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James Farmer Junior Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1810^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Fuller Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 306 students enrolled. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 698 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fuller Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 15-20% of Illinois elementary schools, with low proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that are significantly below district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 24.9% of students were proficient in ELA compared to 42.8% in the district and 53.1% statewide. In Math, the proficiency rate was just 13.6% compared to 27.3% in the district and 38.5% statewide. The school's performance on the Illinois Science Assessment is also below district and state averages. Chronic absenteeism rates at Fuller Elementary School have been high, ranging from 25.4% to 46.9% in recent years.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Univ of Chicago Charter-Donoghue, Robinson Elementary School, and Wells Preparatory Elementary Academy, which have outperformed Fuller Elementary School in academic proficiency, the school is underperforming. Additionally, Bronzeville Classical Elementary School, a high-performing charter school outside of the Chicago Public Schools District, is located less than a mile from Fuller Elementary and has significantly higher proficiency rates across all grades and subjects.

321

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,898

Per pupil spending ?

94.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4214 S Saint Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60653-2926

(773) 535-1687

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students who attend James Farmer Junior Elementary usually attend:

High:

Phillips Academy High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.5%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Two or more races:

1.6%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare James Farmer Junior Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (20% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (47% vs 25% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school20%

District avg33%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

1,810^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,134^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 4% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

320^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	14.3	1810 of 2056	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	1551 of 2067	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	1756 of 2077	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	1967 of 2082	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.2	1803 of 1948	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	1865 of 2086	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.2	1787 of 2037	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.1	1842 of 2044	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	11.1	1939 of 2046	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	12.2	1939 of 2052	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.0	1980 of 2093	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.2	2040 of 2167	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	0.2	2166 of 2166	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.0	2142 of 2147	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.9	2135 of 2139	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.8	2113 of 2120	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	1.7	2077 of 2092	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.9	2082 of 2095	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.7	2043 of 2086	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	2.7	1928 of 2022	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	16.1	1751 of 2030	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	6.7	1851 of 2020	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	429 of 688	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.2	242 of 655	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	36.9	415 of 692	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.0	490 of 684	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.9	275 of 428	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.3	390 of 711	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.2	372 of 698	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.8	1723 of 1942	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.5	1545 of 1942	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	1551 of 1957	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	1719 of 1970	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	1515 of 1680	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.0	1641 of 2019	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.3	1575 of 1964	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.5	1455 of 1800	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	1231 of 1793	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.4	1403 of 1808	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.2	1609 of 1763	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	1360 of 1514	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.3	1510 of 1816	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	1454 of 1765	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.5	1716 of 1947	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.9	1242 of 1959	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	18.7	1647 of 1984	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.0	1947 of 1977	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.6	1705 of 1707	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.8	1890 of 2019	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.9	1819 of 1972	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2019	21.2	1098 of 1194	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.3	1134 of 1368	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	1122 of 1363	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	1089 of 1367	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.5	1228 of 1369	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.0	1106 of 1241	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	1259 of 1356	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.5	1199 of 1293	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	17.1	1108 of 1293	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.9	1080 of 1294	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.2	1254 of 1302	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.7	1317 of 1322	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	1.9	1360 of 1367	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.1	1320 of 1365	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.4	1330 of 1344	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.6	1323 of 1327	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.2	1238 of 1318	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	7.0	1210 of 1293	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	11.1	1153 of 1287	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	6.1	1190 of 1272	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	15.6	1020 of 1209	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	8.7	1080 of 1204	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	4.9	1138 of 1185	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	43.9	290 of 574	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	310 of 548	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.4	235 of 569	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.8	371 of 573	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	218 of 385	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.9	418 of 565	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	389 of 511	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	17.6	673 of 694	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.4	909 of 1248	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.4	981 of 1251	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.7	898 of 1275	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	1152 of 1286	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.9	944 of 1017	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	1123 of 1276	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.0	1092 of 1226	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	925 of 1229	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.2	960 of 1219	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.9	850 of 1234	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.6	1047 of 1221	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.8	814 of 1019	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.9	1092 of 1217	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.3	1042 of 1161	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	1104 of 1271	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.9	1008 of 1264	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	1129 of 1292	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	1113 of 1286	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.3	928 of 1048	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.2	1250 of 1296	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.2	1154 of 1223	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.8	781 of 812	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.9	680 of 792	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)38th percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)12th percentile~ school

Female (2025)11th percentile~ school

Special Education (2019)8th percentile-3 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)49th percentile+32 vs school

Female (2025)27th percentile+10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)13th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)4th percentile-13 vs school

Disabled (2025)3rd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts25%-28 vs state

Science20%-23 vs state

Mathematics14%-25 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, February 4, 2021

My absolute and honest opinion on this place is that it needs to be shut down. If there are new teachers and staff, then this place would have a chance to get better. As a dad, I'm concerned with carelessness towards the way the school is ran. The teachers pick and choose through students that they like. It's a favoritism game with all the teachers and staff. Someone warned me about putting my child into this school and I surely didn't think it would be this bad. The school's ONLY concern is attendance. My child could be dying and they still want them 15 minutes early to school. Everyone has different things going on in life and they should understand that, yet they only care if they are the school with the highest attendance rates. It's really sad. Close Quote

