Is Chalmers Elementary Specialty School a good school?

Chalmers Elementary Specialty School ranks in the bottom 16.0% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Chalmers Elementary Specialty School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 224 students attended Chalmers Elementary Specialty School.

What is the racial makeup of Chalmers Elementary Specialty School?

Students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School are 92% African American, 6% Hispanic, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Chalmers Elementary Specialty School attend?

Students who attend Chalmers Elementary Specialty School usually go on to attend: High : Manley Career Academy High School

Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Summary:

Chalmers Elementary Specialty School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 209 students. As part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois, Chalmers Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Chalmers Elementary faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, poor student performance on state assessments, and struggles to effectively serve its student subgroups. Only 17.4% of Chalmers students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 30.5% for the district and 41.2% for the state, and math proficiency was even lower, with 0-8% of Chalmers students meeting standards across grade levels, compared to 16-22% for the district and 24-34% for the state. Nearby schools, such as Johnson Elementary, Jensen Elementary Scholastic Academy, and LEARN Charter schools, generally outperform Chalmers Elementary on key metrics.

Despite increased per-student spending, from $14,133 in 2019-2020 to $23,474 in 2022-2023, Chalmers Elementary has failed to make meaningful improvements in student outcomes over the past decade. The school serves a predominantly low-income student population, with over 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, which likely requires additional resources and targeted interventions that the school may not be adequately providing. The challenges faced by Chalmers Elementary appear to be indicative of systemic issues within the Chicago Public Schools district that need to be addressed.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

2745 W Roosevelt Rd
Chicago, IL 60608-1047

(773) 534-1720

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1737^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $27,194

Students who attend Chalmers Elementary Specialty School usually attend:

High:

Manley Career Academy High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.1

Number of students: 224

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.5%

Hispanic:

5.8%

White:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.9%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Chalmers Elementary Specialty School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Chalmers Elementary Specialty School ranks worse than 84% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 279^th among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.95. (See more...)

Compare Details Chalmers Elementary Specialty School ranks worse than 90.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.84. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (91.5%), Hispanic (5.8%), White (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School is 10.1, which is the 51^st best among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Chalmers Elementary Specialty School employs 22 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School is $27,194, which is the 52^nd highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chalmers Elementary Specialty School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chalmers Elementary Specialty School 1737^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Chalmers Elementary Specialty School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Chalmers Elementary Specialty School 1230^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Chalmers Elementary Specialty School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	2.27	1966^th	2020	2.7%
2004	2.46	1962^nd	2030	3.3%
2005	0.82	2001^st	2022	1.0%
2006	1.13	2069^th	2086	0.8%
2007	1.62	2059^th	2095	1.7%
2008	6.07	1985^th	2092	5.1%
2009	0.53	2116^th	2120	0.2%
2010	1.71	2120^th	2139	0.9%
2011	4.36	2097^th	2147	2.3%
2012	6.47	2083^rd	2166	3.8%
2013	5.91	2110^th	2167	2.6%
2014	5.37	2047^th	2093	2.2%
2015	10.71	1981^st	2052	3.5%
2016	9.24	1989^th	2046	2.8%
2017	6.74	2032^nd	2044	0.6%
2018	9.26	1983^rd	2037	2.7%
2019	7.22	2073^rd	2086	0.6%
2021	12.22	1903^rd	1948	2.3%
2022	12.51	1974^th	2082	5.2%
2023	10.84	2012^th	2077	3.1%
2024	17.95	1737^th	2067	16.0%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.86	687^th	763	10.0%
2019	21.84	1086^th	1194	9.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.78	1703^rd	1765	3.5%
2019	10.38	1799^th	1816	0.9%
2021	18.59	1425^th	1514	5.9%
2022	18.37	1639^th	1763	7.0%
2023	14.97	1744^th	1808	3.5%
2024	27.63	1381^st	1793	23.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Homeless students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	25.70	20^th	24	16.7%
2022	41.79	17^th	36	52.8%
2024	50.92	19^th	52	63.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	7.76	1942^nd	1964	1.1%
2019	7.68	1996^th	2019	1.1%
2022	9.52	1965^th	1970	0.3%
2023	8.43	1954^th	1957	0.2%
2024	20.53	1570^th	1942	19.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	14.33	1803^rd	1972	8.6%
2019	9.21	1986^th	2019	1.6%
2022	13.73	1851^st	1977	6.4%
2023	12.12	1892^nd	1984	4.6%
2024	19.63	1591^st	1959	18.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.76	584^th	698	16.3%
2019	19.10	677^th	711	4.8%
2021	30.01	327^th	428	23.6%
2022	29.73	519^th	684	24.1%
2023	26.32	574^th	692	17.1%
2024	41.15	351^st	655	46.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	3.01	1165^th	1185	1.7%
2004	2.26	1191^st	1204	1.1%
2005	2.60	1180^th	1209	2.4%
2006	8.47	1162^nd	1272	8.6%
2007	5.15	1229^th	1287	4.5%
2008	5.60	1226^th	1293	5.2%
2009	3.16	1289^th	1318	2.2%
2010	3.22	1297^th	1327	2.3%
2011	14.70	1199^th	1344	10.8%
2012	11.23	1261^st	1365	7.6%
2013	6.70	1313^th	1367	4.0%
2014	1.68	1318^th	1322	0.3%
2015	10.01	1261^st	1302	3.1%
2016	7.45	1283^rd	1294	0.9%
2017	6.77	1290^th	1293	0.2%
2018	8.22	1280^th	1293	1.0%
2019	7.14	1353^rd	1356	0.2%
2021	11.69	1204^th	1241	3.0%
2022	17.43	1173^rd	1369	14.3%
2023	15.59	1216^th	1367	11.0%
2024	14.84	1230^th	1363	9.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	24.93	680^th	792	14.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	10.70	1143^rd	1161	1.6%
2019	8.91	1211^th	1217	0.5%
2022	26.27	957^th	1221	21.6%
2023	21.88	1050^th	1234	14.9%
2024	21.04	1043^rd	1219	14.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	18.51	35^th	36	2.8%
2022	36.86	21^st	34	38.2%
2023	49.00	19^th	53	64.2%
2024	54.50	21^st	70	70.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	5.93	1222^nd	1226	0.3%
2019	6.74	1268^th	1276	0.6%
2022	12.50	1218^th	1286	5.3%
2023	21.49	1006^th	1275	21.1%
2024	17.35	1069^th	1251	14.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.65	1132^nd	1223	7.4%
2019	8.48	1292^nd	1296	0.3%
2022	19.71	1051^st	1286	18.3%
2023	13.93	1191^st	1292	7.8%
2024	14.67	1161^st	1264	8.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.51	492^nd	511	3.7%
2019	16.49	560^th	565	0.9%
2021	27.18	327^th	385	15.1%
2022	40.50	287^th	573	49.9%
2023	36.57	343^rd	569	39.7%
2024	35.08	356^th	548	35.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	3	534	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	537
1990	n/a	512	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	512
1991	0	497	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
1992	0	504	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	504
1993	0	529	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	529
1994	0	505	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	505
1995	0	544	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1996	0	544	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1997	0	549	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	549
1998	0	581	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	581
1999	0	551	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	551
2000	0	433	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	433
2001	0	429	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	429
2002	0	419	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	420
2003	0	419	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	420
2004	0	362	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	362
2005	0	381	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2006	0	306	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
2007	0	289	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	290
2008	0	260	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	262
2009	2	265	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	268
2010	0	253	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2011	0	258	0	3	0	0	0	0	261
2012	0	277	0	6	0	0	0	0	283
2013	0	350	0	3	0	0	0	0	353
2014	1	363	0	16	0	0	4	0	384
2015	0	353	0	5	0	0	0	0	358
2016	2	378	1	3	0	0	1	0	385
2017	2	350	0	11	0	0	4	0	367
2018	0	352	0	15	0	1	3	0	371
2019	0	314	0	12	0	0	5	0	331
2020	0	290	0	9	0	0	5	0	304
2021	0	273	0	9	0	0	2	0	284
2022	0	210	0	6	0	0	2	0	218
2023	2	196	0	9	0	0	2	0	209
2024	3	205	0	13	2	0	1	0	224

