Stephenson County Schools & Education
Stephenson County, Illinois
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
45/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
81.4%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
81.4%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 88.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,964
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,250
School Score
45/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 63/100
State Score Position
#93
of 102 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Stephenson County
Measured School Summary
Stephenson County has midrange measured school signals (score: 45/100) with a graduation rate of 81.4%, which warrants review in official state and district records.
Funding Context
Stephenson County spends $8,964 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 28% below the Illinois average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 7.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Stephenson County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
23 public schools and 7 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
45/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #93 of 102 Illinois counties with school score data.
Completion
81.4%
7.4 pts below the state average
Funding context
$8,964
$286 below the state average
School coverage
23
7 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Stephenson County has 23 public schools across 7 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Stephenson County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Mixed school landscape
Stephenson County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#93
of 102 Illinois counties with school score data. The county score is 18 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Freeport SD 145
Elementary to high school visible
3,454 students
8 listed schools in this county slice.
Lena Winslow CUSD 202
Elementary to high school visible
810 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Dakota CUSD 201
Elementary and high visible
756 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
Pearl City CUSD 200
Elementary to high school visible
424 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Freeport SD 145 is the largest listed district slice, with 8 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Stephenson County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Stephenson County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Stephenson County, Illinois
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
A Small-Town Educational Infrastructure
Stephenson County supports 5,845 students through a network of 23 public schools spread across seven districts. The landscape includes 10 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 8 high schools, along with two dedicated alternative learning centers.
Freeport District Leads Local Enrollment
Freeport SD 145 is the county’s largest district, serving 3,454 students across eight schools. The region currently operates without any charter schools, relying entirely on its seven traditional public school districts.
Intimate Classrooms in Town and Rural Settings
Schooling in Stephenson County feels personal, with an average school size of just 292 students. While Freeport High School is the largest with 1,080 students, the majority of the 23 schools are situated in town or rural locales.
School Overview
Total Schools
23
in Stephenson County
Reported Enrollment
5,845
23 schools reporting
School Districts
7
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
7 School Districts in Stephenson County
Freeport SD 145
GuideLena Winslow CUSD 202
Dakota CUSD 201
Forrestville Valley CUSD 221
Pearl City CUSD 200
Orangeville CUSD 203
Carroll/Jo Daviess/Stephenson ROE
23 Public Schools in Stephenson County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 23 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport High School | Profile | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 1,080 |
| Freeport Middle School | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | 7–8 | Middle | 485 |
| Lena-Winslow Elem School | Record | Lena Winslow CUSD 202 | Lena, 61048Town: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 399 |
| Carl Sandburg Middle Sch | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | 5–6 | Middle | 397 |
| Dakota Elementary School | Record | Dakota CUSD 201 | Dakota, 61018Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 391 |
| Dakota Jr Sr High School | Record | Dakota CUSD 201 | Dakota, 61018Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 365 |
| Jones-Farrar Intl Baccalaureate | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 326 |
| Empire Elem School | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 325 |
| Blackhawk Elem School | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 307 |
| Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 286 |
| Center Elem School | Record | Freeport SD 145 | Freeport, 61032Town: Distant | PK–4 | Primary | 248 |
| Lena-Winslow High School | Record | Lena Winslow CUSD 202 | Lena, 61048Town: Distant | 9–12 | High | 246 |
| Pearl City Elementary School | Record | Pearl City CUSD 200 | Pearl City, 61062Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 206 |
| Lena-Winslow Jr High School | Record | Lena Winslow CUSD 202 | Lena, 61048Town: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 165 |
| Orangeville Elem School | Record | Orangeville CUSD 203 | Orangeville, 61060Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 149 |
| Pearl City High School | Record | Pearl City CUSD 200 | Pearl City, 61062Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 137 |
| Orangeville High School | Record | Orangeville CUSD 203 | Orangeville, 61060Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 96 |
| German Valley Grade School | Record | Forrestville Valley CUSD 221 | German Valley, 61039Rural: Distant | PK–KG | Primary | 81 |
| Pearl City Jr High School | Record | Pearl City CUSD 200 | Pearl City, 61062Rural: Distant | 7–8 | Middle | 81 |
| Orangeville Jr High School | Record | Orangeville CUSD 203 | Orangeville, 61060Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 75 |
Freeport High School
Freeport SD 145
Freeport, 61032 / Town: Distant
Lena-Winslow Elem School
Lena Winslow CUSD 202
Lena, 61048 / Town: Distant
Jones-Farrar Intl Baccalaureate
Freeport SD 145
Freeport, 61032 / Town: Distant
Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School
Freeport SD 145
Freeport, 61032 / Town: Distant
Pearl City Elementary School
Pearl City CUSD 200
Pearl City, 61062 / Rural: Distant
Lena-Winslow Jr High School
Lena Winslow CUSD 202
Lena, 61048 / Town: Distant
Orangeville Elem School
Orangeville CUSD 203
Orangeville, 61060 / Rural: Distant
Pearl City High School
Pearl City CUSD 200
Pearl City, 61062 / Rural: Distant
Orangeville High School
Orangeville CUSD 203
Orangeville, 61060 / Rural: Distant
German Valley Grade School
Forrestville Valley CUSD 221
German Valley, 61039 / Rural: Distant
Pearl City Jr High School
Pearl City CUSD 200
Pearl City, 61062 / Rural: Distant
Orangeville Jr High School
Orangeville CUSD 203
Orangeville, 61060 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,964
State avg $9,250
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Stephenson County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
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See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Illinois counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Illinois?
How should I read the school score in Stephenson County?
What is the graduation rate in Stephenson County?
How much does Stephenson County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Stephenson County, Illinois — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Stephenson County, Illinois?
Stephenson County supports 5,845 students through a network of 23 public schools spread across seven districts. The landscape includes 10 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 8 high schools, along with two dedicated alternative learning centers.
What are the major school districts in Stephenson County, Illinois?
Freeport SD 145 is the county’s largest district, serving 3,454 students across eight schools. The region currently operates without any charter schools, relying entirely on its seven traditional public school districts.
What is the school experience like in Stephenson County?
Schooling in Stephenson County feels personal, with an average school size of just 292 students. While Freeport High School is the largest with 1,080 students, the majority of the 23 schools are situated in town or rural locales.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.