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Penn Elementary School

Q: Is Penn Elementary School a good school?

Penn Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.1% of Illinois elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Penn Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 218 students attended Penn Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Penn Elementary School?

Students at Penn Elementary School are 88% African American, 11% Hispanic.

Public Grades PK, KG-8

2033^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Penn Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with an enrollment of 213 students. Despite its proximity to several higher-performing schools, Penn Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Chicago Public Schools District 299 and the state of Illinois on standardized tests.

In the 2024-2025 school year, only 11.5% of Penn Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 42.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In math, a mere 3.9% of Penn Elementary students were proficient or better, compared to 27.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. Penn Elementary also struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 58.5% in recent years, significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school's performance issues extend to its student subgroups, with 0% of male students and 0% of low socioeconomic status students proficient or better in math.

Despite spending a relatively high amount per student, ranging from $19,317 to $28,169 in recent years, Penn Elementary's academic outcomes do not reflect this investment. The school is consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Illinois, with a ranking between 1,652 and 2,069 out of over 2,000 schools in recent years. Addressing the root causes of Penn Elementary's poor performance will likely require a multi-faceted approach targeting the unique needs of its high-poverty student population.

218

Students ?

9.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,694

Per pupil spending ?

85.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1616 S Avers Ave
Chicago, IL 60623-2401

(773) 534-1665

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.1%

Hispanic:

11.5%

American Indian:

0.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Penn Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 12th percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (5% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (58% vs 25% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school5%

District avg34%

Illinois avg46%

Elementary school

2,033^rd of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 12% (2015) to bottom 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,360^th of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 32 pts since 2015

From bottom 33% (2015) to bottom 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

439^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	6.3	2033 of 2056	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	1764 of 2067	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.6	1986 of 2077	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.9	2069 of 2082	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.8	1944 of 1948	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.7	1823 of 2086	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	1652 of 2037	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	15.2	1817 of 2044	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.9	1811 of 2046	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	16.5	1802 of 2052	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	14.9	1859 of 2093	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	11.7	1988 of 2167	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.5	2095 of 2166	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	10.0	1997 of 2147	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	2.9	2098 of 2139	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	6.6	2009 of 2120	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.6	2053 of 2092	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.5	1935 of 2095	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.8	1929 of 2086	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	1.6	1970 of 2022	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	2.2	1967 of 2030	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	1.1	2012 of 2020	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	15.7	660 of 688	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	37.8	392 of 655	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.7	528 of 692	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.3	637 of 684	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	24.3	416 of 428	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	35.4	453 of 711	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.6	309 of 698	55.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2019	33.4	1315 of 2019	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.4	1572 of 1964	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	9.1	1770 of 1800	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	1439 of 1793	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.1	1738 of 1808	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.3	1749 of 1763	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	15.0	1504 of 1514	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.7	1466 of 1816	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.4	1325 of 1765	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	2.5	1947 of 1947	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	1783 of 1984	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	1959 of 1977	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.6	1846 of 2019	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.6	1620 of 1972	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	6.5	1360 of 1368	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.1	1114 of 1363	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	945 of 1367	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	9.7	1367 of 1369	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.1	1233 of 1241	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	1162 of 1356	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.8	1193 of 1293	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.6	1208 of 1293	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	31.5	875 of 1294	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	31.2	875 of 1302	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	15.0	1176 of 1322	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	11.3	1256 of 1367	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	6.5	1305 of 1365	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	2.1	1325 of 1344	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	15.8	1158 of 1327	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	17.8	1118 of 1318	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	9.0	1184 of 1293	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	10.0	1166 of 1287	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	5.4	1206 of 1272	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	2.3	1188 of 1209	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	6.6	1116 of 1204	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	10.0	1056 of 1185	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.8	549 of 574	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	40.1	298 of 548	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.0	231 of 569	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	20.3	563 of 573	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.8	382 of 385	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	33.1	390 of 565	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.5	349 of 511	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2023	31.3	842 of 1275	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	8.5	1284 of 1286	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.3	1246 of 1276	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.6	1134 of 1226	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	9.5	1213 of 1229	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	28.0	902 of 1219	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.0	875 of 1234	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.1	1218 of 1221	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.4	1012 of 1019	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	1026 of 1217	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.4	1040 of 1161	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	7.4	1258 of 1271	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.0	961 of 1264	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.4	1102 of 1292	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	1267 of 1286	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.8	1066 of 1296	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.1	1098 of 1223	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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

Female (2019)35th percentile+22 vs school

African American (2025)4th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school

Middle school

Female (2023)34th percentile+3 vs school

African American (2025)4th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts12%-42 vs state