Schools Near James Farmer Junior Elementary

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
James Farmer Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	4214 S Saint Lawrence Ave	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1687	321	19	16.8	94.1%	0 (0.0%)	300 (93.5%)	14 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	14.3	1810^th of 2056 public elementary schools	12.0%		24.7	1551^st of 2067 public elementary schools	25.0%	259	21.2	18.4	7.1	20.0	22.9	30.0	35.2	25.0	24.9	7.1	13.8	17.6	13.8	15.1	12.5	13.6	81.8	87.4	87.4	87.4	89.7	87.1	83.1	4.0	24.2	$19,898	$2,407	$17,490
Mollison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4415 S Dr Martin L King Jr Dr	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1804	237	17	13.9	85.7%	0 (0.0%)	221 (93.2%)	11 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	5.3	2045^th of 2056 public elementary schools	0.5%		11.3	2002^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	3.1%	43	9.4	3.6	0.0	0.0	12.9	8.0	45.5	17.9	13.5	5.0	3.4	0.0	4.0	22.7	10.7	7.1	88.5	92.8	92.8	92.8	97.5	92.8	88.5	6.4	23.8	$23,499	$4,165	$19,334
Woodson South Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4414 S Evans Ave	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1280	298	22	13.5	70.8%	0 (0.0%)	272 (91.3%)	19 (6.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.7%)	14.7	1794^th of 2056 public elementary schools	12.7%		12.2	1970^th of 2067 public elementary schools	4.7%	176	11.5	5.0	35.0	14.7	30.8	17.1	9.4	42.5	24.4	40.0	3.0	0.0	0.0	3.1	0.0	5.2	85.4	88.4	88.8	88.4	96.6	86.7	86.4	4.1	19.4	$23,327	$3,330	$19,997
Univ of Chicago Charter-Donoghue	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	707 E 37th St	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 285-5301	499	23	21.6	84.6%	0 (0.0%)	474 (95.0%)	16 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	32.8	1361^st of 2056 public elementary schools	33.8%		33.1	1308^th of 2067 public elementary schools	36.7%	53	24.4		37.8	33.3	57.7				42.7	33.3	17.1	25.6				25.3										$18,355	$1,216	$17,139
Robinson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	4225 S Lake Park Ave	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1777	117	13	9.3	86.3%	0 (0.0%)	110 (94.0%)	2 (1.7%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)								(n/a)			33.3						33.3	13.3						13.3	84.2	86.0	86.0	86.0	93.9	84.2	80.7	14.9		$33,929	$4,056	$29,873
Wells Preparatory Elementary Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	249 E 37th St	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1204	308	22	14.0	82.8%	2 (0.6%)	296 (96.1%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	33.4	1349^th of 2056 public elementary schools	34.4%		29.2	1421^st of 2067 public elementary schools	31.3%	72	22.6	14.3	25.9	38.5	44.4	66.7	78.3	78.6	53.6	28.6	23.1	25.8	16.7	17.4	14.3	21.4	77.8	82.2	82.2	82.2	93.8	80.6	79.4	10.9	12.8	$22,776	$2,969	$19,807
Bronzeville Classical Elementary School	Public	K-8	8 W Root St	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	No	(773) 535-8085	458	26	17.6	16.6%	23 (5.0%)	340 (74.2%)	22 (4.8%)	41 (9.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.8%)	97.1	23^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	98.9%		97.3	42^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	98.0%	19	75.4	84.0	76.8	92.7	98.2	94.6	97.4	100.0	92.4	89.3	89.3	73.7	82.1	71.8	60.0	79.9	94.1	96.2	96.2	96.2	97.2	95.7	95.5		13.7	$15,884	$963	$14,921
Ariel Elementary Community Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	1119 E 46th St	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1996	364	35	10.4	71.2%	1 (0.3%)	349 (95.9%)	11 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	14	1819^th of 2056 public elementary schools	11.5%		16.3	1791^st of 2067 public elementary schools	13.4%	28	14.7	22.7	19.0	34.2	26.5	16.2	29.0	34.8	26.6	28.6	13.2	2.9	5.4	9.7	30.4	13.0	87.2	92.3	92.3	92.3	94.3	91.2	88.3	6.6	19.7	$24,219	$2,776	$21,444
Univ of Chicago Charter-Nth Kenwood	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	1119 E 46th St	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 536-2399	304	16	19.0	77.6%	12 (3.9%)	281 (92.4%)	7 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	39.9	1214^th of 2056 public elementary schools	41.0%		36.6	1230^th of 2067 public elementary schools	40.5%	16	32.6		39.6	34.0	52.2				41.4	47.2	32.1	23.9				34.9										$20,602	$905	$19,697
James R Doolittle Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	535 E 35th St	Chicago	60616	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1040	257	21	12.5	84.8%	0 (0.0%)	252 (98.1%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7.2	2020^th of 2056 public elementary schools	1.8%		10.4	2025^th of 2067 public elementary schools	2.0%	5	10.7	16.7	4.3	18.4	13.8	8.3	23.8	22.2	15.0	4.3	7.9	0.0	8.3	0.0	0.0	3.9	81.3	85.9	85.9	85.9	91.2	85.1	79.8	9.2	12.6	$24,891	$4,318	$20,573

Frequently Asked Questions about James Farmer Junior Elementary

What schools do graduates of James Farmer Junior Elementary attend?

Students who attend James Farmer Junior Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Phillips Academy High School

Is James Farmer Junior Elementary a good school?

James Farmer Junior Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.0% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend James Farmer Junior Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 321 students attended James Farmer Junior Elementary.

What district is James Farmer Junior Elementary in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

What is the racial makeup of James Farmer Junior Elementary?

Students at James Farmer Junior Elementary are 93% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Rate James Farmer Junior Elementary!

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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.