Public schools in Vernon Hills, IL
18 open public schools with an address in Vernon Hills, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
18
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
4,787
13 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
10.7:1
Illinois median 13:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Vernon Hills public schools
The federal directory lists 18 public schools in Vernon Hills, IL: 6 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 5 combined or other. The 13 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 4,787 students, an average of 368 per school. The largest campus is Vernon Hills High School (1,419 students), and the largest elementary school is Hawthorn Elem School South (505).
Hawthorn CCSD 73 operates the most schools here (8), and 4 regular districts have at least one Vernon Hills campus, plus 3 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 10.7:1, lower than the statewide school median of 13:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 4 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 33% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Vernon Hills
Hawthorn CCSD 73
Public school district
8 schools in Vernon Hills · 9 total
Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol
Specialized public school district
5 schools in Vernon Hills · 16 total
Adlai E Stevenson HSD 125
Public school district
1 school in Vernon Hills · 2 total
CHSD 128
Public school district
1 school in Vernon Hills · 3 total
Exceptional Learners
Specialized public school district
1 school in Vernon Hills
Lake ROE
Other local education agency
1 school in Vernon Hills · 7 total
Lincolnshire-Prairieview SD 103
Public school district
1 school in Vernon Hills · 4 total
Elementary schools in Vernon Hills
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn Aspen Elem School Hawthorn CCSD 73 | 01–05 | 313 | 11.7:1 | |
| Hawthorn Elem School North Hawthorn CCSD 73 | 01–05 | 347 | 8.1:1 | |
| Hawthorn Elem School South Hawthorn CCSD 73 | 01–05 | 505 | 10.9:1 | |
| Hawthorn Sch of Dual Language Hawthorn CCSD 73 | KG–05 | 413 | 10.5:1 | |
| Hawthorn School for Young Learners Hawthorn CCSD 73 | KG–KG | 248 | 9.5:1 | |
| Hawthorn Townline Elem Sch Hawthorn CCSD 73 | 01–05 | 306 | 9.7:1 |
Middle schools in Vernon Hills
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn Middle School North Hawthorn CCSD 73 | 06–08 | 627 | 11.3:1 | |
| Hawthorn Middle School South Hawthorn CCSD 73 | 06–08 | 609 | 11.2:1 | |
| Lake Co Hulse Detention Center 6-8 Lincolnshire-Prairieview SD 103 · Alternative School | 06–08 | 0 | — |
High schools in Vernon Hills
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Learners Collaborative-WEST Exceptional Learners · Special Education School | 06–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| Lake Co Hulse Detention Center 9-12 Adlai E Stevenson HSD 125 · Alternative School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| ROE Alternative Prog of Lake Co Lake ROE · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | — | |
| Vernon Hills High School CHSD 128 | 09–12 | 1,419 | 12.4:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Vernon Hills
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Powers Center Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| John Powers Center-INT Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| John Powers Center-INT Nursing Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Transition Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Transition-INT Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White44.2%
- Hispanic21.7%
- Black4.3%
- Asian24%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial5.3%
Enrollment-weighted across 9 Vernon Hills schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (4,787 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Vernon Hills
How many public schools are in Vernon Hills, IL?
The current NCES directory lists 18 open public schools with a location address in Vernon Hills: 6 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 4,787 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Vernon Hills?
Schools with an address in Vernon Hills belong to 7 education agencies, led by Hawthorn CCSD 73 (8 schools), Spec Educ Dist Lake County/Sedol (5 schools), Adlai E Stevenson HSD 125 (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Vernon Hills?
Vernon Hills High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Vernon Hills, with 1,419 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Vernon Hills?
No school with an address in Vernon Hills is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Illinois.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Vernon Hills schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Vernon Hills public schools is 10.7:1, lower than the Illinois school median of 13:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Vernon Hills guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Illinois cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Illinois cities