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Sawyer Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-8
1745th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools
Better than 15% of Illinois elementary schools
Summary

Sawyer Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 933 students. 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.

Sawyer Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state on standardized tests, with only 27% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 19.6% proficient or better in math. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.4% to 40.8% over the past few years. Additionally, Sawyer Elementary School ranks in the bottom 30-40% of Illinois elementary schools for Hispanic students, English Language Learners, Special Education students, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, indicating equity concerns.

Interestingly, nearby schools such as Acero Charter - Rufino Tamayo Elementary, Monarcas Academy, and Talman Elementary School generally outperform Sawyer Elementary School on academic measures, despite serving similar student populations. This suggests that factors beyond just student demographics, such as school leadership, curriculum, and instructional practices, may be contributing to the poor performance at Sawyer. Despite the relatively high spending per student at Sawyer Elementary School, the school's academic performance remains poor, raising questions about the efficient and effective use of resources.

885
Students ?
15.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$17,180
Per pupil spending ?
95.9%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 5248 S Sawyer Ave
       Chicago, IL  60632-3131

(773) 535-0440

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299


Students who attend Sawyer Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Curie Metropolitan High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
96.8%
White:
1.9%
American Indian:
0.5%
more
 See top rated Illinois elementary schools

 Compare Sawyer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 30th percentile in 2015 → 15th in 2025
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Illinois average (21% vs 44% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 25% Illinois)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school21%
District avg33%
Illinois avg44%
Elementary school
1,745th of 2,056
Illinois public elementary schools ?
Bottom 15%▼ down 15 pts since 2015
From bottom 30% (2015) to bottom 15% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
1,027th of 1,368
Illinois public middle schools ?
Bottom 25%▼ down 2 pts since 2015
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
283rd of 451Elementary Schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299
698th 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202516.81745 of 205615.1%★☆☆☆☆
202417.21762 of 206714.8%★☆☆☆☆
202317.51776 of 207714.5%★☆☆☆☆
202217.31770 of 208215.0%★☆☆☆☆
202114.51783 of 19488.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201922.91630 of 208621.9%★☆☆☆☆
201822.71585 of 203722.2%★☆☆☆☆
201722.31622 of 204420.6%★☆☆☆☆
201627.01508 of 204626.3%★☆☆☆☆
201528.91443 of 205229.7%★☆☆☆☆
201425.11650 of 209321.2%★☆☆☆☆
201329.51600 of 216726.2%★☆☆☆☆
201233.41617 of 216625.3%★☆☆☆☆
201129.61663 of 214722.5%★☆☆☆☆
201020.21814 of 213915.2%★☆☆☆☆
200923.41742 of 212017.8%★☆☆☆☆
200820.61768 of 209215.5%★☆☆☆☆
200749.61332 of 209536.4%★★☆☆☆
200646.71366 of 208634.5%★★☆☆☆
200534.31506 of 202225.5%★☆☆☆☆
200444.41326 of 203034.7%★★☆☆☆
200314.81729 of 202014.4%★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202520.0944 of 104910.0%★☆☆☆☆
202421.6797 of 88610.0%☆☆☆☆☆
202328.4676 of 90725.5%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202524.2691 of 78812.3%★☆☆☆☆
202426.1712 of 82613.8%★☆☆☆☆
202327.5682 of 78813.5%★☆☆☆☆
202230.9605 of 76821.2%★☆☆☆☆
202139.3310 of 53742.3%★★☆☆☆
201935.3520 of 74330.0%★★☆☆☆
201831.8545 of 71824.1%★☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202518.11630 of 194216.1%★☆☆☆☆
202418.91629 of 194216.1%★☆☆☆☆
202320.81570 of 195719.8%★☆☆☆☆
202220.11592 of 197019.2%★☆☆☆☆
202113.81559 of 16807.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201922.51618 of 201919.9%★☆☆☆☆
201822.61548 of 196421.2%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202523.4815 of 98217.0%★☆☆☆☆
202422.8805 of 95916.1%★☆☆☆☆
202322.6844 of 97013.0%★☆☆☆☆
202221.4847 of 95411.2%★☆☆☆☆
202119.9709 of 7424.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201930.8703 of 95526.4%★☆☆☆☆
