Downers Grove Schools: District 58, North vs. South, and What Buyers Should Know (2026)

Schools are one of the top reasons families choose Downers Grove, and the setup trips up newcomers in one specific way. Unlike many suburbs with a single unified district, Downers Grove splits schooling across two separate districts, and which high school an address feeds is one of the biggest hidden price drivers in town. Here’s how it actually works.

Two districts, not one

Downers Grove is served by two independent school districts:

• Grade School District 58 handles preschool through 8th grade, with 11 elementary schools and two middle schools serving roughly 4,900 students. (Per District 58.)
• Community High School District 99 runs the two public high schools: Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South. (Per District 99.)

So a single home sits inside one District 58 elementary boundary and one District 99 high school boundary, and they’re governed separately. Both districts also pull in slivers of neighboring towns (Westmont, Woodridge, Darien, Lisle, Oak Brook), which is part of why boundaries don’t follow the village line neatly.

The dividing line: roughly 55th Street

The question most buyers actually care about is North or South high school. The general rule of thumb is 55th Street: addresses north of it tend to feed Downers Grove North, and addresses south of it tend to feed Downers Grove South (Per the District 99 school descriptions).

That’s a heuristic, not a guarantee. Actual attendance boundaries are drawn parcel by parcel, and the village mixes in parts of other towns. Always confirm the exact high school for a specific address against District 99’s official boundary maps before you assume.

North vs. South: the honest comparison

Both high schools are genuinely good. Both earn an A from Niche, both land on Illinois “best high schools” lists, and both graduate around 92 to 94 percent of students. North does rank higher, and consistently so:

(Ratings per Niche, GreatSchools, and US News, 2025. Treat the exact test-score averages as recent-but-approximate and confirm the live figures.)

The mistake buyers make

Here’s the part worth slowing down on. The local shorthand is “North is the good school, South is the weaker one,” and buyers sometimes pay a premium for a “north of 55th” address on that reputation alone.

The rankings do favor North. But South is not a weak school in any absolute sense. It’s an A-rated, state-ranked high school with a 92 percent graduation rate that happens to sit next to an unusually strong sibling. South is also larger and more diverse, which shifts its raw proficiency percentages. If your budget stretches further on the south side, you are not “settling” on schools, and that gap between perception and reality is exactly where south-side value lives.

What it means for you

• The high school boundary is a real price line in Downers Grove, so know which side of roughly 55th Street you’re shopping before you fall for a house.
• Don’t pay the “north premium” purely on reputation. Both high schools are strong; weigh the actual home, lot, and commute too.
• District 58 (elementary) and District 99 (high school) are separate. Confirm both the elementary boundary and the high school boundary for any specific address.

The bottom line

Downers Grove gives families two strong, A-rated high schools and a well-regarded K-8 district. The catch is that “which schools” depends on which side of town you buy, and the North-vs-South reputation gap is wider in folklore than in the numbers. Decide what you’re optimizing for, then confirm the exact assignment for the address, because in Downers Grove it changes block to block.

Trying to buy into a specific Downers Grove school? Tell us the high school or elementary you’re targeting and your budget, and we’ll point you to the parts of town that actually feed it, before you tour the wrong side of 55th Street.

Frequently asked questions

What school districts serve Downers Grove?

Two: Grade School District 58 (preschool through 8th grade, 11 elementary and two middle schools) and Community High School District 99, which runs Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South high schools.

What is the boundary between Downers Grove North and South high schools?

As a general rule, roughly 55th Street: north of it tends to feed North, south of it tends to feed South. Actual boundaries are parcel-specific, so confirm any exact address against District 99’s official maps.

Is Downers Grove North or South the better high school?

North ranks higher (GreatSchools 9 vs. 8, and higher on Illinois state lists), but both earn an A from Niche and graduate 92 to 94 percent of students. South is a strong school that ranks lower mainly because North is exceptional.

Are Downers Grove schools good?

Yes. Both District 99 high schools rank among the better public high schools in Illinois, and District 58 is well regarded. It’s one of the main reasons families move to Downers Grove.

Keep reading

• The best neighborhoods in Downers Grove
• Downers Grove property taxes: what you’ll actually pay
• What $500K, $750K, and $1M buy in Downers Grove

About Chicago Estates Co
We focus on Chicago’s western suburbs: Naperville, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, and the towns around them. These guides come from close, current research into the specific markets we cover, including real school boundaries and ratings, with one goal: straight answers most real-estate sites won’t give you.

Last updated: June 2026. School ratings and boundaries change; confirm current figures with the districts and District 99’s boundary maps before you rely on them.

Photo: “Downers Grove North High School football” by Jasen Leathers from Downers Grove, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Source: source