Zion Central Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 29th percentile in 2015 → 6th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (13% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school13%

District avg11%

Illinois avg46%

1,292^nd of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 24 pts since 2015

From bottom 29% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Zion Education Service District 6

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	11.1	1292 of 1368	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	1188 of 1363	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.2	1296 of 1367	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.7	1188 of 1369	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.5	1076 of 1241	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	1217 of 1356	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	1225 of 1293	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	20.4	1051 of 1293	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.5	1010 of 1294	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.3	923 of 1302	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.4	1155 of 1322	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	12.2	1244 of 1367	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	13.5	1235 of 1365	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	22.0	1135 of 1344	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.4	1100 of 1327	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	18.7	1111 of 1318	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	18.8	1087 of 1293	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.9	1032 of 1287	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.8	1038 of 1272	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	15.7	1018 of 1209	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	9.2	1073 of 1204	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	11.0	1037 of 1185	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.1	538 of 574	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	451 of 548	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.5	482 of 569	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.2	468 of 573	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	342 of 385	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.4	509 of 565	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.5	501 of 511	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	562 of 694	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.6	595 of 639	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	603 of 674	10.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.8	449 of 483	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	447 of 486	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.5	469 of 480	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	27.6	419 of 454	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	35.8	205 of 277	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.7	329 of 339	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	31.7	257 of 285	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.5	1183 of 1248	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	1093 of 1251	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	1203 of 1275	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	1097 of 1286	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.8	868 of 1017	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	1197 of 1276	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.5	1178 of 1226	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.8	633 of 669	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.1	547 of 643	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	645 of 661	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	608 of 662	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.4	445 of 517	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.6	573 of 639	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.1	572 of 590	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	15.2	1145 of 1229	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	1033 of 1219	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.0	1176 of 1234	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	1029 of 1221	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	828 of 1019	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.6	1062 of 1217	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.6	1099 of 1161	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	12.4	1190 of 1271	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.4	1089 of 1264	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.2	1210 of 1292	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.4	1120 of 1286	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.5	957 of 1048	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.4	1096 of 1296	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	1124 of 1223	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	9.1	20 of 21	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.3	10 of 12	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	10 of 10	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2018	9.3	163 of 164	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.5	733 of 812	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	787 of 802	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	735 of 805	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	26.9	654 of 781	16.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.6	501 of 548	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	670 of 792	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.6	570 of 602	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2019	13.8	828 of 905	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	807 of 889	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2025)19th percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2025)10th percentile+4 vs school

White (2019)9th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)7th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)7th percentile~ school

Male (2025)6th percentile~ school

African American (2025)6th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)5th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2025)5th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2018)1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts21%-32 vs state

Science12%-34 vs state

Mathematics7%-32 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Wednesday, February 14, 2018

I went to Central middle school for a basketball game. Let me say these students were out of control no repect for the visiting team nor adults. It's horrible that not even security can control them. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, February 19, 2009

The school is lacking in attending to the educational needs of my special needs child. Close Quote

Schools Near Zion Central 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
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
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
North Prairie Junior High	Public	5-8	500 North Ave	Winthrop Harbor	60096	Lake County	Winthrop Harbor School District 1	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 731-3089	240	24	10.0	54.6%	121 (50.4%)	24 (10.0%)	75 (31.3%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.8%)	75.6	291^st of 1368 public middle schools	78.7%		51.8	574^th of 1363 public middle schools	57.9%	283	43.6	63.3	60.0	60.0	43.8	76.5	59.1	40.0	46.7	51.6	55.8	48.4	98.8	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	94.8	76.0	$22,645	$1,453	$21,192
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Zion Central Middle School

What high school do graduates of Zion Central Middle School attend?

Students who attend Zion Central Middle School usually go on to attend Zion-Benton East High School

Is Zion Central Middle School a good school?

Zion Central Middle School ranks in the bottom 5.6% of Illinois middle schools.

How many students attend Zion Central Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 330 students attended Zion Central Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Zion Central Middle School?

Students at Zion Central Middle School are 63% Hispanic, 26% African American, 7% White, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Zion Central Middle School in?

Zion Education Service District 6

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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.