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Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1783^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center is a public elementary school serving 303 students in grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, which is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299. Despite spending significantly more per student than the district and state averages, Courtenay Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 15-20% of Illinois elementary schools, with consistently low academic performance across all grade levels and subject areas, particularly in mathematics.

Courtenay's performance on state assessments is significantly below the district and state averages, with only 28% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 15.1% proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 42.8% and 27.3% for the district, respectively. The school's high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 41.9% in recent years, may be a contributing factor to its low academic outcomes. Interestingly, nearby schools such as Brennemann Elementary, McPherson Elementary, and McCutcheon Elementary, which are also part of the Chicago Public Schools District, generally perform better than Courtenay Elementary on state assessments and have higher rankings.

The high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio at Courtenay Elementary suggest that simply allocating more resources may not be enough to improve academic outcomes if other underlying issues, such as attendance, curriculum, or instructional practices, are not addressed. The school's focus on language arts does not seem to translate to stronger performance in English Language Arts assessments compared to the nearby schools, indicating the need for a comprehensive review of the school's practices and resources to identify and address the root causes of its underperformance.

266

Students ?

8.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$34,804

Per pupil spending ?

92.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4420 N Beacon St
Chicago, IL 60640-5732

(773) 534-5790

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students who attend Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center usually attend:

High:

Senn High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.1%

African American:

35.3%

White:

7.9%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 5th percentile in 2022 → 13th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 13th (2025) from a 5th-percentile low (2022)

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (13% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (42% vs 25% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school13%

District avg33%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

1,783^rd of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 21% (2015) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,029^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 25%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

308^th of 451Elementary Schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299

698^th of 811Chicago Public Schools District 299 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	15.0	1783 of 2056	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	1887 of 2067	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.6	1843 of 2077	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.4	1978 of 2082	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	1612 of 2086	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.6	1459 of 2037	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.5	1483 of 2044	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.5	1629 of 2046	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.3	1617 of 2052	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	40.2	1312 of 2093	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	65.4	796 of 2167	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	52.4	1236 of 2166	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	74.0	579 of 2147	73.0%	★★★★☆
2010	75.8	528 of 2139	75.3%	★★★★☆
2009	66.4	860 of 2120	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.6	877 of 2092	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	74.4	520 of 2095	75.2%	★★★★☆
2006	72.2	620 of 2086	70.3%	★★★★☆
2005	68.5	730 of 2022	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	67.0	786 of 2030	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2003	52.1	1175 of 2020	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	49.6	267 of 692	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.4	345 of 684	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.5	386 of 711	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.3	344 of 698	50.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	17.5	817 of 826	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	13.1	1829 of 1942	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	1518 of 2019	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.3	1373 of 1964	30.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	14.9	929 of 959	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	54.5	350 of 955	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.7	470 of 938	49.9%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	39.4	31 of 52	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.1	1589 of 1800	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.0	1636 of 1793	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.3	1564 of 1808	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	1614 of 1763	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.2	1511 of 1816	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.8	1071 of 1765	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.1	1415 of 1947	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.8	1690 of 1959	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.5	1699 of 1984	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	1711 of 1977	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	1459 of 2019	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	1407 of 1972	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.0	1029 of 1368	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	1193 of 1363	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.5	1034 of 1367	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.5	969 of 1369	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.5	856 of 1241	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.4	878 of 1356	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.2	836 of 1293	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.4	813 of 1293	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.4	825 of 1294	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	25.0	989 of 1302	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	29.8	975 of 1322	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	76.2	289 of 1367	78.9%	★★★★☆
2012	85.8	93 of 1365	93.2%	★★★★★
2011	78.4	233 of 1344	82.7%	★★★★☆
2010	92.1	6 of 1327	99.5%	★★★★★
2009	84.8	98 of 1318	92.6%	★★★★★
2008	84.6	100 of 1293	92.3%	★★★★★
2006	48.5	769 of 1272	39.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	44.7	266 of 569	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.1	209 of 573	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.1	314 of 565	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.1	153 of 511	70.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	42.6	232 of 486	52.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	12.6	1163 of 1251	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.3	1053 of 1286	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	936 of 1276	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.6	743 of 1226	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	49.7	282 of 662	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.3	507 of 639	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.9	304 of 590	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	32.0	850 of 1229	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.9	999 of 1219	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.3	893 of 1234	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.0	707 of 1221	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.3	422 of 1019	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.1	804 of 1217	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.9	612 of 1161	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	47.9	576 of 1286	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	26.1	952 of 1296	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	780 of 1223	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

