Independence Jr High School
Palos Heights, IL · Palos Heights SD 128
Regular public school · Grades 6 - 8 · Suburb, large
96th of 685 Illinois middle schools statewide · better than 86%▲ Improving
6610 W Highland Dr, Palos Heights, IL 60463
(708)448-0737NCES ID 173057003177Directory 2023–24
SchoolRow ranks Independence Jr High School 96th of 685 Illinois middle schools for 2024–25, based on Illinois Report Card 2024–25 English and Math results — better than 86% of middle schools statewide. Its statewide percentile went from 80th in 2019 to 86th in 2025 — improving.
Percent meeting or exceeding the state standard, Illinois Report Card 2024–25
Black (last reported 2024) stops before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.
Hispanic (last reported 2023) and Black (last reported 2023) stop before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.
Hispanic (last reported 2023) stops before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.
Percent meeting or exceeding the state standard, by student race and ethnicity. Only groups IL reports for this school appear — small groups are suppressed at the source to protect student privacy, so a missing line means too few testers, not zero. Tap a group to compare it with the IL average for that same group.
Racial and ethnic breakdown of 208 students (2023–24, NCES) — history since 1988, with comparable seven-category changes from 2010
| Group | Trend | 2010 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.6% | 71.6% | ▼ 15.0 pts | |
| Hispanic | 10.2% | 19.7% | ▲ 9.5 pts | |
| Black | 2.4% | 5.8% | ▲ 3.4 pts | |
| Two or more races | 0.4% | 1.9% | ▲ 1.5 pts | |
| Asian | 0.0% | 1.0% | ▲ 1.0 pts |
NCES history for this school begins in 1988. Race categories changed by 2010: earlier data combines Asian and Pacific Islander students and does not consistently identify multiracial students. The chart retains that history, while the change table uses 2010 onward.
Typical home value $400K in zip 60463 as of 2026-05 · trend since 2000
Data Provided by Zillow Group
Closest same-level schools, with 2024–25 state rank · ▲▼ = points better or worse than Independence Jr High School
- #548Nathan Hale Middle SchoolCook County SD 130 · 1.9 mi away548th of 685
ELA 38% ▼48 · Math 20% ▼29Compare - #41Palos South Middle SchoolPalos CCSD 118 · 2 mi away41st of 685
ELA 89% ▲3 · Math 61% ▲12Compare - #224Worth Jr High SchoolWorth SD 127 · 2.1 mi away224th of 685
ELA 77% ▼9 · Math 31% ▼18Compare - #514Elden D Finley Jr High SchoolChicago Ridge SD 127-5 · 2.6 mi away514th of 685
ELA 39% ▼47 · Math 25% ▼24Compare - #357Prairie Jr High SchoolAlsip-Hazlgrn-Oaklwn SD 126 · 2.9 mi away357th of 685
ELA 60% ▼26 · Math 28% ▼21Compare - #365Jack Hille Middle SchoolForest Ridge SD 142 · 3 mi away365th of 685
ELA 53% ▼33 · Math 33% ▼16Compare - #425Hamlin Upper Grade CenterAtwood Heights SD 125 · 3.6 mi away425th of 685
ELA 61% ▼25 · Math 16% ▼33Compare - #248Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle SchOak Lawn-Hometown SD 123 · 4 mi away248th of 685
ELA 69% ▼17 · Math 35% ▼14Compare
What school district is Independence Jr High School in?
Independence Jr High School is part of the Palos Heights SD 128 district in Palos Heights, Illinois.
Is Independence Jr High School a good school?
SchoolRow ranks Independence Jr High School 96th of 685 Illinois middle schools (better than 86% statewide) based on 2024–25 test results (Illinois Report Card 2024–25).
What is the racial makeup of Independence Jr High School?
White 72%, Hispanic 20%, Black 6%, Two or more races 2% (208 students, 2023–24).
How much do homes near Independence Jr High School cost?
The typical home value in zip code 60463 is $400K as of 2026-05 (Zillow ZHVI).
Sources: state education department data (Illinois Report Card 2024–25, low-income, chronic absenteeism), National Center for Education Statistics via the Urban Institute (enrollment, demographics, staffing), Zillow Group (home values). Rankings are computed by SchoolRow from state English and Math results within grade level; they measure test performance, not everything that makes a school good.