Is J Sterling Morton West High School a good school?

J Sterling Morton West High School ranks 493 rd of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend J Sterling Morton West High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 3,497 students attended J Sterling Morton West High School.

What is the racial makeup of J Sterling Morton West High School?

Students at J Sterling Morton West High School are 86% Hispanic, 6% African American, 5% White, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into J Sterling Morton West High School?

J Sterling Morton West High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Costello School Elementary : Edison Elementary School Elementary : Emerson Elementary School Elementary : Hiawatha Elementary School Elementary : Home Elementary School Elementary : Irving Elementary School Elementary : J W Robinson Junior Elementary School Elementary : Jefferson Elementary School Elementary : Karel Havlicek Elementary School Elementary : Komensky Elementary School Elementary : Pershing Elementary School Elementary : Piper School Elementary : Prairie Oak School Middle : Freedom Middle School Middle : Heritage Middle School Middle : Lincoln Middle School Middle : Washington Middle School

J Sterling Morton West High School

Summary:

J Sterling Morton West High School is a public high school located in Berwyn, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 3,533 students. The school is part of the J S Morton HSD 201 district, which is ranked 724 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

J Sterling Morton West High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois high schools, ranking between 447 and 565 out of 697-701 schools in recent years, and has received a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most years, with a brief period of a 2-star rating in 2021-2022. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 72.4% and 85.6% in recent years, which is lower than the state average and the rates of some nearby schools, such as Proviso East High School (84.6%) and Oak Park & River Forest High School (95.4%). Additionally, the school has a relatively high dropout rate, ranging from 3.8% to 4.8% in recent years, and has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 16.6% to 40.1% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average and many nearby schools.

The school's performance on standardized tests, such as the SAT and Illinois Science Assessment (ISA), is consistently lower than the state and district averages, with only 7.7% to 12.1% of students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics and 16% to 16.8% proficient or better in SAT English Language Arts. The school's performance on the ISA Science assessment is slightly better, with 43.2% to 45.1% of students proficient or better, but still below the state average. The school's high percentage of students (78.71%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population, may contribute to these challenges.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2400 Home Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402-2110

(708) 780-4100

District: J S Morton HSD 201

SchoolDigger Rank:
493^rd of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,705

Feeder schools for J Sterling Morton West High School:

Elementary:	Costello School
	Edison Elementary School
	Emerson Elementary School
	Hiawatha Elementary School
	More...
	Home Elementary School
	Irving Elementary School
	J W Robinson Junior Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Karel Havlicek Elementary School
	Komensky Elementary School
	Pershing Elementary School
	Piper School
	Prairie Oak School
Middle:	Freedom Middle School
	Heritage Middle School
	Lincoln Middle School
	Washington Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.1

Number of students: 3,497

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.4%

African American:

6.1%

White:

5.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.8%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare J Sterling Morton West High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details J Sterling Morton West High School ranks worse than 70.7% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.44. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at J Sterling Morton West High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details J Sterling Morton West High School has the largest high school student body size in the J S Morton HSD 201 School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (86.4%), African American (6.1%), White (5.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at J Sterling Morton West High School is 16.1. 1 high schools in the J S Morton HSD 201 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare J Sterling Morton West High School employs 216.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at J Sterling Morton West High School is $16,705. 1 high schools in the J S Morton HSD 201 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

J Sterling Morton West High School:

SchoolDigger ranks J Sterling Morton West High School 493^rd of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See J Sterling Morton West High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

J S Morton HSD 201:

SchoolDigger ranks J S Morton HSD 201 724^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for J Sterling Morton West High School