201831.2665 of 93829.1%★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202527.71374 of 180023.7%★☆☆☆☆
202426.91401 of 179321.9%★☆☆☆☆
202327.61399 of 180822.6%★☆☆☆☆
202227.91339 of 176324.0%★☆☆☆☆
202122.41323 of 151412.6%★☆☆☆☆
201937.81172 of 181635.5%★★☆☆☆
201836.61147 of 176535.0%★★☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202517.01639 of 194715.8%★☆☆☆☆
202416.61699 of 195913.3%★☆☆☆☆
202315.91760 of 198411.3%★☆☆☆☆
202216.71739 of 197712.0%★☆☆☆☆
202113.51620 of 17075.1%☆☆☆☆☆
201925.01529 of 201924.3%★☆☆☆☆
201824.41514 of 197223.2%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202520.91075 of 129216.8%★☆☆☆☆
202420.51059 of 119511.4%★☆☆☆☆
202323.4965 of 115616.5%★☆☆☆☆
202227.6842 of 111324.3%★☆☆☆☆
201919.81140 of 11944.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201821.4709 of 7637.1%☆☆☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202524.21027 of 136824.9%★☆☆☆☆
202426.0983 of 136327.9%★☆☆☆☆
202325.01009 of 136726.2%★☆☆☆☆
202226.6967 of 136929.4%★☆☆☆☆
202117.91065 of 124114.2%★☆☆☆☆
201928.9957 of 135629.4%★☆☆☆☆
201830.9881 of 129331.9%★★☆☆☆
201727.2945 of 129326.9%★☆☆☆☆
201623.91019 of 129421.3%★☆☆☆☆
201526.9953 of 130226.8%★☆☆☆☆
201436.5881 of 132233.4%★★☆☆☆
201340.6848 of 136738.0%★★☆☆☆
201243.7890 of 136534.8%★★☆☆☆
201144.3853 of 134436.5%★★☆☆☆
201035.5972 of 132726.8%★☆☆☆☆
200939.9915 of 131830.6%★★☆☆☆
200840.8868 of 129332.9%★★☆☆☆
200744.4839 of 128734.8%★★☆☆☆
200640.7866 of 127231.9%★★☆☆☆
200543.6773 of 120936.1%★★☆☆☆
200435.4833 of 120430.8%★★☆☆☆
200337.8793 of 118533.1%★★☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202526.7549 of 69420.9%★☆☆☆☆
202431.6445 of 63930.4%★★☆☆☆
202326.9529 of 67421.5%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202530.8365 of 48324.4%★☆☆☆☆
202433.4344 of 48629.2%★☆☆☆☆
202332.4366 of 48023.8%★☆☆☆☆
202237.9281 of 45438.1%★★☆☆☆
202144.2126 of 27754.5%★★★☆☆
201940.0208 of 33938.6%★★☆☆☆
201842.4139 of 28551.2%★★★☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202529.7874 of 124830.0%★★☆☆☆
202429.7861 of 125131.2%★★☆☆☆
202325.6929 of 127527.1%★☆☆☆☆
202224.5966 of 128624.9%★☆☆☆☆
202121.4829 of 101718.5%★☆☆☆☆
201928.2935 of 127626.7%★☆☆☆☆
201832.0841 of 122631.4%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202527.4500 of 66925.3%★☆☆☆☆
202429.9459 of 64328.6%★☆☆☆☆
202329.5486 of 66126.5%★☆☆☆☆
202230.3478 of 66227.8%★☆☆☆☆
202119.7468 of 5179.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201932.3450 of 63929.6%★☆☆☆☆
201836.6386 of 59034.6%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202538.5740 of 122939.8%★★☆☆☆
202439.9697 of 121942.8%★★☆☆☆
202337.0777 of 123437.0%★★☆☆☆
202240.4669 of 122145.2%★★☆☆☆
202128.7758 of 101925.6%★☆☆☆☆
201943.9653 of 121746.3%★★☆☆☆
201847.1565 of 116151.3%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202519.91030 of 127119.0%★☆☆☆☆
202423.7950 of 126424.8%★☆☆☆☆
202324.9968 of 129225.1%★☆☆☆☆
202229.8867 of 128632.6%★★☆☆☆
202113.8986 of 10485.9%☆☆☆☆☆
201929.7887 of 129631.6%★★☆☆☆
201828.4860 of 122329.7%★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202526.9574 of 81229.3%★☆☆☆☆
202426.8613 of 80223.6%★☆☆☆☆
202327.8590 of 80526.7%★☆☆☆☆
202226.9654 of 78116.3%★☆☆☆☆
201930.7558 of 79229.5%★☆☆☆☆
201828.4457 of 60224.1%★☆☆☆☆
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
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2025)17th percentile~ school
Special Education (2025)17th percentile~ school
Female (2025)16th percentile~ school
Male (2025)16th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2025)12th percentile-3 vs school
Disabled (2025)10th percentile-5 vs school
Middle school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)40th percentile+15 vs school
Female (2025)30th percentile+5 vs school
Special Education (2025)29th percentile+4 vs school
Hispanic (2025)25th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2025)24th percentile~ school
Disabled (2025)21st percentile-4 vs school
Male (2025)19th percentile-6 vs school
By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts27%-26 vs state
Mathematics20%-19 vs state
Science19%-24 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sawyer Elementary School

In the 2024-25 school year, 885 students attended Sawyer Elementary School.

Sawyer Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.1% of Illinois elementary schools.

Students who attend Sawyer Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Curie Metropolitan High School

Students at Sawyer Elementary School are 97% Hispanic, 2% White.


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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.





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