Is McKay Elementary School a good school?

McKay Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.4% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend McKay Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 625 students attended McKay Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of McKay Elementary School?

Students at McKay Elementary School are 59% African American, 38% Hispanic, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of McKay Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McKay Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Gage Park High School

McKay Elementary School

Summary:

McKay Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 622 students enrolled. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McKay Elementary School faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools and state averages. The school has a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 22.1% to 50%, which is significantly higher than the rates at nearby schools like Marquette Elementary School, Tarkington Elementary School, and Claremont Academy Elementary School. Additionally, McKay's test scores are consistently lower than the Chicago Public Schools District 299 and the state of Illinois averages across all grade levels and subjects, with only 13% of students proficient or better in ELA and 6.1% in math.

Despite the relatively high spending per student at McKay Elementary School, ranging from $13,766 to $18,733, the academic outcomes do not seem to be commensurate with the level of funding. This suggests that there may be opportunities to re-evaluate the allocation of resources and explore more effective strategies to support student learning and achievement. The significant performance gaps between McKay and the state averages, as well as the disparities in subgroup performance, also raise concerns about educational equity and the need to address the unique challenges faced by this school community.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

6901 S Fairfield Ave
Chicago, IL 60629-1912

(773) 535-9340

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1893^rd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,650

Students who attend McKay Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Gage Park High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 625

Racial breakdown:

African American:

59.4%

Hispanic:

37.8%

White:

1.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.3%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare McKay Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McKay Elementary School ranks worse than 91.6% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 356^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 14. (See more...)

Compare Details McKay Elementary School ranks worse than 79.7% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.56. (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 (59.4%), Hispanic (37.8%), White (1.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 93.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McKay Elementary School is 14.5. 313 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare McKay Elementary School employs 43 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McKay Elementary School is $18,650. 335 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McKay Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks McKay Elementary School 1893^rd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See McKay Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks McKay Elementary School 1086^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See McKay Elementary 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:

Hispanic students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

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

What do you think?

Your rating for McKay Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for McKay Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all elementary school students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	3.29	1931^st	2020	4.4%
2004	3.53	1937^th	2030	4.6%
2005	1.80	1960^th	2022	3.1%
2006	2.54	2020^th	2086	3.2%
2007	1.09	2078^th	2095	0.8%
2008	1.52	2079^th	2092	0.6%
2009	5.02	2040^th	2120	3.8%
2010	2.38	2109^th	2139	1.4%
2011	1.94	2131^st	2147	0.7%
2012	6.15	2087^th	2166	3.6%
2013	12.29	1975^th	2167	8.9%
2014	11.10	1928^th	2093	7.9%
2015	20.66	1692^nd	2052	17.5%
2016	17.12	1783^rd	2046	12.9%
2017	13.28	1861^st	2044	9.0%
2018	11.40	1935^th	2037	5.0%
2019	15.48	1867^th	2086	10.5%
2021	18.52	1628^th	1948	16.4%
2022	14.29	1898^th	2082	8.8%
2023	16.20	1825^th	2077	12.1%
2024	14.00	1893^rd	2067	8.4%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.47	646^th	718	10.0%
2019	18.03	733^rd	743	1.3%
2024	32.10	609^th	826	26.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.97	636^th	763	16.6%
2019	20.21	1127^th	1194	5.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	17.23	1650^th	1765	6.5%
2019	25.15	1517^th	1816	16.5%
2021	30.73	1096^th	1514	27.6%
2022	22.24	1508^th	1763	14.5%
2023	23.01	1535^th	1808	15.1%
2024	21.95	1533^rd	1793	14.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Homeless students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	40.02	29^th	52	44.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.59	1804^th	1964	8.1%
2019	17.10	1773^rd	2019	12.2%
2022	14.02	1807^th	1970	8.3%
2023	15.88	1754^th	1957	10.4%
2024	15.69	1726^th	1942	11.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	10.29	1915^th	1972	2.9%
2019	15.42	1823^rd	2019	9.7%
2022	15.98	1762^nd	1977	10.9%
2023	17.81	1686^th	1984	15.0%
2024	13.17	1835^th	1959	6.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school African American students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.55	540^th	698	22.6%
2019	36.06	440^th	711	38.1%
2021	40.88	210^th	428	50.9%
2022	31.20	487^th	684	28.8%
2023	34.60	455^th	692	34.2%
2024	29.57	504^th	655	23.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.26	815^th	938	13.1%
2019	29.97	711^th	955	25.5%
2022	24.58	792^nd	954	17.0%
2023	29.51	717^th	970	26.1%
2024	23.68	790^th	959	17.6%