Mathematics4%-35 vs state

Science0%-45 vs state

★

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Schools Near Penn 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
Penn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	1616 S Avers Ave	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1665	218	24	9.1	85.3%	0 (0.0%)	192 (88.1%)	25 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.3	2033^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	1.1%		17.2	1764^th of 2067 public elementary schools	14.7%	269		0.0	18.8	4.8	20.0	5.3	18.2	6.3	11.5	6.3	5.0	0.0	0.0	9.1	0.0	3.9	85.3	87.2	87.2	87.2	93.4	87.2	84.4	14.7	20.9	$30,694	$4,349	$26,345
KIPP Chicago Chrtrs - Ascend Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1616 S Avers Ave	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 521-4399	897	8	112.1	94.8%	1 (0.1%)	802 (89.4%)	86 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.6%)	16.4	1753^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	14.7%		13.5	1915^th of 2067 public elementary schools	7.4%	162	18.2	29.1	20.2	24.5	25.0	36.7	28.0	46.5	29.6	32.3	12.1	4.5	8.9	8.0	7.0	12.7										$20,058	$1,410	$18,648
Herzl Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3711 W Douglas Blvd	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1480	429	34	12.6	97.2%	5 (1.2%)	379 (88.3%)	41 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	4.7	2053^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	0.1%		8.4	2059^th of 2067 public elementary schools	0.4%	6	0.0	0.0	3.1	0.0	4.7	8.6	17.1	6.7	6.8	10.7	0.0	2.4	2.9	5.0	0.0	3.3	70.5	76.0	76.0	76.3	86.7	76.0	74.8	2.4	13.8	$22,215	$3,445	$18,770
Dvorak Technology Academy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3615 W 16th St	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1690	276	25	11.2	88.8%	2 (0.7%)	219 (79.3%)	52 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	8	1992^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	3.1%		11.3	2003^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	3.1%	11	7.4	2.9	9.5	9.7	22.2	30.0	29.6	25.7	21.6	4.8	6.5	3.7	0.0	11.1	0.0	4.1	89.8	90.1	90.1	90.1	96.1	90.8	86.9	6.7	23.3	$21,487	$3,207	$18,279
Mason Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4217 W 18th St	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1530	241	20	11.9	95.0%	3 (1.2%)	197 (81.7%)	41 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.7	1980^th of 2056 public elementary schools	3.7%		13	1940^th of 2067 public elementary schools	6.1%	40	5.0	4.5	15.4	35.0	5.6	12.0	14.3	30.4	19.0	7.7	4.8	5.0	0.0	14.3	9.1	6.3	92.6	96.3	96.3	96.3	98.4	96.3	90.2	12.7	23.4	$27,274	$4,256	$23,018
Hughes C Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4247 W 15th St	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1762	169	19	9.1	90.5%	0 (0.0%)	122 (72.2%)	45 (26.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	20.6	1657^th of 2056 public elementary schools	19.4%		20	1684^th of 2067 public elementary schools	18.5%	27	30.8	0.0	23.1	28.6	30.8	0.0	31.3	7.7	21.3	18.2	7.1	38.5	9.1	23.5	0.0	16.5	83.0	86.8	86.8	86.8	93.1	85.5	76.1	14.5	18.9	$28,245	$3,993	$24,252
Lawndale Elementary Community Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	3500 W Douglas Blvd	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1635	191	18	10.4	80.6%	0 (0.0%)	165 (86.4%)	26 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.8	2028^th of 2056 public elementary schools	1.4%		11	2012^th of 2067 public elementary schools	2.7%	16	10.5	5.3	16.7	6.7	10.5	15.4	15.0	15.8	13.6	12.0	6.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.3	4.5	86.8	88.4	88.4	88.4	96.3	89.0	87.9	8.4	16.8	$27,642	$4,468	$23,175
Crown Elementary Community Acd Fine Arts Center	Public	K-8	2128 S Saint Louis Ave	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-1680	92	14	6.5	87.0%	0 (0.0%)	68 (73.9%)	23 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	19.4	1685^th of 2056 public elementary schools	18.0%		13.4	1929^th of 2067 public elementary schools	6.7%	244	18.2				27.3	46.7	38.5		31.7			9.1	0.0	7.7		6.3	85.3	92.7	92.7	92.7	93.6	90.8	89.9		18.4	$36,771	$6,981	$29,790
Frazier Perspectives Magnet Elementary School	Public	K-8	4027 W Grenshaw St	Chicago	60624	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 534-6880	129	21	6.2	88.4%	1 (0.8%)	117 (90.7%)	11 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13.1	1844^th of 2056 public elementary schools	10.3%		18.5	1722^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	16.7%	122	9.1	13.0	14.3	0.0	45.5	38.9	56.3	56.5	36.4	7.1	0.0	9.1	0.0	6.3	21.7	8.1	97.0	98.5	98.5	98.5	100.0	98.5	96.2		40.2	$36,195	$4,568	$31,626
Legacy Elementary Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	3318 W Ogden Ave	Chicago	60623	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 542-1640	458	26	17.6	92.4%	3 (0.7%)	417 (91.0%)	32 (7.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	16.1	1762^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	14.3%		17.7	1746^th of 2067 public elementary schools	15.5%	16	7.8	26.9	28.6	32.7	29.4	32.0	56.0	55.8	39.2	16.7	12.2	11.8	8.0	14.0	7.7	11.7										$22,085	$2,353	$19,732

Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Elementary School

What district is Penn Elementary School in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

What is the racial makeup of Penn Elementary School?

Students at Penn Elementary School are 88% African American, 11% Hispanic.

Is Penn Elementary School a good school?

Penn Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.1% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Penn Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 218 students attended Penn Elementary School.

Rate Penn 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.