Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 has released its 2025-2026 Beginning of the Year student achievement data, providing insight into student performance in literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. The district made a recording of the presentation available on its YouTube channel and shared PDF copies in both English and Spanish.
Superintendent Theresa Plascencia addressed families and staff in a letter, stating: “Sharing this information is part of our commitment to keeping our community informed and engaged in the work happening across our schools. Beginning-of-the-year data helps us understand where students are starting, recognize areas of growth, and identify where additional support may be needed as the year progresses.”
Plascencia also noted positive trends: “Overall, the data shows encouraging growth in several content areas. Seeing progress over time in our core curriculum assessments indicates that students are learning and that effective instructional practices are making a difference. While we know there is still important work ahead, we are proud of the dedication our professional staff show every day and are excited to see our students continue to grow.”
She emphasized ongoing priorities for the district: “Ensuring that all students have access to high-quality curriculum and instruction remains a key priority for the district. This includes a continued focus on implementing our adopted curriculum, providing meaningful professional learning and coaching, and using data to regularly reflect, adjust, and improve.”
The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 covers numerous schools throughout Lake County including Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School, Carman-Buckner Elementary School, Clearview Elementary School, Daniel Webster Middle School, Early Learning Center, Glen Flora Elementary School, Glenwood Elementary School, Greenwood Elementary School, H.R. McCall Elementary School, Hyde Park Elementary School, Jack Benny Middle School, John S. Clark Elementary School, Little Fort Elementary School, Lyon Magnet Elementary School, Miguel Juarez Middle School, North Elementary School, Oakdale Elementary School, Robert E. Abbott Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Washington Elementary School, Waukegan High School and Whittier Elementary School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
According to state data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the district’s student population is 3.2 percent White, 13.2 percent Black, 79.5 percent Hispanic and 1.3 percent Asian (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district employs 1,014 teachers with an average salary of $63,524 before pension contributions; women make up 71.1 percent of teaching staff while men account for 28.9 percent. There were no teachers with more than ten absences in a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
In terms of spending per pupil in 2020—the most recent year reported—Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 spent $23,429 per student for a total expenditure of $359 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
Plascencia concluded her message by expressing gratitude: “We are grateful for the ongoing commitment of our staff and the partnership of our families. Your support is essential to this work, and we look forward to continuing this progress together in the New Year.”
