Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Shields Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-4

1726^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Shields Elementary School is a public elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 487 students in grades PK-4. 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.

Shields Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state in academic proficiency, with only 26.5% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 21.5% in Mathematics in the 2024-2025 school year. The school also faces high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 25.4% to 40.1% over the past few years. Shields serves a high-poverty student population, with 94.05% to 95.52% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. However, the school has seen an increase in per-student spending, from $15,056 in 2020-2021 to $21,295 in 2023-2024, and the student-teacher ratio has improved from 14.8 in 2021-2022 to 11.7 in 2023-2024.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Gunsaulus Elementary Scholastic Academy and Columbia Explorers Elementary Academy, Shields Elementary School's academic performance is generally lower. The school's performance on various student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and English Language Learners, is also lower than the state averages. However, there are signs of improvement, as the school's overall ranking among Illinois elementary schools has improved from 1887 out of 2086 in 2018-2019 to 1726 out of 2056 in 2024-2025, and its rating has increased from 0 to 2 stars during this period.

439

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,994

Per pupil spending ?

93.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4250 S Rockwell St
Chicago, IL 60632-1216

(773) 535-7285

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students who attend Shields Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shields Middle School
High:	Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

95.7%

White:

2.7%

African American:

0.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Shields Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 22nd percentile in 2015 → 16th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (24% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg35%

Illinois avg46%

1,726^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 22% (2015) to bottom 16% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

275^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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	17.6	1726 of 2056	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.8	1550 of 2067	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.5	1364 of 2077	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.5	1841 of 2082	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.9	1762 of 1948	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	1887 of 2086	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.5	1569 of 2037	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.0	1679 of 2044	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	26.7	1516 of 2046	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.0	1592 of 2052	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	23.0	1691 of 2093	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.4	1903 of 2167	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	26.6	1734 of 2166	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.8	1723 of 2147	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	23.0	1773 of 2139	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	24.2	1731 of 2120	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	24.9	1703 of 2092	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	38.7	1527 of 2095	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	37.4	1556 of 2086	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.4	1585 of 2022	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	34.5	1509 of 2030	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	31.0	1520 of 2020	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	48.1	359 of 886	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.3	331 of 907	63.5%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.1	755 of 788	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	37.5	511 of 826	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.6	366 of 788	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	25.1	703 of 768	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.0	612 of 743	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.2	443 of 718	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	1681 of 1942	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.5	1519 of 1942	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.9	1204 of 1957	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	13.9	1809 of 1970	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.2	1797 of 2019	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	1496 of 1964	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.0	792 of 982	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.4	602 of 959	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.1	468 of 970	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	21.5	843 of 954	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	655 of 742	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	862 of 955	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.6	613 of 938	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	1371 of 1800	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.7	1074 of 1793	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.3	778 of 1808	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	22.8	1479 of 1763	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	1269 of 1514	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.8	1492 of 1816	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.3	1074 of 1765	39.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	1569 of 1947	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	1364 of 1959	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.1	1371 of 1984	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.0	1639 of 1977	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.6	1648 of 1707	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.0	1833 of 2019	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.2	1523 of 1972	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	52.5	498 of 1292	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	646 of 1195	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.9	629 of 1156	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	24.9	927 of 1113	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.8	1013 of 1194	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	751 of 763	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)61st percentile+45 vs school

Disabled (2024)59th percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)24th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)19th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)13th percentile-3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)4th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts26%-27 vs state

Mathematics22%-17 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Shields Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 14, 2020

It's a good school for kids to learn and nice teachers that help kids advance in school and in life students learn and play. Close Quote

