Education
Downers Grove is served by two award winning School Districts, District 58 and District 99. Downers Grove is home to eleven public elementary schools, several private schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.
Community High School District 99
- Summary: Community High School District 99’s two award-winning high schools, Downers Grove North High School and Downers Grove South High School serve a population of more than 65,000 residents and an enrollment of nearly 5,000 students from Downers Grove and Woodridge as well as Bolingbrook, Darien, Lisle, Oak Brook and Westmont
- Strategic Plan
- 2023-2024 Annual Report
- Website
- Referendum Recap: In 2018, voters in Community High School District 99 approved a referendum measure seeking $136.6 million to fund improvements at North and South high schools. 62% of voters, or 13,599, approved the referendum. The 20-year bond issue allowed the district to address high-priority improvements, including extending the life of existing facilities, addressing safety and security concerns, and improving accessibility for people with disabilities. The passing of the bond issue also provided air conditioning in classrooms with no air conditioning.
District 99 Fast Facts
- Both Downers Grove North and South received Commendable ratings
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) English average is 525.4, above the state average of 487.5 and the national average of 520
- SAT Math average is 532.5, above the state average of 473.4 and the national average of 508
- Strong focus on college preparedness by offering 27 Advanced Placement (AP) courses
- High enrollment in Honors, Advanced Placement courses and Dual Credit courses
- Strong relationships with the local business community, providing internship opportunities for students
Downers Grove North High School
Fast Facts
- Student Population: 2,105
- Graduation Rate: 94%
- Student Activities: More than 60 clubs & organizations for students to be involved in
- 9th Grade on Tack to graduate, a key indicator of student success: 95%
Downers Grove South High School
Fast Facts
- Student Population: 2,596
- Graduation rate: 92%
- 9th Grade on Track to graduate, a key indicator of student success: 95%
- Student activities: More than 60 clubs and organizations offered to students
District 99 Fast Facts
- Both Downers Grove North and South received Commendable ratings
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) English average is 525.4, above the state average of 487.5 and the national average of 520
- SAT Math average is 532.5, above the state average of 473.4 and the national average of 508
- Strong focus on college preparedness by offering 27 Advanced Placement (AP) courses
- High enrollment in Honors, Advanced Placement courses and Dual Credit courses
- Strong relationships with the local business community, providing internship opportunities for students
Downers Grove Grade School District 58
- Summary: Downers Grove Grade School District 58 is home to 11 neighborhood elementary schools, two middle schools, an administrative office, and a maintenance and storage facility. District 58 serves nearly 5,000 students from Downers Grove and parts of Lisle, Lombard, Oak Brook, Westmont and Woodridge.
- Resources:
- 2024 District 58 Annual Report
- 2023-28 District 58 Strategic Plan
- District 58 Website Homepage
- District 58 Building for Success Homepage (construction/successful referendum overview)
- 2022 Referendum Overview
The community approved District 58’s $179 million bond referendum to improve District 58’s 13 school facilities in the Nov. 8, 2022 election, with 68% of residents voting in support of the measure. Referendum construction is currently in progress, and the goal is to complete all work by summer 2026. The referendum funding is supporting:
- School building maintenance projects, such as replacing roofing, plumbing and electrical, and addressing state-mandated repairs
- Health, safety and security upgrades, including adding secure entry vestibules and air conditioning, and improving air quality, heating and ventilation
- Expanding the two middle schools to accommodate sixth-grade students. This transition will not only benefit sixth graders, it will also reduce overcrowding in District 58’s elementary schools.
The benefits are many to these projects. District 58’s schools are between 55 and 96 years old and need significant repairs. These improvements will make the buildings safer and more secure, extend the useful life of existing facilities, reduce emergency repairs, enhance ADA accessibility, create classrooms that can leverage instructional technology, improve the middle school experience and free up needed space at the elementary schools.
District 58 By the Numbers:
- 4,843 Student Enrollment
- 49 Languages spoken
- 640 staff members (nearly half live in Downers Grove!)
- 10 years: average District 58 teaching experience in years
- 62% of teachers have a master’s degree or higher
- 93% teacher retention rate
- 100% of District 58 schools earned either an Exemplary or Commendable academic rating from the state of Illinois for 2023, the most recent year data is available.
- 9 years: For the ninth year in a row, Grove Children’s Preschool earned a Gold Rating from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). It is the highest state honor that a preschool can receive.
- 90%: District 58 students performed better than 90% of Illinois school districts in English-Language Arts on the IAR.
- 94%: District 58 students performed better than 94% of Illinois school districts in Math on the IAR.
- 94% of District 58 parents said “always” or “usually” regarding this statement: “Adults at this school believe that my child can be a success.”
- 5 years: District 58 adopted a five-year financial plan that includes setting aside 35% for reserves as part of the Board’s fund balance policy.
- 21 years: District 58 has earned the State’s highest financial strength rating for 21 straight years.
- 90% of District 58 parents said “always” or “usually” regarding this statement: “My child is getting a quality education at this school.”