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Bret Harte Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

1624^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Bret Harte Elementary School is a public school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 353 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. 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.

Bret Harte Elementary School consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 32.5% of Bret Harte students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 42.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, the proficiency rate was even lower at 14.1%, compared to 27.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 49.4% over the past few years, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

When comparing Bret Harte Elementary School to nearby schools within the same district, such as Carnegie Elementary School, Kozminski Elementary Community Academy, and Shoesmith Elementary School, Bret Harte generally performs worse in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency. However, the nearby schools also struggle to meet state and district averages, indicating a broader challenge in the area. Bret Harte's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 1,170 out of 2,052 Illinois elementary schools in the 2014-2015 school year to 1,624 out of 2,056 Illinois elementary schools in the 2024-2025 school year.

339

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,120

Per pupil spending ?

75.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1556 E 56th St
Chicago, IL 60637-1911

(773) 535-0870

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students who attend Bret Harte Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Hyde Park Academy High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

77.6%

Hispanic:

12.7%

White:

4.1%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Bret Harte Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 43rd percentile in 2014 → 21st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (23% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (49% vs 25% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg33%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

1,624^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 22 pts since 2015

From bottom 43% (2015) to bottom 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,132^nd of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

237^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	21.7	1624 of 2056	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	1503 of 2067	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	1635 of 2077	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	1588 of 2082	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.3	1365 of 2086	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.0	1296 of 2037	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.1	1268 of 2044	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.0	1267 of 2046	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.3	1170 of 2052	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.5	1197 of 2093	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.9	1443 of 2167	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.9	1346 of 2166	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	50.3	1282 of 2147	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	59.0	1080 of 2139	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.8	1325 of 2120	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.0	1286 of 2092	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	44.1	1422 of 2095	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	43.3	1435 of 2086	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	54.5	1132 of 2022	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	38.2	1449 of 2030	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	34.6	1478 of 2020	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	351 of 688	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.4	272 of 655	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.9	277 of 692	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.1	285 of 684	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.3	164 of 711	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	69.2	120 of 698	82.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.6	1615 of 1942	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	1553 of 1942	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.8	1678 of 1957	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.5	1497 of 1970	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.4	1183 of 2019	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.4	1128 of 1964	42.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.3	1345 of 1800	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	1262 of 1793	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.5	1275 of 1808	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.8	1074 of 1763	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.3	1094 of 1816	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.5	818 of 1765	53.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.2	1535 of 1947	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.7	1022 of 1959	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	1321 of 1984	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.5	1665 of 1977	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.0	1480 of 2019	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.1	1306 of 1972	33.8%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	19.3	1132 of 1368	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	865 of 1363	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.5	1004 of 1367	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	997 of 1369	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.3	675 of 1241	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.8	959 of 1356	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.9	1039 of 1293	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.4	874 of 1293	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	21.0	1078 of 1294	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	30.5	887 of 1302	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.1	657 of 1322	50.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	42.8	295 of 574	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.7	152 of 548	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	50.4	219 of 569	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	162 of 573	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	82.1	24 of 385	93.8%	★★★★★
2019	55.1	180 of 565	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.4	190 of 511	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	33.0	441 of 694	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.6	967 of 1248	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.7	818 of 1251	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.6	1036 of 1275	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	901 of 1286	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.0	880 of 1276	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	22.1	976 of 1226	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	990 of 1229	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.2	605 of 1219	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.0	846 of 1234	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.1	762 of 1221	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.6	377 of 1019	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.2	645 of 1217	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	780 of 1161	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	1119 of 1271	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.2	766 of 1264	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.3	738 of 1292	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.4	984 of 1286	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.0	913 of 1296	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.6	988 of 1223	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.0	664 of 812	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.5	487 of 802	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)49th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)21st percentile~ school

Female (2025)17th percentile-4 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)49th percentile+31 vs school

Disabled (2025)36th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)23rd percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)18th percentile~ school

Male (2025)12th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts32%-21 vs state