African American (2023)61st percentile+50 vs school

Homeless (2024)40th percentile+32 vs school

Male (2025)27th percentile+14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)12th percentile~ school

Female (2024)6th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2024)3rd percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)1st percentile-8 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2022)57th percentile+28 vs school

Male (2022)55th percentile+26 vs school

African American (2023)53rd percentile+29 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)52nd percentile+40 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)31st percentile+6 vs school

Female (2024)7th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts28%-25 vs state

Mathematics15%-23 vs state

Science5%-38 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Great academics,great school,hard working teacher, warmed environment, friendly faces, parents very involved !!! Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, April 5, 2013

My daughter attends Courtenay and it is a wonderful little gem within the big city. They keep class sizes small and learning big. The environment is very warm. Close Quote

Schools Near Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)							IAR Mathematics (2025)							% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Pneumococcal (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Pneumococcal All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center	Public	PK, KG-8	4420 N Beacon St	Chicago	60640	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-5790	266	33	8.1	92.9%	21 (7.9%)	94 (35.3%)	128 (48.1%)	9 (3.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.9%)	15	1783^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	13.3%		14.1	1887^th of 2067 public elementary schools	8.7%	104	0.0	9.1		23.1	0.0	33.3	57.1	25.0	28.0	15.4	38.5	0.0	8.3	28.6	0.0	15.1	74.7	80.9	80.9	80.9	92.1	75.7	75.3	7.2	18.4	$34,804	$5,755	$29,049
Ravenswood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4332 N Paulina St	Chicago	60613	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	No	(773) 534-5525	522	37	14.3	32.2%	251 (48.1%)	44 (8.4%)	151 (28.9%)	26 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (9.4%)	88.3	217^th of 2056 public elementary schools	89.4%		86.6	242^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	88.3%	25	56.6	59.6	70.7	75.9	77.4	93.4	78.0	83.3	80.3	82.9	63.8	48.1	67.2	44.1	31.3	55.8	95.8	98.6	98.6	98.6	96.8	97.6	97.2	7.4	27.5	$18,553	$1,510	$17,043
Brennemann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4251 N Clarendon Ave	Chicago	60613	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-5766	482	40	12.0	83.2%	27 (5.6%)	219 (45.4%)	180 (37.3%)	13 (2.7%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.2%)	16	1764^th of 2056 public elementary schools	14.2%		19.5	1696^th of 2067 public elementary schools	17.9%	68	22.2	22.5	17.8	12.8	33.3	29.7	40.5	31.7	27.3	24.4	15.4	11.1	10.5	23.8	7.3	15.9	56.9	60.1	60.1	60.1	81.6	60.3	58.9	2.5	9.0	$21,355	$3,069	$18,287
McPherson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4728 N Wolcott Ave	Chicago	60640	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2625	794	69	11.5	41.7%	264 (33.2%)	64 (8.1%)	371 (46.7%)	37 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.1%)	52.7	953^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	53.6%		36.4	1239^th of 2067 public elementary schools	40.1%	286	32.6	40.0	62.9	54.8	37.2	56.8	48.9	43.1	51.7	56.5	54.8	30.2	11.1	24.4	19.6	36.4	85.0	87.9	87.9	87.9	91.8	87.2	86.1	10.6	12.7	$23,010	$2,105	$20,905
