Has Lyons Township High Lost Students To Private Schools?

LA GRANGE, IL – Parents around the suburbs moved their children to private schools during the pandemic shutdowns.

While private schools may report enrollment increases, Lyons Township High School has seen no major shift.

In the year before the pandemic, 9 percent of school-aged children in the Lyons Township High School area attended private school. That edged up to 12 percent last school year, according to state data.

Many were frustrated with pandemic-era remote learning at local public schools, while their private school counterparts continued in-person instruction.

As of last school year, 3,713 students were enrolled in Lyons Township High School, while 492 were in private schools.

The biggest private school draw for Lyons Township High-area students is Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park. Last school year, the private school drew 234 students in the high school's zone, up from 133 the year before the pandemic.

With students from all areas, Nazareth's enrollment increased to 790 as of last school year, up from 722 five years earlier, a 9 percent hike.

The other major draws for Lyons Township High School-area students are Fenwick High School in Oak Park (109 last year, 138 in 2019) and Benet Academy in Lisle (78 last year, 66 in 2019).