B+
Sycamore Community Unit School District 427
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 4 towns
Serves Sycamore, Sycamore, Cortland and Mayfield, and parts of DeKalb, Cortland, Virgil, Burlington and South Grove.
Students
3,720
Schools
7
Spent per student
$18,910
IL $21,567
Students per teacher
14:1
Free or reduced lunch
27%
Debt
$75.4M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Sycamore Community Unit School District 427
- School Grade B+: better than 71% of Illinois districts
- Graduation rate (4-year) 9 pts above the state
- Spends 12% less per student than the IL average
- 14 students per teacher
- Debt of $75.4M, about $20,280 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Coleta.
PK–22 elementary schoolsSterling Community Unit District 5
3–52 elementary schoolsSterling Community Unit District 5
6–8Challand Middle SchoolSterling Community Unit District 5
9–12Sterling High SchoolSterling Community Unit District 5
Test scores vs. IL
2020–21Math proficiency26%
State average 25.8%
Reading / language arts32%
State average 30.7%
Graduation rate (4-year)96%
State average 87.3%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$18,910 per student · 12% below IL
Spending
Classroom instruction 62%Support & administration 36%Other 2%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 57%State 39%Federal 4%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
3,589’20
3,599’21
3,598’22
3,665’23
3,720’24
Up 3.7% since 2020.
Students
White 77%Hispanic 13%Two or more races 5%Black 4%Asian 2%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
7 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
Central Community Unit School District 301Campton, Lily Lake, Plato
$15,727per student
DeKalb Community Unit School District 428DeKalb, Malta
$21,601per student
Kaneland Community Unit School District 302Kaneville, Pierce
$21,339per student
Rochelle Township High School District 212Lynnville, Malta
$20,909per student
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.