Is OKeeffe Elementary School a good school?

OKeeffe Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.9% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend OKeeffe Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 513 students attended OKeeffe Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of OKeeffe Elementary School?

Students at OKeeffe Elementary School are 93% African American, 5% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of OKeeffe Elementary School attend?

Students who attend OKeeffe Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School High : South Shore International Col Prep High School

OKeeffe Elementary School

Summary:

OKeeffe Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 492 students. It 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.

OKeeffe Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates (ranging from 41.1% to 52.0% in recent years), consistently low test scores (only 14.5% of students were proficient or better in ELA and 4.6% in math in 2023-2024), and struggles to effectively serve its subgroups. Interestingly, nearby schools like Parkside Elementary Community Academy and Bouchet Elementary Math & Science Academy, while also part of the low-performing Chicago Public Schools District 299, generally outperform OKeeffe Elementary School on key metrics.

Despite the relatively high spending per student at OKeeffe Elementary School, ranging from $12,397 to $16,360 in recent years, the school has not shown any significant improvement in its rankings or test scores over the past decade. This suggests that the school and district may be struggling to implement effective strategies to support student learning and achievement, and raises questions about how the resources are being allocated and utilized within the school.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

6940 S Merrill Ave
Chicago, IL 60649-1721

(773) 535-0600

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1820^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,017

Students who attend OKeeffe Elementary School usually attend:

High:	Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School
	South Shore International Col Prep High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 513

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.0%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Two or more races:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82.8%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare OKeeffe Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details OKeeffe Elementary School ranks worse than 88.1% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 322^nd among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.72. (See more...)

Compare Details OKeeffe Elementary School ranks worse than 78.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 21.73. (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 (93%), Hispanic (4.9%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at OKeeffe Elementary School is 14.8. 335 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare OKeeffe Elementary School employs 34.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at OKeeffe Elementary School is $18,017. 363 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

OKeeffe Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks OKeeffe Elementary School 1820^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See OKeeffe Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks OKeeffe Elementary School 1066^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See OKeeffe Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled 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 OKeeffe Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	2.51	1953^rd	2020	3.3%
2004	2.23	1966^th	2030	3.2%
2005	1.00	1991^st	2022	1.5%
2006	3.39	2003^rd	2086	4.0%
2007	3.52	2017^th	2095	3.7%
2008	5.81	1990^th	2092	4.9%
2009	4.51	2055^th	2120	3.1%
2010	5.33	2059^th	2139	3.7%
2011	5.13	2086^th	2147	2.8%
2012	3.38	2128^th	2166	1.8%
2013	13.76	1939^th	2167	10.5%
2014	5.72	2042^nd	2093	2.4%
2015	18.51	1752^nd	2052	14.6%
2016	21.88	1643^rd	2046	19.7%
2017	16.22	1789^th	2044	12.5%
2018	10.66	1948^th	2037	4.4%
2019	9.91	2017^th	2086	3.3%
2021	12.48	1885^th	1948	3.2%
2022	12.63	1970^th	2082	5.4%
2023	14.65	1887^th	2077	9.1%
2024	15.72	1820^th	2067	11.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	20.18	738^th	763	3.3%
2019	26.02	956^th	1194	19.9%
2022	22.42	1011^th	1113	9.2%
2023	18.08	1102^nd	1156	4.7%
2024	19.10	1094^th	1195	8.5%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	16.44	1661^st	1765	5.9%
2019	15.91	1713^th	1816	5.7%
2021	18.57	1427^th	1514	5.7%
2022	18.18	1643^rd	1763	6.8%
2023	22.06	1573^rd	1808	13.0%
2024	21.53	1545^th	1793	13.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	8.68	1924^th	1964	2.0%
2019	10.69	1929^th	2019	4.5%
2021	9.91	1663^rd	1680	1.0%
2022	12.25	1887^th	1970	4.2%
2023	18.47	1659^th	1957	15.2%
2024	19.84	1597^th	1942	17.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.62	822^nd	907	9.4%
2024	20.41	813^th	886	8.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	14.48	1798^th	1972	8.8%
2019	11.30	1924^th	2019	4.7%
2022	14.13	1835^th	1977	7.2%
2023	11.76	1902^nd	1984	4.1%
2024	13.40	1824^th	1959	6.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.30	530^th	698	24.1%
2019	27.49	573^rd	711	19.4%
2021	29.77	332^nd	428	22.4%
2022	30.30	507^th	684	25.9%
2023	35.31	443^rd	692	36.0%
2024	33.45	445^th	655	32.1%

