Rockford SD 205

Rockford SD 205 is a mid-sized urban school district in Illinois serving 28,162 students across 45 schools. The district experienced 1.4% enrollment growth in the most recent year and operates with a student-teacher ratio of 17.2:1 across its 1,634.5 teaching positions.

Academic performance across the district falls substantially below state averages. Math proficiency stands at 20.1% compared to the state average of 37.3%, while reading proficiency is 32.8% versus the state average of 51.9%. The four-year graduation rate is 77.0%, below the state average of 88.0%, with a dropout rate of 5.2%. Chronic absenteeism affects 42.4% of students, which exceeds typical attendance challenges.

The district serves a demographically diverse population with significant economic needs. Approximately 70.3% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, 24.7% are English learners, and 17.4% receive special education services. Racial composition includes 33.1% Hispanic, 31.2% Black, 24.1% White, and 3.5% Asian students.

Financially, the district operates on a $510.0 million budget with per-pupil spending of $16,268, below the state average of $18,095. Revenue is distributed across federal sources (27.3%), state funding (35.3%), and local resources (37.5%). This funding structure reflects reliance on federal and state support relative to local revenue generation.