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Rank History for all students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	26.90	473^rd	586	19.3%
2004	17.69	507^th	592	14.4%
2005	24.68	490^th	590	16.9%
2006	15.74	510^th	596	14.4%
2007	20.30	515^th	612	15.8%
2008	17.10	528^th	624	15.4%
2009	17.66	534^th	632	15.5%
2010	21.90	521^st	643	19.0%
2011	24.91	519^th	655	20.8%
2012	18.39	547^th	665	17.7%
2013	17.24	554^th	670	17.3%
2014	19.97	546^th	670	18.5%
2015	52.02	248^th	614	59.6%
2016	16.76	558^th	643	13.2%
2017	24.83	502^nd	642	21.8%
2018	28.28	487^th	647	24.7%
2019	30.23	502^nd	701	28.4%
2021	28.05	487^th	688	29.2%
2022	36.91	447^th	699	36.1%
2023	24.91	531^st	699	24.0%
2024	27.44	493^rd	697	29.3%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	9.06	148^th	154	3.9%
2024	14.39	160^th	182	12.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	42.96	63^rd	151	58.3%
2019	39.93	87^th	183	52.5%
2021	32.79	86^th	189	54.5%
2022	44.46	96^th	205	53.2%
2023	32.44	153^rd	217	29.5%
2024	33.15	141^st	248	43.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	27.23	248^th	374	33.7%
2019	35.30	262^nd	473	44.6%
2021	31.16	269^th	453	40.6%
2022	51.35	138^th	493	72.0%
2023	25.29	346^th	476	27.3%
2024	29.66	296^th	482	38.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	40.83	351^st	585	40.0%
2019	45.23	337^th	639	47.3%
2021	41.47	324^th	611	47.0%
2022	50.29	280^th	626	55.3%
2023	34.73	439^th	644	31.8%
2024	35.96	389^th	639	39.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	24.69	57^th	91	37.4%
2021	62.90	8^th	24	66.7%
2022	84.52	10^th	98	89.8%
2023	28.07	55^th	104	47.1%
2024	25.74	68^th	125	45.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.84	445^th	620	28.2%
2019	28.91	477^th	665	28.3%
2021	23.87	477^th	639	25.4%
2022	35.56	429^th	658	34.8%
2023	21.30	518^th	656	21.0%
2024	26.29	474^th	664	28.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	39.31	219^th	428	48.8%
2024	34.20	226^th	429	47.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.34	486^th	619	21.5%
2019	31.23	475^th	675	29.6%
2021	30.94	432^nd	653	33.8%
2022	37.03	429^th	664	35.4%
2023	27.08	498^th	668	25.4%
2024	28.50	457^th	668	31.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	41.95	85^th	132	35.6%
2021	18.25	114^th	135	15.6%
2022	51.55	74^th	141	47.5%
2024	12.56	122^nd	137	10.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	39.36	133^rd	253	47.4%
2019	34.27	168^th	299	43.8%
2021	37.10	152^nd	281	45.9%
2022	45.81	128^th	294	56.5%
2023	37.14	158^th	301	47.5%
2024	30.13	204^th	299	31.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.82	184^th	291	36.8%
2019	36.81	182^nd	317	42.6%
2021	31.82	209^th	317	34.1%
2022	42.96	180^th	335	46.3%
2023	30.72	231^st	333	30.6%
2024	33.38	213^th	336	36.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at J Sterling Morton West High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.02	411^th	548	25.0%
2019	35.74	341^st	552	38.2%
2021	51.51	223^rd	553	59.7%
2022	51.85	242^nd	560	56.8%
2023	70.05	143^rd	557	74.3%
2024	31.95	361^st	554	34.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for J Sterling Morton West High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	1807	n/a	25	279	11	n/a	n/a	0	2122
1990	1716	n/a	34	316	9	n/a	n/a	0	2075
1991	1616	1	38	383	7	n/a	n/a	0	2045
1992	1619	1	40	386	8	n/a	n/a	0	2054
1993	1579	3	33	410	8	n/a	n/a	0	2033
1994	1575	3	40	477	16	n/a	n/a	0	2111
1995	1646	1	40	665	25	n/a	n/a	0	2377
1996	1646	1	40	665	25	n/a	n/a	0	2377
1997	1555	3	50	758	24	n/a	n/a	0	2390
1998	1485	7	59	840	17	n/a	n/a	0	2408
1999	1549	17	65	1072	14	n/a	n/a	0	2717
2000	1478	16	57	1176	12	n/a	n/a	0	2739
2001	1502	26	56	1288	7	n/a	n/a	0	2879
2002	1411	51	48	1739	6	n/a	n/a	0	3255
2003	1411	51	48	1739	6	n/a	n/a	0	3255
2004	1343	63	51	1938	8	n/a	n/a	0	3403
2005	1179	96	43	2035	8	n/a	n/a	8	3369
2006	1084	122	47	2178	4	n/a	n/a	17	3452
2007	898	139	59	2283	10	n/a	n/a	39	3428
2008	753	158	60	2158	7	n/a	n/a	48	3184
2009	725	213	63	2496	7	n/a	n/a	51	3555
2010	651	202	54	2454	9	n/a	n/a	66	3436
2011	523	207	38	2501	10	4	38	0	3321
2012	496	186	46	2602	0	4	31	0	3365
2013	456	222	46	2613	1	3	24	0	3365
2014	459	232	41	2641	2	3	20	0	3398
2015	423	253	45	2721	1	0	29	0	3472
2016	350	252	42	2826	3	2	35	0	3510
2017	355	239	40	2834	3	17	28	0	3516
2018	334	234	45	2878	1	16	31	0	3539
2019	306	249	51	2913	2	12	40	0	3573
2020	287	220	49	2919	3	8	36	0	3522
2021	203	171	39	3188	5	1	24	0	3631
2022	225	197	42	3124	7	1	21	0	3617
2023	213	205	35	3045	8	0	27	0	3533
2024	191	212	35	3021	6	0	32	0	3497

