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Decatur Classical Elementary School

Public Grades K-8

4^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 100% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Decatur Classical Elementary School is a public K-8 school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 329 students and part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299. This exceptional school consistently ranks among the top 10 elementary schools in Illinois, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Decatur Classical's academic performance is truly outstanding, with proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics significantly higher than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 95.7% of Decatur Classical students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to just 42.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, an impressive 96.5% of Decatur Classical students were proficient or better, compared to 27.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The school's exceptional performance extends across various student subgroups, with rankings in the top 10 or 20 in the state.

Decatur Classical Elementary School's exceptional academic achievement is not limited to its district peers. When compared to higher-performing districts outside of Chicago, such as Evanston CCSD 65 and Lincolnwood School District 74, Decatur Classical's performance remains exceptional, with a 95.7% ELA proficiency rate that surpasses both of these districts. This consistent high performance, along with low chronic absenteeism rates, makes Decatur Classical Elementary School a standout educational institution in the Chicago area.

341

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,929

Per pupil spending ?

12%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7030 N Sacramento Ave
Chicago, IL 60645-2848

(773) 534-2201

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.3%

Asian:

28.4%

Hispanic:

13.5%

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Compare Decatur Classical Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 100th percentile in 2015 → 100th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (95% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Illinois elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school95%

District avg33%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

4^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

3^rd of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 1%▬ steady since 2021

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	98.9	4 of 2056	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.5	7 of 2067	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	99.6	4 of 2077	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.6	3 of 2082	99.9%	★★★★★
2021	99.7	4 of 1948	99.8%	★★★★★
2019	99.7	2 of 2086	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	99.6	2 of 2037	99.9%	★★★★★
2017	99.8	1 of 2044	100.0%	★★★★★
2016	99.7	2 of 2046	99.9%	★★★★★
2015	99.8	5 of 2052	99.8%	★★★★★
2014	97.2	3 of 2093	99.9%	★★★★★
2013	97.5	3 of 2167	99.9%	★★★★★
2012	91.0	2 of 2166	99.9%	★★★★★
2011	91.1	1 of 2147	100.0%	★★★★★
2010	91.2	1 of 2139	100.0%	★★★★★
2009	91.5	2 of 2120	99.9%	★★★★★
2008	90.1	7 of 2092	99.7%	★★★★★
2007	89.9	5 of 2095	99.8%	★★★★★
2006	91.1	2 of 2086	99.9%	★★★★★
2005	92.6	3 of 2022	99.9%	★★★★★
2004	93.4	2 of 2030	99.9%	★★★★★
2003	93.2	3 of 2020	99.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	90.7	6 of 234	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	90.3	8 of 226	96.5%	★★★★★
2019	93.4	1 of 243	99.6%	★★★★★
2018	88.0	10 of 242	95.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	97.7	8 of 1942	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	99.3	6 of 1942	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	99.6	2 of 1957	99.9%	★★★★★
2022	99.7	1 of 1970	99.9%	★★★★★
2021	98.8	9 of 1680	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	99.5	2 of 2019	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	99.4	2 of 1964	99.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	98.9	4 of 1947	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.3	7 of 1959	99.6%	★★★★★
2023	99.3	6 of 1984	99.7%	★★★★★
2022	98.9	11 of 1977	99.4%	★★★★★
2021	99.4	9 of 1707	99.5%	★★★★★
2019	99.5	4 of 2019	99.8%	★★★★★
2018	99.4	4 of 1972	99.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	100.0	2 of 1195	99.8%	★★★★★
2023	100.0	2 of 1156	99.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	96.7	5 of 1389	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	97.8	8 of 1392	99.4%	★★★★★
2023	98.3	6 of 1419	99.6%	★★★★★
2022	97.7	7 of 1425	99.5%	★★★★★
2021	98.7	3 of 1308	99.8%	★★★★★
2019	99.3	1 of 1462	99.9%	★★★★★
2018	99.1	2 of 1463	99.9%	★★★★★