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

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

Rank History for McKay Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2006	3.07	1235^th	1272	2.9%
2007	1.43	1278^th	1287	0.7%
2008	2.47	1270^th	1293	1.8%
2009	4.48	1269^th	1318	3.7%
2010	2.49	1305^th	1327	1.7%
2011	5.07	1301^st	1344	3.2%
2012	4.36	1333^rd	1365	2.3%
2013	22.41	1118^th	1367	18.2%
2014	24.09	1055^th	1322	20.2%
2015	14.90	1168^th	1302	10.3%
2016	25.92	981^st	1294	24.2%
2017	18.19	1088^th	1293	15.9%
2018	23.14	1003^rd	1293	22.4%
2019	16.90	1157^th	1356	14.7%
2021	10.17	1231^st	1241	0.8%
2022	16.64	1191^st	1369	13.0%
2023	18.23	1154^th	1367	15.6%
2024	20.56	1086^th	1363	20.3%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	44.52	200^th	454	55.9%
2023	32.57	364^th	480	24.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	25.00	478^th	602	20.6%
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 McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.13	789^th	1161	32.0%
2019	25.47	976^th	1217	19.8%
2021	13.53	1008^th	1019	1.1%
2022	25.39	979^th	1221	19.8%
2023	26.37	959^th	1234	22.3%
2024	29.67	867^th	1219	28.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Homeless students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	47.86	36^th	70	48.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.84	979^th	1226	20.1%
2019	18.63	1062^nd	1276	16.8%
2022	17.47	1104^th	1286	14.2%
2023	18.34	1069^th	1275	16.2%
2024	18.21	1051^st	1251	16.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.07	867^th	1223	29.1%
2019	16.21	1135^th	1296	12.4%
2022	16.75	1135^th	1286	11.7%
2023	19.89	1071^st	1292	17.1%
2024	23.27	957^th	1264	24.3%

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

Rank History for middle school African American students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.17	169^th	511	66.9%
2019	38.11	332^nd	565	41.2%
2022	30.24	433^rd	573	24.4%
2023	35.86	348^th	569	38.8%
2024	43.67	263^rd	548	52.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at McKay Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.02	451^st	590	23.6%
2019	29.52	485^th	639	24.1%
2022	29.51	487^th	662	26.4%
2023	34.37	435^th	661	34.2%
2024	25.22	518^th	643	19.4%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for McKay Elementary School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about McKay Elementary School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for McKay Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	145	397	13	216	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	771
1989	109	497	15	220	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	841
1990	97	633	13	197	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	940
1991	72	517	12	143	0	n/a	n/a	0	744
1992	78	712	13	159	1	n/a	n/a	0	963
1993	33	618	7	113	0	n/a	n/a	0	771
1994	20	625	7	103	1	n/a	n/a	0	756
1995	14	916	4	100	0	n/a	n/a	0	1034
1996	14	916	4	100	0	n/a	n/a	0	1034
1997	19	1062	4	89	0	n/a	n/a	0	1174
1998	25	1103	2	87	0	n/a	n/a	0	1217
1999	16	1329	4	82	0	n/a	n/a	0	1431
2000	7	1420	0	73	1	n/a	n/a	0	1501
2001	2	1561	0	80	0	n/a	n/a	0	1643
2002	32	1500	1	81	1	n/a	n/a	0	1615
2003	32	1500	1	81	1	n/a	n/a	0	1615
2004	93	1294	0	64	5	n/a	n/a	0	1456
2005	5	1511	4	109	0	n/a	n/a	0	1629
2006	6	1456	12	78	1	n/a	n/a	21	1574
2007	4	1278	4	112	0	n/a	n/a	15	1413
2008	2	1136	6	86	11	n/a	n/a	12	1253
2009	2	962	1	108	8	n/a	n/a	0	1081
2010	2	916	1	115	3	n/a	n/a	0	1037
2011	4	811	0	150	0	0	6	0	971
2012	2	745	0	133	3	2	1	0	886
2013	2	680	0	108	4	2	2	0	798
2014	1	743	1	114	4	0	4	0	867
2015	4	720	0	115	3	1	2	0	845
2016	5	660	0	134	2	0	2	0	803
2017	7	641	0	145	3	0	2	0	798
2018	6	608	0	183	2	0	2	0	801
2019	4	591	0	173	3	0	1	0	772
2020	5	514	0	148	1	0	4	0	672
2021	10	494	1	151	0	0	3	0	659
2022	8	458	0	168	2	0	2	0	638
2023	12	438	0	168	3	0	1	0	622
2024	10	371	0	236	3	1	4	0	625