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at J Sterling Morton West High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	2122	105.5	20.1	n/a
1990	2075	103.5	20.0	n/a
1991	2045	101.2	20.2	n/a
1992	2054	103.6	19.8	n/a
1993	2033	120.2	16.9	n/a
1994	2111	100.9	20.9	n/a
1995	2377	102.3	23.2	n/a
1996	2377	102.3	23.2	n/a
1997	2390	105.6	22.6	n/a
1998	2408	107.6	22.4	n/a
1999	2717	144.2	18.8	n/a
2000	2739	138.6	19.8	n/a
2001	2879	154.6	18.6	n/a
2002	3255	167.1	19.5	32
2003	3255	167.1	19.5	32
2004	3403	179.1	19.0	37.6
2005	3369	188.6	17.9	42.1
2006	3452	190.1	18.2	42.4
2007	3428	190.0	18.0	51
2008	3184	149.0	21.4	59.5
2009	3555	196.3	18.1	61.9
2010	3436	201.0	17.0	74
2011	3321	147.0	22.5	71.9
2012	3365	150.6	22.3	78.6
2013	3365	164.5	20.4	80.5
2014	3398	154.9	21.9	80.4
2015	3472	161.0	21.5	81.3
2016	3510	161.0	21.8	82.1
2017	3516	160.9	21.8	82.2
2018	3539	159.5	22.1	81.2
2019	3573	170.9	20.9	80.5
2020	3522	183.4	19.2	80.4
2021	3631	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	3617	198.6	18.2	78.7
2023	3533	206.3	17.1	78.7
2024	3497	216.7	16.1	78.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio J Sterling Morton West High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	2122	105.5	20.1	n/a
1990	2075	103.5	20.0	n/a
1991	2045	101.2	20.2	n/a
1992	2054	103.6	19.8	n/a
1993	2033	120.2	16.9	n/a
1994	2111	100.9	20.9	n/a
1995	2377	102.3	23.2	n/a
1996	2377	102.3	23.2	n/a
1997	2390	105.6	22.6	n/a
1998	2408	107.6	22.4	n/a
1999	2717	144.2	18.8	n/a
2000	2739	138.6	19.8	n/a
2001	2879	154.6	18.6	n/a
2002	3255	167.1	19.5	32
2003	3255	167.1	19.5	32
2004	3403	179.1	19.0	37.6
2005	3369	188.6	17.9	42.1
2006	3452	190.1	18.2	42.4
2007	3428	190.0	18.0	51
2008	3184	149.0	21.4	59.5
2009	3555	196.3	18.1	61.9
2010	3436	201.0	17.0	74
2011	3321	147.0	22.5	71.9
2012	3365	150.6	22.3	78.6
2013	3365	164.5	20.4	80.5
2014	3398	154.9	21.9	80.4
2015	3472	161.0	21.5	81.3
2016	3510	161.0	21.8	82.1
2017	3516	160.9	21.8	82.2
2018	3539	159.5	22.1	81.2
2019	3573	170.9	20.9	80.5
2020	3522	183.4	19.2	80.4
2021	3631	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	3617	198.6	18.2	78.7
2023	3533	206.3	17.1	78.7
2024	3497	216.7	16.1	78.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates