Is Ray Elementary School a good school?

Ray Elementary School ranks 1325 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ray Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 596 students attended Ray Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Ray Elementary School?

Students at Ray Elementary School are 60% African American, 18% Hispanic, 12% White, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Ray Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ray Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Kenwood Academy High School

Ray Elementary School

Summary:

Ray Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 495 students. 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. Ray Elementary School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, dropping from a high of 4 stars in 2015-2016 to just 2 stars in recent years.

Ray Elementary School faces several key challenges. The school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 6.2% in 2019-2020 to 41.5% in 2023-2024, much higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, Ray Elementary lags behind the district and state in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels, with only 19.9% of students proficient in ELA and 14% proficient in Math in 2023-2024. The school also has stark disparities in performance across different student subgroups, with White students performing significantly better than their African American and Hispanic peers, and special education and low-socioeconomic status students struggling as well.

The analysis of surrounding schools, such as Kozminski Elementary Community Academy, Fiske Elementary School, and Wadsworth Elementary School, reveals that Ray Elementary is not an outlier, but rather part of a broader trend of underperforming schools in the Chicago Public Schools district. Despite the steady increase in per-student spending at Ray Elementary, from $12,764 in 2019-2020 to $18,309 in 2022-2023, this has not translated to improved academic outcomes, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be enough to address the underlying challenges facing the school and its students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

5631 S Kimbark Ave
Chicago, IL 60637-1605

(773) 535-0970

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1325^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,419

Students who attend Ray Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Kenwood Academy High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 596

Racial breakdown:

African American:

60.2%

Hispanic:

17.8%

White:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Ray Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ray Elementary School ranks worse than 64.1% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 148^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 32.68. (See more...)

Compare Details Ray Elementary School ranks worse than 76.5% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.86. (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 Student population at Ray Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (60.2%), Hispanic (17.8%), White (12.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ray Elementary School is 15.1. 356 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ray Elementary School employs 39.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ray Elementary School is $18,419. 344 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ray Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ray Elementary School 1325^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Ray 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Ray Elementary School 1043^rd of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Ray Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

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 Ray Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	60.49	967^th	2020	52.1%
2004	56.40	1090^th	2030	46.3%
2005	59.19	1003^rd	2022	50.4%
2006	58.88	1085^th	2086	48.0%
2007	63.03	940^th	2095	55.1%
2008	62.84	963^rd	2092	54.0%
2009	65.03	898^th	2120	57.6%
2010	52.36	1238^th	2139	42.1%
2011	65.81	875^th	2147	59.2%
2012	58.93	1064^th	2166	50.9%
2013	60.94	917^th	2167	57.7%
2014	65.81	743^rd	2093	64.5%
2015	65.21	613^th	2052	70.1%
2016	71.26	531^st	2046	74.0%
2017	64.20	665^th	2044	67.5%
2018	52.27	908^th	2037	55.4%
2019	56.43	853^rd	2086	59.1%
2021	43.74	980^th	1948	49.7%
2022	40.20	1178^th	2082	43.4%
2023	40.31	1166^th	2077	43.9%
2024	32.68	1325^th	2067	35.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	53.36	421^st	1194	64.7%
2022	36.68	615^th	1113	44.7%
2023	27.68	845^th	1156	26.9%
2024	44.74	561^st	1195	53.1%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	51.66	766^th	1765	56.6%
2019	48.18	884^th	1816	51.3%
2021	56.05	499^th	1514	67.0%
2022	36.59	1106^th	1763	37.3%
2023	38.17	1089^th	1808	39.8%
2024	30.69	1294^th	1793	27.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.50	864^th	1964	56.0%
2019	65.36	641^st	2019	68.3%
2021	41.97	886^th	1680	47.3%
2022	48.83	886^th	1970	55.0%
2023	40.91	1081^st	1957	44.8%
2024	30.63	1305^th	1942	32.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.74	746^th	907	17.8%
2024	41.98	444^th	886	49.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.13	853^rd	1972	56.7%
2019	48.54	952^nd	2019	52.8%
2021	40.43	924^th	1707	45.9%
2022	31.76	1271^st	1977	35.7%
2023	38.19	1146^th	1984	42.2%
2024	35.42	1180^th	1959	39.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	75.62	94^th	698	86.5%
2019	77.28	78^th	711	89.0%
2021	40.84	213^th	428	50.2%
2022	56.80	202^nd	684	70.5%
2023	49.07	274^th	692	60.4%
2024	37.52	397^th	655	39.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	25.89	784^th	955	17.9%
2024	23.36	800^th	959	16.6%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	85.05	139^th	1462	90.5%
2022	82.07	180^th	1425	87.4%
2023	89.37	92^nd	1419	93.5%
2024	78.93	223^rd	1392	84.0%

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

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

Rank History for Ray Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2014	28.46	999^th	1322	24.4%
2015	33.62	835^th	1302	35.9%
2016	43.58	688^th	1294	46.8%
2017	32.50	857^th	1293	33.7%
2018	30.33	890^th	1293	31.2%
2019	29.66	950^th	1356	29.9%
2021	29.20	839^th	1241	32.4%
2022	30.31	910^th	1369	33.5%
2023	20.79	1098^th	1367	19.7%
2024	22.86	1043^rd	1363	23.5%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	23.96	455^th	486	6.4%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	48.88	281^st	792	64.5%
2022	38.55	414^th	781	47.0%
2023	29.91	550^th	805	31.7%
2024	27.44	598^th	802	25.4%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.21	866^th	1161	25.4%
2019	31.34	883^rd	1217	27.4%
2021	38.62	606^th	1019	40.5%
2022	35.79	748^th	1221	38.7%
2023	21.15	1069^th	1234	13.4%
2024	25.67	955^th	1219	21.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.00	869^th	1226	29.1%
2019	27.15	949^th	1276	25.6%
2021	31.99	659^th	1017	35.2%
2022	32.66	816^th	1286	36.5%
2023	25.32	942^nd	1275	26.1%
2024	27.00	898^th	1251	28.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	20.59	662^nd	674	1.8%
2024	28.55	489^th	639	23.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Ray Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	31.54	809^th	1223	33.9%
2019	34.00	823^rd	1296	36.5%
2021	22.43	850^th	1048	18.9%
2022	27.83	908^th	1286	29.4%
2023	16.60	1141^st	1292	11.7%
2024	20.83	1009^th	1264	20.2%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	48.52	207^th	511	59.5%
2019	40.46	312^th	565	44.8%
2021	42.03	189^th	385	50.9%
2022	54.42	187^th	573	67.4%
2023	33.97	367^th	569	35.5%
2024	35.19	355^th	548	35.2%

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 Ray Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	243	384	85	29	2	n/a	n/a	0	743
1989	252	400	71	26	2	n/a	n/a	0	751
1990	250	406	64	37	4	n/a	n/a	0	761
1991	205	458	80	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	770
1992	210	443	63	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	753
1993	208	449	66	43	1	n/a	n/a	0	767
1994	193	435	64	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	726
1995	169	449	65	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	728
1996	169	449	65	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	728
1997	155	510	68	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	780
1998	143	517	83	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	791
1999	159	520	77	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	804
2000	177	503	94	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	808
2001	157	521	107	44	1	n/a	n/a	0	830
2002	147	434	119	46	6	n/a	n/a	0	752
2003	147	434	119	46	6	n/a	n/a	0	752
2004	136	409	110	52	2	n/a	n/a	0	709
2005	121	393	108	62	2	n/a	n/a	0	686
2006	111	374	84	49	2	n/a	n/a	57	677
2007	117	346	92	57	3	n/a	n/a	39	654
2008	139	338	78	48	2	n/a	n/a	67	672
2009	139	349	91	52	4	n/a	n/a	0	635
2010	131	363	82	49	2	n/a	n/a	0	627
2011	119	329	84	68	6	0	33	0	639
2012	134	316	80	66	2	0	45	0	643
2013	138	313	85	64	2	0	51	0	653
2014	129	380	65	50	2	1	43	0	670
2015	130	438	56	58	2	1	38	0	723
2016	133	441	52	54	0	1	38	0	719
2017	113	442	44	59	0	1	43	0	702
2018	131	435	63	63	1	2	36	0	731
2019	112	431	61	64	1	2	37	0	708
2020	111	416	43	58	2	2	35	0	667
2021	101	391	28	45	2	0	24	0	591
2022	90	344	25	46	3	3	30	0	541
2023	82	314	30	44	4	3	18	0	495
2024	72	359	33	106	3	2	21	0	596

