One school district in Niche’s Kendall County listing received the lowest overall grade, B−, in its latest evaluations. The other three districts tied at A−.
That makes the 2027 findings different from a conventional “bottom three” list.
Three of the districts have favorable A− evaluations, while the reporting highlights distinct issues worth families’ attention: math proficiency, access to bilingual and college-credit programs, and a substantial facilities proposal heading to voters.
Newark Community Consolidated School District No. 66 — Overall Niche Grade: A−
Newark District 66 serves prekindergarten through eighth grade through Newark Grade School and Millbrook Junior High. It is an elementary district, so high school graduation rates and college-preparation offerings do not belong in its profile.
Stronger Reading Results Than Math Results
Newark’s 2027 Niche profile gives it an A for academics and an A− for teachers. Its enrollment snapshot lists 205 students and an 11:1 student-teacher ratio.
Niche reports 79% reading proficiency and 42% math proficiency, identifying the source period as Illinois’ 2024–25 assessment program. For this pre-K–8 district, the relevant statewide academic testing is at the elementary and middle school levels.
The difference between subjects is substantial. A strong reading result does not remove the need to examine mathematics instruction, just as the math figure should not obscure the district’s stronger reading performance.
These percentages describe tested students’ achievement against assessment standards. They do not show how much each child improved during the year.
A Written Process for Increasing Academic Support
The district’s published Multi-Tiered System of Supports plan describes reading and mathematics assistance at universal, targeted and intensive levels.
Under that framework, students needing more help can receive supplemental or more individualized instruction. Progress monitoring is intended to help staff judge whether an intervention is working and whether support should change.
The plan also describes communication through conferences and parent notifications. Both schools are identified as Title I schools, with requirements concerning improvement goals, supplemental programs and family involvement.
For parents, that provides a practical structure to discuss when a child struggles: the skill being addressed, the additional instruction provided and the evidence used to decide the next step.
The written framework establishes the process; it does not by itself establish the results of every intervention.
Oswego Community Unit School District No. 308 — Overall Niche Grade: A−
Oswego District 308 serves students from preschool through high school, with additional transition programming for eligible young adults. Its boundaries extend across Kendall, Kane and Will counties.
College Preparation Earns an A
Oswego’s current Niche evaluation gives it A− grades for academics and teachers, alongside A grades for college preparation and clubs and activities. Niche lists 16,766 students and a 15:1 student-teacher ratio.
The profile reports reading proficiency of 58% and math proficiency of 44%, using Illinois’ 2024–25 assessment program. Mathematics remains a meaningful area to examine even within a district receiving an A− overall.
The district’s high school course catalog includes opportunities for Waubonsee Community College credit, including coursework connected to education and nurse-assistant training.
Those opportunities can connect high school study with a possible career. Credit depends on successfully completing the relevant course requirements; availability is not the same as a guarantee that every student participates or earns credit.
A $317 Million Facilities Question Goes to Voters
A consequential local development sits outside the letter grade. District 308 has placed a proposed $317 million bond referendum on the November 3, 2026, ballot.
The district says the proposal would address improvements across 22 school buildings, including roofing, heating and cooling, plumbing, safety and security.
Proposed educational-space work includes science-lab improvements at Oswego High School and additional intervention or sensory spaces.
As of October 28, this is a proposal awaiting voters’ decision, rather than approved or completed construction. It should not be presented as an explanation for Niche’s grade.
For families, the immediate significance is concrete: the proposal concerns the condition and use of the buildings their children attend, alongside the academic programs offered inside them.
Yorkville Community Unit School District No. 115 — Overall Niche Grade: A−
Yorkville District 115 serves prekindergarten through twelfth grade and offers transition programming for eligible young adults. The district is primarily in Kendall County, with its northern tip extending into Kane County.
A Favorable Grade With Room to Improve in Math
Yorkville’s 2027 Niche profile assigns A− grades for academics, teachers, college preparation and clubs and activities. Its enrollment snapshot lists 7,174 students and a 15:1 student-teacher ratio.
Niche reports 57% reading proficiency and 40% math proficiency from Illinois’ 2024–25 assessment program. The lower mathematics figure gives families a specific subject to investigate beneath the favorable overall evaluation.
A districtwide percentage cannot identify which concepts a particular student finds difficult.
Families evaluating mathematics support need the grade-level picture, the student’s recent work and an explanation of how additional instruction connects to the regular curriculum.
A Broad Menu of Advanced Coursework
Yorkville’s official 2026–27 At-a-Glance report lists 36 courses eligible for dual credit and 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Those represent different routes into advanced study. Dual-credit courses can carry college credit under a partner institution’s requirements, while AP courses prepare students for examinations that colleges may use when awarding credit or placement.
The course counts describe available opportunities, rather than the number each student takes. Prerequisites, scheduling and a student’s intended college or career all influence which route makes sense.
The same district report identifies a Center for Innovation and a transition program serving ages 18–22. That range of services matters when considering what the district offers beyond a conventional high school schedule.
For a family planning several years ahead, Yorkville’s breadth is worth examining course by course: which options fit the student, when preparation begins and what requirements apply.
Plano Community Unit School District No. 88 — Overall Niche Grade: B−
Plano District 88 serves prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Its B− is the lowest overall letter among the four districts in Niche’s Kendall County listing.
Math Proficiency Is a Clear Area of Concern
Plano’s 2027 Niche evaluation gives it a B− for academics and B grades for teachers and college preparation. The profile lists 2,398 students and a 13:1 student-teacher ratio.
Its reported 2024–25 proficiency figures are 43% in reading and 25% in math. In mathematics, that means about one in four tested students reached the reported proficiency threshold.
That is a substantial academic concern. It does not establish that students made no progress, nor does it identify the instructional needs of every grade or school.
For families, recent classroom and assessment information can help distinguish the specific problem: unfinished foundational skills, difficulty applying concepts or a need for more challenging instruction.
Bilingual Learning Begins With a Kindergarten Application
Plano’s official dual-language program offers two-way immersion involving native English-speaking and native Spanish-speaking students. Its stated goals are bilingualism, biliteracy and cultural understanding.
Entry ordinarily begins in kindergarten through an evaluation and application process. Students transferring from another dual-language program may be considered after assessment, with placement also depending on available space.
The district describes participation as a long-term commitment. After fifth grade, students continue in English-language classrooms with opportunities for language and cultural enrichment.
Those details make timing important for interested families. This is a defined educational pathway with entry requirements, rather than an option that any student can necessarily join at any grade.
The program’s existence is a meaningful part of Plano’s offerings. Its stated goals should be distinguished from independently verified outcomes; they do not establish that every participant has achieved proficiency in both languages.
Why This Comparison Covers All Four Listed Districts
The most important countywide distinction is the grade distribution itself: one B− and three A− grades. There is no defensible way to select just two of the A− districts to accompany Plano without arbitrarily breaking an overall-grade tie.
The districts also operate at very different scales. Newark serves a small pre-K–8 population, while Oswego operates a much larger system extending through high school and transition services.
Their districtwide academic percentages therefore should not be treated as equivalent measures of identical student populations.
Under Niche’s 2027 district methodology, overall grades combine academic and teacher measures with factors including family feedback, culture and diversity, resources, extracurricular activities and sports.
They are broader evaluations than standardized-test proficiency alone.
The student-teacher ratios reported here likewise describe enrollment relative to full-time-equivalent teachers. They are not average classroom sizes.