Blaine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1420 W Grace St	Chicago	60613	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	No	(773) 534-5750	639	48	13.3	10.3%	420 (65.7%)	15 (2.3%)	106 (16.6%)	36 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	61 (9.5%)	94.8	72^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	96.5%		96.8	51^st of 2067 public elementary schools	97.5%	21	89.2	65.6	75.8	74.6	90.9	87.0	95.2	83.9	84.1	83.9	67.8	90.9	83.3	83.7	60.3	78.1	94.6	96.7	96.7	96.7	97.0	96.3	94.6	11.5	22.4	$20,025	$1,299	$18,725
McCutcheon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4865 N Sheridan Rd	Chicago	60640	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2680	326	38	8.5	85.6%	27 (8.3%)	163 (50.0%)	82 (25.2%)	37 (11.3%)	9 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	23.8	1582^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	23.1%		25.3	1535^th of 2067 public elementary schools	25.7%	47	12.0	31.0	44.8	42.9	36.0	22.7	16.7	31.0	33.1	37.9	14.3	8.0	9.1	4.2	10.3	14.6	89.2	92.7	92.7	92.7	93.6	92.4	87.5	19.5	23.6	$30,840	$4,676	$26,165
Greeley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	832 W Sheridan Rd	Chicago	60613	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-5800	331	33	10.1	80.1%	30 (9.1%)	71 (21.5%)	208 (62.8%)	17 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	31	1409^th of 2056 public elementary schools	31.5%		31.3	1359^th of 2067 public elementary schools	34.3%	50	30.4	21.2	30.4	37.9	33.3	35.1	42.3	38.9	36.6	26.1	31.0	33.3	21.6	11.5	41.7	28.0	59.1	61.7	61.7	61.7	81.3	60.3	59.1		12.7	$23,072	$3,100	$19,972
Disney Elementary Magnet School	Public	PK, KG-8	4140 N Marine Dr	Chicago	60613	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-5840	1,384	88	15.7	62.6%	163 (11.8%)	752 (54.3%)	272 (19.7%)	123 (8.9%)	14 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (4.3%)	58.9	835^th of 2056 public elementary schools	59.4%		61.7	705^th of 2067 public elementary schools	65.9%	130	43.8	58.8	51.9	53.9	59.2	62.5	60.8	64.9	58.2	57.6	46.7	25.2	26.1	37.5	35.1	39.0	96.5	96.7	96.7	96.7	97.7	97.2	96.7	3.6	19.0	$15,571	$1,648	$13,923
Goudy Technology Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	5120 N Winthrop Ave	Chicago	60640	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2480	491	44	11.2	82.3%	34 (6.9%)	150 (30.5%)	156 (31.8%)	134 (27.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	46.7	1070^th of 2056 public elementary schools	48.0%		40.8	1136^th of 2067 public elementary schools	45.0%	66	23.8	43.8	48.0	39.7	45.2	66.7	53.5	53.1	50.2	60.0	42.1	16.7	23.1	46.5	36.7	38.6	73.8	79.3	79.1	79.4	87.8	77.5	75.0	2.7	16.8	$21,216	$2,611	$18,605
Coonley Elementary School	Public	K-8	4046 N Leavitt St	Chicago	60618	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	No	(773) 534-5140	723	52	13.9	10.7%	485 (67.1%)	14 (1.9%)	114 (15.8%)	36 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (10.1%)	93.2	111^th of 2056 public elementary schools	94.6%		90.5	176^th of 2067 public elementary schools	91.5%	65	65.7	77.3	83.1	84.2	75.7	88.5	76.9	87.8	82.7	87.7	71.1	60.0	83.9	76.9	67.4	74.5	97.9	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.8	98.2	98.1		35.9	$19,141	$1,484	$17,657

Frequently Asked Questions about Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center

What schools do graduates of Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center attend?

Students who attend Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center usually go on to attend:

High : Senn High School

How many students attend Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 266 students attended Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center.

Is Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center a good school?

Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Illinois elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center?

Students at Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center are 48% Hispanic, 35% African American, 8% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Courtenay Elementary Language Arts Center in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.