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	99.1	3 of 1368	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.4	4 of 1363	99.7%	★★★★★
2023	99.8	1 of 1367	99.9%	★★★★★
2022	99.8	1 of 1369	99.9%	★★★★★
2021	99.9	3 of 1241	99.8%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	90.1	10 of 198	94.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	98.3	2 of 1248	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.1	1 of 1251	99.9%	★★★★★
2023	99.4	3 of 1275	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.7	2 of 1286	99.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	99.2	3 of 1271	99.8%	★★★★★
2024	99.4	8 of 1264	99.4%	★★★★★
2023	99.8	2 of 1292	99.8%	★★★★★
2022	99.8	2 of 1286	99.8%	★★★★★
2021	99.9	5 of 1048	99.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	97.6	3 of 884	99.7%	★★★★★
2024	97.9	4 of 875	99.5%	★★★★★
2023	99.3	1 of 895	99.9%	★★★★★
2022	99.3	2 of 898	99.8%	★★★★★
2021	99.9	1 of 813	99.9%	★★★★★

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

Special Education (2024)100th percentile~ school

Male (2025)100th percentile~ school

White (2025)100th percentile~ school

Female (2025)100th percentile~ school

Asian (2025)97th percentile~ school

Middle school

Female (2025)100th percentile~ school

Male (2025)100th percentile~ school

White (2025)100th percentile~ school

Asian (2022)95th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics96%+58 vs state

English Language Arts96%+43 vs state

Science95%+52 vs state

4.2

5 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★4

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 18, 2023

Lower quality of teaching in upper grades, high level of attrition, poor leadership as of 2020. Unresponsive leadership. Very disappointed with the drop of instruction. Kids generally perform well but it is because of parents, not teachers or the school. Close Quote

by a student
Friday, January 8, 2010

Decatur is the best school in the nation, in my opinion. I'm a sixth grade new student attending this glorious school!!! When I first walked in the doors I knew I was going to be welcomed right away, and I was. The best parts about Decatur is the special hospitality that you wouldn't always get at other schools and the academics!!! I came to Decatur searching for a challenge and they sure gave it to me. I'm so astonished by the awesome Social Studies curriculum here. Now Social Studies is my favorite subject next to Language Arts. Another good thing is that the activities are fun and challenging and not boring and simple! Everyone at Decatur has awesome personalities!!! Parents, you will not regret letting your child enter this miraculous school!!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Decatur Classical Elementary School

