Zip code 60096 is not served by one district. An elementary district and a separate secondary district each cover this area, which is normal in this state — which one your child attends depends on their grade.
| GRADES | DISTRICT | RATING |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K–8 Elementary | Winthrop Harbor School District 1 588 students · 2 schools | Not rated |
| 9–12 Secondary | Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 2,496 students · 2 schools | 2/10 |
The elementary district is shown as not rated because our rating set was built per zip code from a single district, so elementary districts in split areas were never scored. We would rather show no rating than a borrowed one.
| Metric | Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 | National Average | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Enrollment | 2,496 | 3,544 | ↓ Smaller than avg |
| Number of Schools | 2 | 7 | Varies by district |
| Per-Pupil Spending | $23,184/yr | $17,619/yr | ↑ 32% above avg |
| District Type | Public School District | Public District | — |
| Overall Rating | Not rated | — | Not comparable |
| District | Rating | Percentile | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 (this district) | Not rated | — | 2,496 |
| Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 | 1/10 | 7th | 13,679 |
| Warren Township High School District 121 | 9/10 | 83rd | 3,758 |
| North Chicago School District 187 | 1/10 | 9th | 3,489 |
- Zion-Benton East High School — 1.8 mi · Grades 9–12 · 419 students
- Zion-Benton Twnshp Hi Sch — 2.5 mi · Grades 9–12 · 2,114 students
About Zion-Benton Township High School District 126
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 is the public school district assigned to zip code 60096 in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. Serving students from 9th – 12th, this district is the primary public education system for families living in and around zip code 60096. The sections below cover the district’s resources, scale, rating, and everything families need to know about enrollment and school assignment.
Why This District Is Not Yet Rated
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 does not currently have a SchoolDistrictFinder rating. It has no published grades 3–8 state assessment results in the current state data, so there is no basis for a rating under our methodology.
An unrated status is not a negative signal — it means we do not have assessment data we can fairly place on the 1–10 scale for Zion-Benton Township High School District 126. Families researching this area should contact the district directly for school performance information, request the most recent state report card, and visit schools in person before making an enrollment or housing decision.
Enrollment for Families in Zip Code 60096
Children in zip code 60096 are assigned to Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 for public school enrollment, covering grades 9th – 12th. School assignments are address-specific — your elementary, middle, and high school placements depend on your exact street address within zip code 60096, not just your neighborhood. Two homes on opposite ends of the same zip code may be assigned to different schools within the same district.
To confirm your specific school assignments, contact Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 at (847)731-9792 or visit the district’s official website. Typical enrollment documents include proof of residency (lease or deed plus a utility bill), your child’s birth certificate, current immunization records, and prior school records. If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, bring that documentation to enrollment — Illinois districts are required to continue services within a reasonable period. Fall enrollment windows typically open in late winter or early spring; contact the district for exact dates and required steps.
School Districts and Home Values in Winthrop Harbor
School district quality is one of the most consistent factors in residential home pricing. Because Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 serves zip code 60096, buyers should factor school district quality into their overall evaluation of homes in zip code 60096. District boundaries are address-specific — verify the exact district assignment for any property you’re seriously considering rather than assuming based on the neighborhood. A single block can place two adjacent homes in different districts with different ratings and different annual property tax implications.
Use the property tax estimator on this page to calculate estimated annual tax obligations based on your target purchase price. In Illinois, property taxes are a primary funding source for public schools — your tax payments directly support Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 programs and staff. Understanding both district quality and the associated tax burden is essential financial due diligence before committing to any home in zip code 60096.
Data Sources and Accuracy
All district information on this page is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024–2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s annual census of all public school districts — the same dataset used by researchers, journalists, and policymakers to analyze American public education. District boundaries, school assignments and phone numbers are updated annually when NCES publishes new data, typically in spring; per-pupil spending comes from the US Census Bureau's Annual Survey of School System Finances, released about two years after the fiscal year it covers. Always verify your specific school assignment and enrollment requirements directly with Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 before making any housing or enrollment decision based on zip code 60096 data.