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 OKeeffe Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	6.79	1103^rd	1185	6.9%
2004	10.51	1057^th	1204	12.2%
2005	2.30	1186^th	1209	1.9%
2006	5.67	1197^th	1272	5.9%
2007	15.04	1112^th	1287	13.6%
2008	3.59	1256^th	1293	2.9%
2009	23.01	1077^th	1318	18.3%
2010	7.38	1247^th	1327	6.0%
2011	11.21	1241^st	1344	7.7%
2012	5.52	1318^th	1365	3.4%
2013	40.76	842^nd	1367	38.4%
2014	5.08	1287^th	1322	2.6%
2015	10.33	1252^nd	1302	3.8%
2016	15.09	1176^th	1294	9.1%
2017	10.69	1240^th	1293	4.1%
2018	14.82	1149^th	1293	11.1%
2019	13.84	1220^th	1356	10.0%
2021	11.53	1208^th	1241	2.7%
2022	16.27	1206^th	1369	11.9%
2023	17.73	1167^th	1367	14.6%
2024	21.73	1066^th	1363	21.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	27.32	635^th	781	18.7%
2024	16.95	780^th	802	2.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.21	975^th	1161	16.0%
2019	20.39	1052^nd	1217	13.6%
2021	16.33	977^th	1019	4.1%
2022	23.62	1019^th	1221	16.5%
2023	27.41	938^th	1234	24.0%
2024	32.02	833^rd	1219	31.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.21	1122^nd	1226	8.5%
2019	11.62	1195^th	1276	6.3%
2022	15.15	1154^th	1286	10.3%
2023	15.34	1136^th	1275	10.9%
2024	23.28	965^th	1251	22.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	21.56	617^th	639	3.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at OKeeffe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.23	1044^th	1223	14.6%
2019	18.15	1101^st	1296	15.0%
2022	18.43	1091^st	1286	15.2%
2023	22.77	1005^th	1292	22.2%
2024	22.24	975^th	1264	22.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.14	312^th	511	38.9%
2019	34.41	371^st	565	34.3%
2021	24.69	348^th	385	9.6%
2022	38.48	312^th	573	45.5%
2023	39.84	317^th	569	44.3%
2024	44.76	252^nd	548	54.0%

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 OKeeffe Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	894	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	894
1990	n/a	836	n/a	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	839
1991	0	783	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	783
1992	0	741	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	741
1993	0	722	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	722
1994	0	759	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	760
1995	0	652	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	652
1996	0	652	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	652
1997	0	697	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	699
1998	0	790	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	791
1999	0	837	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	839
2000	0	853	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	853
2001	0	851	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	851
2002	0	774	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	775
2003	0	774	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	775
2004	0	789	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	791
2005	1	762	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	763
2006	0	758	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	758
2007	0	746	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	746
2008	1	692	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	5	700
2009	0	700	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	700
2010	1	640	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	642
2011	0	653	0	3	0	0	0	0	656
2012	0	560	0	5	0	0	3	0	568
2013	0	522	0	6	1	0	1	0	530
2014	0	578	0	8	1	0	2	0	589
2015	1	642	0	10	1	0	2	0	656
2016	2	685	0	10	1	0	4	0	702
2017	1	628	0	9	1	0	4	0	643
2018	3	638	0	13	2	1	9	0	666
2019	3	590	0	8	2	1	7	0	611
2020	2	559	0	9	0	1	3	0	574
2021	1	528	0	15	0	1	5	0	550
2022	2	498	0	17	0	1	4	0	522
2023	2	466	0	18	0	1	5	0	492
2024	0	477	0	25	1	1	9	0	513

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 OKeeffe Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	894	43.0	20.7	n/a
1990	839	43.0	19.5	n/a
1991	783	43.0	18.2	n/a
1992	741	41.0	18.0	n/a
1993	722	42.0	17.2	n/a
1994	760	37.0	20.5	n/a
1995	652	38.0	17.2	n/a
1996	652	38.0	17.2	n/a
1997	699	35.0	20.0	n/a
1998	791	36.0	22.0	n/a
1999	839	38.0	22.1	n/a
2000	853	40.0	21.3	n/a
2001	851	38.0	22.4	n/a
2002	775	40.0	19.4	78.6
2003	775	40.0	19.4	78.6
2004	791	33.9	23.3	88.9
2005	763	39.7	19.2	73.4
2006	758	45.7	16.6	90.4
2007	746	35.0	21.3	99.6
2008	700	35.0	20.0	99.9
2009	700	38.0	18.4	94.9
2010	642	34.0	18.8	99.1
2011	656	29.0	22.6	98.3
2012	568	29.0	19.5	99.1
2013	530	36.5	14.4	94.2
2014	589	28.0	21.0	97.6
2015	656	31.0	21.1	98.8
2016	702	32.0	21.9	96.3
2017	643	35.8	17.9	98.6
2018	666	32.2	20.6	98.2
2019	611	39.0	15.6	91.5
2020	574	40.0	14.3	97.2
2021	550	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	522	40.0	13.0	93.5
2023	492	35.0	14.0	90.7
2024	513	34.5	14.8	82.8

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 OKeeffe Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	894	43.0	20.7	n/a
1990	839	43.0	19.5	n/a
1991	783	43.0	18.2	n/a
1992	741	41.0	18.0	n/a
1993	722	42.0	17.2	n/a
1994	760	37.0	20.5	n/a
1995	652	38.0	17.2	n/a
1996	652	38.0	17.2	n/a
1997	699	35.0	20.0	n/a
1998	791	36.0	22.0	n/a
1999	839	38.0	22.1	n/a
2000	853	40.0	21.3	n/a
2001	851	38.0	22.4	n/a
2002	775	40.0	19.4	78.6
2003	775	40.0	19.4	78.6
2004	791	33.9	23.3	88.9
2005	763	39.7	19.2	73.4
2006	758	45.7	16.6	90.4
2007	746	35.0	21.3	99.6
2008	700	35.0	20.0	99.9
2009	700	38.0	18.4	94.9
2010	642	34.0	18.8	99.1
2011	656	29.0	22.6	98.3
2012	568	29.0	19.5	99.1
2013	530	36.5	14.4	94.2
2014	589	28.0	21.0	97.6
2015	656	31.0	21.1	98.8
2016	702	32.0	21.9	96.3
2017	643	35.8	17.9	98.6
2018	666	32.2	20.6	98.2
2019	611	39.0	15.6	91.5
2020	574	40.0	14.3	97.2
2021	550	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	522	40.0	13.0	93.5
2023	492	35.0	14.0	90.7
2024	513	34.5	14.8	82.8

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