CMS took the ISAT prior to the 2013–14 school year, but changed to the PARCC test in 2015. In 2016, 19% of students passed the Mathematics section of the PARCC test, compared to the Illinois average of 29%, while only 0.4% exceeded. In English/Language Arts, 22% of students passed, compared to the Illinois average of 37%. According to Greatschools.org, test scores at the school were below the state average.
Disciplinary trends
At CMS, 27.9% of all students currently attending have received at least one In-School Suspension, a chronic amount compared to the Illinois Middle School average of 3.8%. Also, 26.2% of students have had at least on Out-of-School Suspension, compared to the Illinois Middle School average of 3.6%.
6th Grade
Prior to the 2016–17 school year, CMS only enrolled the 7th and 8th grades. In the 2016–17 school year, 6th graders who previously attended Lakewood School would now attend CMS. To accommodate, an 11 classroom expansion was added to CMS and finished at the end of July 2015. The project had a budget of $2.6 million.
Extra-curricular programs
at CMS include boys and girls Basketball, boys and girls Cross country, boys and girls Track and field, girls Volleyball, and boys Wrestling. CMS students can participate in music programs such as Marching, Concert, and Jazz band, Orchestra, and Choir. In 2017, the 8th Grade CMS Band premiered the song The Dawnland, composed by Joni Greene, who was helped by the CMS band. In 2018, Michael Kasper and Beth Wood, band and orchestra teachers at CMS, were named Music Educators of the Year by the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra. EYSO Artistic Director Randal Swiggum said "t's unusual for us to give this award to two teachers in one year, but this is a dynamic duo." CMS participates in the AVID program. AVID's mission is "...to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society."
Staff
12% of CMS teachers were in their first or second year of teaching, compared to the Middle School average of 8%. The teacher absenteeism rate, at 3%, is significantly below the national Middle School average of 24%. The salary expenditure per teacher is $54,129, slightly higher than the national Middle School average of about $52,386. In 2015, Lindsay Anderson, a former CMS employee, was indicted with 15 counts of sexual assault of a minor. Anderson taught English as a second language, special education, and mathematics.
Food pantry
On August 31, 2016, a food pantry opened at CMS. The first year operations cost was $42,000. The food pantry is open every Wednesday from 5 pm to 7 pm and serves an estimated 100 families weekly.
