Our Community

Barrington Community Unit School District 220 was formed in 1973 as a consolidated unit, combining two elementary districts and a high school district into one unit that educates students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Located about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, Barrington 220 is geographically located in four counties: Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Kane.

Barrington 220 has one high school, two middle school campuses for grades 6-8, eight elementary schools, and one early childhood center. 

Our Mission

"Inspiring all learners to achieve excellence"

Our Students

• We educate nearly 9,000 students: pre Kindergarten through Grade 12
• We serve students from a 72 square mile area including all or part of: Barrington, Barrington Hills, Carpentersville, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, Port Barrington, South Barrington, and Tower Lakes

Our Teachers and Staff

• 88% have a Masters degrees or higher
• 40 staff members have earned national board certification
• 8 certified school nurses 
• 1 Barrington 220 staff member has earned the President's award for Excellence in Teaching Math & Science

Our Performance

• Consistently ranked among the state's top 5% school districts academically
• Ranked 4th Best School District in Illinois in Niche 2018 and 2019 rankings
• Named 2018 best district in Illinois by 24/7 Wall Street 
• Our schools have received a total of 9 National Blue Ribbon Awards
• All Barrington 220 elementary schools have received the Let's Move! Active Schools National Award 
• BHS named 2018 Democracy School
• BHS named one of top 1,000 most challenging high schools in America by the Washington Post
• "Outperformer" award from Standard & Poor's for academic achievement among school districts with similar demographics
• "What Parents Want" award from SchoolMatch
• "Bright Red Apple" award from SchoolSearch for overall excellence
• AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's for past 11 years (one of only 93 districts nationwide to receive AAA bond rating)
• Balanced budget for 22 consecutive years
• Earned highest financial rating from the State of Illinois
  
  

Notable Alumni

• Barbara Bash: Author and illustrator 
• Chris Erskine: LA Times Columnist 
• Gary Fencik: Chicago Bears super bowl champion
• Gregory Garre: 44th United States Solicitor General  
• Otis Hudson: NFL guard
• Casey Larson: Olympic ski jumper 
• Katrina Lenk: Tony Award-winning actress/singer
• Marvin Lipofsky: Founder of the studio-glass movement
• Lauren Magiera: WGN-TV sports reporter/anchor 
• Terry Moran: ABC News correspondent
• Wallace J. Nichols: Marine biologist, author, wild water advocate
• Hank Paulson: 74th Secretary of the Treasury
• Brittney Payton: Fox 32 Morning Anchor 
• Veronica Roth: New York Times best selling author
• Cynthia Rowley: Renowned fashion designer
• Dan Stevenson: NFL offensive lineman
• Gary Marlon Suson: Founder of the Award-Winning Ground Zero Museum Workshop
• Richard Threlkeld: CBS News correspondent 
• Mike Tobin: FOX News senior correspondent
• Dan Wilson: MLB catcher
• Corinne Wood: 44th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois 
• Colleen Zenk: Three-time Lead Actress Emmy nominee, soap opera star