Science23%-20 vs state

Mathematics14%-24 vs state

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Schools Near Bret Harte 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
Bret Harte Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1556 E 56th St	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0870	339	27	12.6	75.2%	14 (4.1%)	263 (77.6%)	43 (12.7%)	6 (1.8%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.7%)	21.7	1624^th of 2056 public elementary schools	21.0%		26.5	1503^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	27.3%	121	33.3	13.2	17.8	39.1	39.3	28.0	39.0	36.8	32.5	15.6	22.7	14.8	4.0	22.0	5.3	14.1	85.3	87.3	87.3	87.3	92.1	85.6	83.3	13.0	22.4	$22,120	$3,010	$19,110
Ray Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	5631 S Kimbark Ave	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	No	(773) 535-0970	613	42	14.7	44.9%	79 (12.9%)	364 (59.4%)	108 (17.6%)	33 (5.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	24 (3.9%)	41	1191^st of 2056 public elementary schools	42.1%		32.7	1325^th of 2067 public elementary schools	35.9%	134	45.3	19.4	32.6	26.9	39.6	50.0	33.8	34.8	36.5	58.1	17.3	36.5	23.3	14.9	11.9	24.7	74.2	78.2	78.2	78.2	89.1	78.0	75.3	6.6	19.9	$17,993	$1,771	$16,222
Murray Elementary Language Academy	Public	K-8	5335 S Kenwood Ave	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0585	477	32	15.1	60.6%	10 (2.1%)	423 (88.7%)	22 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)	36.1	1293^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	37.1%		47.4	992^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	52.0%	301	25.0	21.8	49.1	45.3	50.9	62.3	50.0	58.2	52.7	20.0	30.2	8.9	7.5	22.7	5.5	15.5	82.8	87.6	87.6	87.6	95.2	87.3	86.9		21.2	$16,484	$2,182	$14,302
Carnegie Elementary School	Public	K-8	1414 E 61st Pl	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0530	389	31	12.5	79.7%	2 (0.5%)	375 (96.4%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	32.4	1374^th of 2056 public elementary schools	33.2%		38.9	1179^th of 2067 public elementary schools	43.0%	195	23.9	17.2	35.7	30.5	47.8	43.1	39.5	29.6	38.0	35.7	27.1	21.7	23.5	28.9	11.1	25.5	89.7	92.5	92.5	92.7	96.2	92.5	93.0		24.8	$20,761	$2,919	$17,842
Kozminski Elementary Community Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	936 E 54th St	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0980	275	26	10.6	79.3%	14 (5.1%)	199 (72.4%)	47 (17.1%)	10 (3.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	24.7	1565^th of 2056 public elementary schools	23.9%		18.3	1728^th of 2067 public elementary schools	16.4%	163	24.0	17.4	30.8	36.0	44.0	38.1	21.7	56.5	37.8	38.5	12.0	12.0	4.8	4.3	8.7	14.0	89.2	93.6	93.6	93.6	94.8	91.6	88.0	14.8	20.4	$24,938	$3,003	$21,935
Shoesmith Elementary School	Public	K-6	1330 E 50th St	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1764	294	27	11.0	71.8%	12 (4.1%)	197 (67.0%)	66 (22.4%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.1%)	22.4	1608^th of 2056 public elementary schools	21.8%		26.7	1495^th of 2067 public elementary schools	27.7%	113	22.5		35.9	31.0	30.0	34.1			33.1	30.8	24.4	10.0	9.8			18.5	83.3	86.6	86.6	86.6	97.7	84.5	81.9		11.4	$22,889	$2,430	$20,458
Reavis Elementary Math & Sci Special School	Public	PK, KG-8	834 E 50th St	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1060	356	24	15.1	66.6%	10 (2.8%)	324 (91.0%)	19 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	10.6	1923^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	6.5%		12.1	1973^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	4.5%	50	3.4	10.3	32.1	21.9	7.1	16.7	28.0	27.6	22.3	25.0	9.4	0.0	0.0	8.0	0.0	7.1	82.8	83.9	83.9	83.9	89.6	83.9	78.1	21.9	12.9	$21,798	$3,717	$18,081
Wadsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6650 S Ellis Ave	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0730	487	27	18.0	87.5%	1 (0.2%)	432 (88.7%)	48 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.2%)	10.1	1944^th of 2056 public elementary schools	5.4%		15.7	1822^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	11.9%	122	7.3	7.1	10.0	15.2	21.4	36.6	39.2	37.8	27.2	12.8	8.9	0.0	5.0	9.8	13.6	8.4	73.4	79.8	79.8	79.8	89.8	79.2	74.6	7.3	15.0	$18,326	$3,225	$15,100
Fiske Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6020 S Langley Ave	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0990	373	30	12.4	75.1%	1 (0.3%)	345 (92.5%)	18 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (1.9%)	6	2040^th of 2056 public elementary schools	0.8%		15.2	1840^th of 2067 public elementary schools	11.0%	200	5.6	11.1	12.5	12.5	9.4	11.5	17.6	25.0	14.7	1.8	5.3	0.0	4.0	18.2	0.0	4.5	71.7	74.5	74.5	74.5	89.2	74.8	73.2		8.9	$21,061	$3,582	$17,480
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Bret Harte Elementary School

How many students attend Bret Harte Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 339 students attended Bret Harte Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Bret Harte Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bret Harte Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Hyde Park Academy High School

What is the racial makeup of Bret Harte Elementary School?

Students at Bret Harte Elementary School are 78% African American, 13% Hispanic, 4% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Bret Harte Elementary School a good school?

Bret Harte Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.0% of Illinois elementary schools.

What district is Bret Harte Elementary School in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

Rate Bret Harte 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.