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	537	29.0	18.5	n/a
1990	512	29.0	17.6	n/a
1991	497	29.0	17.1	n/a
1992	504	31.0	16.2	n/a
1993	529	31.0	17.1	n/a
1994	505	24.0	21.0	n/a
1995	544	28.0	19.4	n/a
1996	544	28.0	19.4	n/a
1997	549	30.0	18.3	n/a
1998	581	31.0	18.7	n/a
1999	551	30.0	18.4	n/a
2000	433	27.0	16.0	n/a
2001	429	26.2	16.4	n/a
2002	420	27.0	15.6	90.5
2003	420	27.0	15.6	90.5
2004	362	22.6	16.0	83.7
2005	381	23.4	16.3	76.4
2006	306	26.7	11.5	74.2
2007	290	16.0	18.1	86.2
2008	262	16.0	16.4	99.2
2009	268	14.5	18.5	95.1
2010	253	17.0	14.8	98.8
2011	261	13.0	20.0	98.9
2012	283	13.0	21.7	98.9
2013	353	12.8	27.5	92.6
2014	384	24.0	16.0	98.4
2015	358	24.0	14.9	99.2
2016	385	22.0	17.5	97.4
2017	367	21.3	17.2	97.8
2018	371	21.0	17.6	96.2
2019	331	26.0	12.7	98.2
2020	304	28.0	10.8	97.4
2021	284	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	218	25.5	8.5	94.5
2023	209	22.0	9.5	93.3
2024	224	22.0	10.1	96.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Chalmers Elementary Specialty School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	537	29.0	18.5	n/a
1990	512	29.0	17.6	n/a
1991	497	29.0	17.1	n/a
1992	504	31.0	16.2	n/a
1993	529	31.0	17.1	n/a
1994	505	24.0	21.0	n/a
1995	544	28.0	19.4	n/a
1996	544	28.0	19.4	n/a
1997	549	30.0	18.3	n/a
1998	581	31.0	18.7	n/a
1999	551	30.0	18.4	n/a
2000	433	27.0	16.0	n/a
2001	429	26.2	16.4	n/a
2002	420	27.0	15.6	90.5
2003	420	27.0	15.6	90.5
2004	362	22.6	16.0	83.7
2005	381	23.4	16.3	76.4
2006	306	26.7	11.5	74.2
2007	290	16.0	18.1	86.2
2008	262	16.0	16.4	99.2
2009	268	14.5	18.5	95.1
2010	253	17.0	14.8	98.8
2011	261	13.0	20.0	98.9
2012	283	13.0	21.7	98.9
2013	353	12.8	27.5	92.6
2014	384	24.0	16.0	98.4
2015	358	24.0	14.9	99.2
2016	385	22.0	17.5	97.4
2017	367	21.3	17.2	97.8
2018	371	21.0	17.6	96.2
2019	331	26.0	12.7	98.2
2020	304	28.0	10.8	97.4
2021	284	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	218	25.5	8.5	94.5
2023	209	22.0	9.5	93.3
2024	224	22.0	10.1	96.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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