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 McKay Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	771	27.0	28.5	n/a
1989	841	33.0	25.4	n/a
1990	940	37.0	25.4	n/a
1991	744	36.0	20.6	n/a
1992	963	43.0	22.3	n/a
1993	771	43.0	17.9	n/a
1994	756	39.0	19.4	n/a
1995	1034	52.0	19.9	n/a
1996	1034	52.0	19.9	n/a
1997	1174	51.0	23.0	n/a
1998	1217	53.0	23.0	n/a
1999	1431	65.0	22.0	n/a
2000	1501	74.0	20.3	n/a
2001	1643	76.0	21.6	n/a
2002	1615	75.0	21.5	67.7
2003	1615	75.0	21.5	67.7
2004	1456	64.7	22.5	89.4
2005	1629	73.6	22.1	88.7
2006	1574	75.9	20.7	85.7
2007	1413	59.0	23.9	100.9
2008	1253	57.0	22.0	100.3
2009	1081	56.5	19.1	93.5
2010	1037	53.0	19.5	95.2
2011	971	47.0	20.6	98.4
2012	886	46.0	19.2	96.3
2013	798	51.8	15.4	95.4
2014	867	43.5	19.9	99.2
2015	845	44.0	19.2	98.1
2016	803	44.0	18.2	96.6
2017	798	40.9	19.4	97
2018	801	39.1	20.4	96.4
2019	772	44.5	17.3	95.5
2020	672	45.5	14.7	96.1
2021	659	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	638	40.7	15.6	95.3
2023	622	43.0	14.4	90.8
2024	625	43.0	14.5	93.3

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 McKay Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	771	27.0	28.5	n/a
1989	841	33.0	25.4	n/a
1990	940	37.0	25.4	n/a
1991	744	36.0	20.6	n/a
1992	963	43.0	22.3	n/a
1993	771	43.0	17.9	n/a
1994	756	39.0	19.4	n/a
1995	1034	52.0	19.9	n/a
1996	1034	52.0	19.9	n/a
1997	1174	51.0	23.0	n/a
1998	1217	53.0	23.0	n/a
1999	1431	65.0	22.0	n/a
2000	1501	74.0	20.3	n/a
2001	1643	76.0	21.6	n/a
2002	1615	75.0	21.5	67.7
2003	1615	75.0	21.5	67.7
2004	1456	64.7	22.5	89.4
2005	1629	73.6	22.1	88.7
2006	1574	75.9	20.7	85.7
2007	1413	59.0	23.9	100.9
2008	1253	57.0	22.0	100.3
2009	1081	56.5	19.1	93.5
2010	1037	53.0	19.5	95.2
2011	971	47.0	20.6	98.4
2012	886	46.0	19.2	96.3
2013	798	51.8	15.4	95.4
2014	867	43.5	19.9	99.2
2015	845	44.0	19.2	98.1
2016	803	44.0	18.2	96.6
2017	798	40.9	19.4	97
2018	801	39.1	20.4	96.4
2019	772	44.5	17.3	95.5
2020	672	45.5	14.7	96.1
2021	659	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	638	40.7	15.6	95.3
2023	622	43.0	14.4	90.8
2024	625	43.0	14.5	93.3

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.

Immunization Rates