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 Ray Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	743	36.0	20.6	n/a
1989	751	34.0	22.0	n/a
1990	761	37.0	20.5	n/a
1991	770	39.0	19.7	n/a
1992	753	36.0	20.9	n/a
1993	767	40.0	19.2	n/a
1994	726	38.0	19.1	n/a
1995	728	39.0	18.7	n/a
1996	728	39.0	18.7	n/a
1997	780	41.0	19.0	n/a
1998	791	40.0	19.8	n/a
1999	804	46.0	17.5	n/a
2000	808	43.0	18.8	n/a
2001	830	44.0	18.9	n/a
2002	752	45.0	16.7	31.3
2003	752	45.0	16.7	31.3
2004	709	39.0	18.2	30.3
2005	686	43.7	15.7	33.1
2006	677	44.2	15.3	46
2007	654	27.0	24.2	43.6
2008	672	33.0	20.4	44.8
2009	635	37.0	17.2	41.3
2010	627	34.0	18.4	40.2
2011	639	33.0	19.3	41.5
2012	643	32.0	20.0	45.6
2013	653	41.4	15.7	42.4
2014	670	43.0	15.5	51
2015	723	35.0	20.6	64.7
2016	719	41.0	17.5	57.7
2017	702	40.3	17.3	57.7
2018	731	40.4	18.0	49
2019	708	44.5	15.9	41.8
2020	667	44.5	14.9	40.3
2021	591	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	541	38.2	14.1	49.2
2023	495	33.5	14.7	56.8
2024	596	39.2	15.1	58.7

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 Ray Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	743	36.0	20.6	n/a
1989	751	34.0	22.0	n/a
1990	761	37.0	20.5	n/a
1991	770	39.0	19.7	n/a
1992	753	36.0	20.9	n/a
1993	767	40.0	19.2	n/a
1994	726	38.0	19.1	n/a
1995	728	39.0	18.7	n/a
1996	728	39.0	18.7	n/a
1997	780	41.0	19.0	n/a
1998	791	40.0	19.8	n/a
1999	804	46.0	17.5	n/a
2000	808	43.0	18.8	n/a
2001	830	44.0	18.9	n/a
2002	752	45.0	16.7	31.3
2003	752	45.0	16.7	31.3
2004	709	39.0	18.2	30.3
2005	686	43.7	15.7	33.1
2006	677	44.2	15.3	46
2007	654	27.0	24.2	43.6
2008	672	33.0	20.4	44.8
2009	635	37.0	17.2	41.3
2010	627	34.0	18.4	40.2
2011	639	33.0	19.3	41.5
2012	643	32.0	20.0	45.6
2013	653	41.4	15.7	42.4
2014	670	43.0	15.5	51
2015	723	35.0	20.6	64.7
2016	719	41.0	17.5	57.7
2017	702	40.3	17.3	57.7
2018	731	40.4	18.0	49
2019	708	44.5	15.9	41.8
2020	667	44.5	14.9	40.3
2021	591	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	541	38.2	14.1	49.2
2023	495	33.5	14.7	56.8
2024	596	39.2	15.1	58.7

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