Schools Near Shields 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
Shields Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	4250 S Rockwell St	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7285	439	36	12.1	93.8%	12 (2.7%)	3 (0.7%)	420 (95.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17.6	1726^th of 2056 public elementary schools	16.1%		24.8	1550^th of 2067 public elementary schools	25.0%	176			22.4	29.7					26.5	24.6	19.2					21.5	93.0	95.3	95.3	95.3	97.7	94.1	91.4	14.6		$21,994	$3,057	$18,938
Acero Charter-Brighton Park Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-8	4420 S Fairfield Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(312) 455-5434	465	31	15.2	93.1%	4 (0.9%)	4 (0.9%)	457 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.5	1927^th of 2056 public elementary schools	6.3%		16.7	1782^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	13.8%	145	7.1	17.2	7.7	24.5	28.6	23.6	45.8	41.4	29.2	15.4	14.3	0.0	5.5	23.7	19.0	13.1										$16,240	$963	$15,278
Acero Charter - Sandra Cisneros Elementary	Public, Charter	K-8	2744 W Pershing Rd	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 376-8830	326	27	12.3	90.2%	5 (1.5%)	2 (0.6%)	319 (97.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.5	1858^th of 2056 public elementary schools	9.6%		11.1	2009^th of 2067 public elementary schools	2.8%	151	11.1	26.8	12.5	13.2	45.7	22.9	21.4	34.1	26.1	12.9	10.5	6.5	2.9	19.0	7.3	9.9										$26,377	$1,178	$25,199
Gunsaulus Elementary Scholastic Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	4420 S Sacramento Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7215	658	49	13.4	86.0%	15 (2.3%)	11 (1.7%)	619 (94.1%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	37.7	1260^th of 2056 public elementary schools	38.7%		22.1	1619^th of 2067 public elementary schools	21.7%	359	27.3	42.4	36.1	43.3	48.1	26.0	44.9	60.6	43.0	50.0	40.0	28.6	16.4	21.8	34.8	31.5	97.7	98.3	98.3	98.3	99.1	98.2	97.6	7.7	30.6	$17,805	$1,629	$16,176
Brighton Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3825 S Washtenaw Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7237	298	26	11.4	90.6%	13 (4.4%)	3 (1.0%)	276 (92.6%)	4 (1.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15.3	1778^th of 2056 public elementary schools	13.5%		23.6	1582^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	23.5%	196	4.5	32.6	38.7	9.7	26.1	42.9	42.3	47.6	35.1	22.6	3.2	0.0	4.8	11.5	38.1	16.2	91.8	95.4	95.4	95.4	96.5	95.0	94.7	6.4	30.1	$24,913	$4,487	$20,426
Acero Charter - Officer Marquez Elementary	Public, Charter	K-8	2916 W 47th St	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 321-2200	508	36	14.1	93.1%	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	502 (98.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.6	1956^th of 2056 public elementary schools	4.9%		14.8	1856^th of 2067 public elementary schools	10.2%	100	11.1	25.0	16.1	17.5	16.7	16.1	33.9	43.3	24.3	19.6	10.5	5.6	5.4	22.0	33.3	16.4										$16,077	$1,139	$14,938
Davis N Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3014 W 39th Pl	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4540	540	38	14.3	87.6%	19 (3.5%)	15 (2.8%)	502 (93.0%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.1	2022^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	1.7%		9.6	2048^th of 2067 public elementary schools	0.9%	26	2.9	17.0	16.2	8.3	8.3	19.1	18.4	21.2	15.6	16.2	2.1	0.0	6.4	10.2	5.8	6.7	85.9	87.7	87.7	87.7	90.9	85.9	85.1	8.1	20.8	$19,674	$2,936	$16,738
Columbia Explorers Elementary Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	4520 S Kedzie Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4050	718	54	13.4	86.2%	9 (1.3%)	6 (0.8%)	695 (96.8%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	44.7	1114^th of 2056 public elementary schools	45.8%		38.1	1198^th of 2067 public elementary schools	42.0%	84	31.1	52.8	65.3	30.0	50.7	59.4	72.4	76.4	59.4	52.0	25.0	18.9	20.6	49.1	60.6	37.8	96.4	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.2	97.5	96.0	11.5	28.7	$18,874	$2,411	$16,463
Burroughs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	3542 S Washtenaw Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7226	303	29	10.4	92.4%	9 (3.0%)	11 (3.6%)	276 (91.1%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45.2	1104^th of 2056 public elementary schools	46.3%		32.9	1315^th of 2067 public elementary schools	36.4%	211	30.8	50.0	40.7	26.7	51.3	69.0	75.8	83.3	59.4	40.7	23.3	41.0	31.0	24.2	47.2	34.8	91.9	92.8	92.8	92.8	94.5	91.9	90.2		27.7	$24,023	$2,841	$21,182
Christopher Elementary School	Public	K-8	5042 S Artesian Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9375	315	38	8.4	95.9%	6 (1.9%)	50 (15.9%)	257 (81.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14.3	1813^th of 2056 public elementary schools	11.8%		11.8	1979^th of 2067 public elementary schools	4.3%	166	21.4	10.3	12.5	9.1	35.7	31.6	33.3	31.0	25.6	25.0	9.1	0.0	10.5	9.5	10.3	10.7	92.6	95.8	95.8	95.8	95.5	94.2	93.3		37.5	$31,627	$4,137	$27,491

Frequently Asked Questions about Shields Elementary School

Is Shields Elementary School a good school?

Shields Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.1% of Illinois elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Shields Elementary School?

Students at Shields Elementary School are 96% Hispanic, 3% White.

What schools do graduates of Shields Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Shields Middle School
High : Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

What district is Shields Elementary School in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

How many students attend Shields Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 439 students attended Shields Elementary School.

Rate Shields Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ILIllinois Elementary School Rankings

ILIllinois District Rankings

Schools in Chicago, IL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Shields Elementary School!

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.