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
Decatur Classical Elementary School	Public	K-8	7030 N Sacramento Ave	Chicago	60645	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	No	(773) 534-2201	341	23	14.8	12.0%	151 (44.3%)	10 (2.9%)	46 (13.5%)	97 (28.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.0%)	98.9	4^th of 2056 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.5	7^th of 2067 public elementary schools	99.7%	3	92.9	96.4	90.9	93.3	96.4	100.0	96.7	96.6	95.7	98.2	96.7	100.0	98.3	90.0	93.1	96.5	97.6	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2		27.1	$17,929	$1,468	$16,461
West Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6700 N Whipple St	Chicago	60645	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-8250	683	52	13.2	84.8%	181 (26.5%)	93 (13.6%)	158 (23.1%)	234 (34.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.2%)	34.3	1336^th of 2056 public elementary schools	35.0%		50.1	937^th of 2067 public elementary schools	54.7%	399	13.8	18.6	32.2	52.3	32.8	42.3	50.0	39.0	41.6	28.3	40.0	24.1	28.8	40.0	30.5	32.2	91.4	94.4	94.4	94.4	93.3	93.5	89.7	4.9	27.8	$18,755	$2,078	$16,676
Mosaic School of Fine Arts	Public	PK, KG-8	6710 N Washtenaw Ave	Chicago	60645	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2160	746	56	13.4	88.9%	70 (9.4%)	74 (9.9%)	296 (39.7%)	283 (37.9%)	12 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.2%)	30.1	1433^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	30.3%		32.4	1332^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	35.6%	101	38.9	12.1	15.4	25.7	63.9	29.2	42.1	33.3	34.6	16.7	15.9	34.7	16.9	35.1	6.1	20.6	88.4	95.5	95.5	95.5	94.6	94.6	88.1	7.3	24.3	$17,349	$2,139	$15,210
Rogers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	7345 N Washtenaw Ave	Chicago	60645	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2125	790	57	13.8	60.4%	156 (19.7%)	168 (21.3%)	267 (33.8%)	157 (19.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	41 (5.2%)	67.1	665^th of 2056 public elementary schools	67.7%		66.6	616^th of 2067 public elementary schools	70.2%	49	50.0	47.8	51.7	62.8	56.4	61.4	53.6	80.3	61.0	58.3	53.8	32.5	43.9	34.8	35.8	42.8	94.0	97.4	97.4	97.4	95.1	96.1	91.9	11.8	24.9	$18,651	$2,070	$16,581
Armstrong G Elementary International Studies	Public	PK, KG-8	2110 W Greenleaf Ave	Chicago	60645	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2150	1,304	90	14.4	84.3%	121 (9.3%)	376 (28.8%)	433 (33.2%)	330 (25.3%)	7 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (2.8%)	55.4	898^th of 2056 public elementary schools	56.3%		54.3	830^th of 2067 public elementary schools	59.8%	68	34.7	40.8	46.0	42.5	52.4	56.8	67.8	71.2	56.1	51.6	48.7	31.7	45.9	39.1	48.8	44.3	86.5	93.6	93.6	93.6	95.0	92.0	88.2	6.5	26.3	$15,963	$1,927	$14,036
Dawes Elementary School	Public	K-5	440 Dodge Ave	Evanston	60202	Cook County	Evanston CCSD 65	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 905-3401	298	29	10.3	47.7%	90 (30.2%)	76 (25.5%)	87 (29.2%)	12 (4.0%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	27 (9.1%)	80.9	377^th of 2056 public elementary schools	81.7%		80	363^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	82.4%	14	51.9		62.5	72.0	73.1				69.3	64.6	62.0	53.8				60.0	97.7	98.3	98.3	98.3	100.0	97.0	97.7			$25,241	$926	$24,316
Rutledge Hall Elementary School	Public	3-5	6850 N East Prairie Rd	Lincolnwood	60712	Cook County	Lincolnwood School District 74	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 745-3801	385	36	10.6		194 (50.4%)	16 (4.2%)	15 (3.9%)	130 (33.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	74	512^th of 2056 public elementary schools	75.1%		66.1	630^th of 2067 public elementary schools	69.5%	118	61.5		57.6	77.3	72.9				68.4	45.5	50.5	44.4				46.5	96.5	96.8	96.8	96.8		96.5	97.0			$23,360	$680	$22,680
Todd Hall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	3925 W Lunt Ave	Lincolnwood	60712	Cook County	Lincolnwood School District 74	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 745-3731	398	34	11.6		194 (48.7%)	16 (4.0%)	7 (1.8%)	138 (34.7%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.3%)								(n/a)																	94.7	95.1	95.1	95.1	96.8	95.1	96.3	15.3		$24,878	$823	$24,055
Clinton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6110 N Fairfield Ave	Chicago	60659	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-2025	1,050	67	15.7	89.0%	134 (12.8%)	139 (13.2%)	262 (25.0%)	494 (47.0%)	11 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.0%)	27.3	1501^st of 2056 public elementary schools	27.0%		26.7	1497^th of 2067 public elementary schools	27.6%	4	18.9	31.0	31.1	36.5	29.5	33.3	42.6	44.6	36.6	35.1	43.2	15.8	14.6	27.7	37.6	28.3	87.0	93.4	93.4	93.4	95.4	89.6	80.6	3.7	25.9	$15,790	$1,993	$13,797
East Prairie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	7616 E Prairie Rd	Skokie	60076	Cook County	East Prairie School District 73	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 673-1141	513	50	10.2	43.3%	151 (29.4%)	38 (7.4%)	121 (23.6%)	167 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.0%)	77	458^th of 2056 public elementary schools	77.7%		80.5	350^th of 2067 public elementary schools	83.1%	108	47.5	70.5	56.9	59.6	69.5	88.5	82.8	88.4	73.8	62.1	58.3	45.0	51.9	53.4	54.5	54.1	98.7	98.7	98.7	98.7	98.9	98.7	98.7	6.8	27.3	$21,399	$795	$20,605

Frequently Asked Questions about Decatur Classical Elementary School

Is Decatur Classical Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Decatur Classical Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 4^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Decatur Classical Elementary School?

Students at Decatur Classical Elementary School are 44% White, 28% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Decatur Classical Elementary School in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

How many students attend Decatur Classical Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 341 students attended Decatur Classical Elementary School.

Rate Decatur Classical Elementary School!

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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.