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Zapata Elementary Academy

Public Grades PK, KG-8
1599th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools
Better than 22% of Illinois elementary schools
Summary

Zapata Elementary Academy is a public elementary school located in Chicago, Illinois, serving grades PK-8 with a student population of 520. 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.

Zapata Elementary Academy has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For the 2024-2025 school year, Zapata's ELA proficiency rate was 38.9%, compared to 42.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, Zapata's proficiency rate was 19.5%, compared to 27.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The school's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 742 out of 2,086 Illinois elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 1,599 out of 2,056 in 2024-2025. Zapata has also struggled to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, particularly female students, male students, Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.

While Zapata Elementary Academy has a relatively high per-student spending of $19,605 and a low student-teacher ratio of 12.6, the school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 25.4% to 40.8% over the past few years. The school serves a high-poverty student population, with 90.19% to 92.43% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Compared to nearby schools, such as Whitney Elementary School, Little Village Elementary School, and Cardenas Elementary School, Zapata's academic performance is generally lower, but it still outperforms some other nearby schools, such as Mason Elementary School, Corkery Elementary School, and Hughes C Elementary School.

524
Students ?
11.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$21,259
Per pupil spending ?
91%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 2728 S Kostner Ave
       Chicago, IL  60623-4218

(773) 534-1390

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299


Students who attend Zapata Elementary Academy usually attend:

High:    Infinity Math Science & Technical High School
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
96.8%
White:
2.5%
African American:
0.6%
more
 See top rated Illinois elementary schools

 Compare Zapata Elementary Academy to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Declining — 46th percentile in 2015 → 22nd in 2025
Strengths
Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Illinois average (28% vs 44% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 25% Illinois)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school28%
District avg33%
Illinois avg44%
Elementary school
1,599th of 2,056
Illinois public elementary schools ?
Bottom 22%▼ down 24 pts since 2015
From bottom 46% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
Middle school
871st of 1,368
Illinois public middle schools ?
Bottom 36%▼ down 10 pts since 2015
From bottom 46% (2015) to bottom 36% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
226th 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
202522.81599 of 205622.2%★☆☆☆☆
202423.01596 of 206722.8%★☆☆☆☆
202331.61357 of 207734.7%★★☆☆☆
202233.11316 of 208236.8%★★☆☆☆
202121.11545 of 194820.7%★☆☆☆☆
201961.6742 of 208664.4%★★★☆☆
201859.0782 of 203761.6%★★★☆☆
201764.2663 of 204467.6%★★★☆☆
201656.1826 of 204659.6%★★★☆☆
201541.01111 of 205245.9%★★☆☆☆
201426.11628 of 209322.2%★☆☆☆☆
201336.61468 of 216732.3%★★☆☆☆
201243.31436 of 216633.7%★★☆☆☆
201143.91410 of 214734.3%★★☆☆☆
201028.21678 of 213921.6%★☆☆☆☆
200928.51671 of 212021.2%★☆☆☆☆
200831.11605 of 209223.3%★☆☆☆☆
200759.81039 of 209550.4%★★★☆☆
200652.61251 of 208640.0%★★☆☆☆
200547.91279 of 202236.7%★★☆☆☆
200441.11384 of 203031.8%★★☆☆☆
200329.51547 of 202023.4%★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202514.31042 of 10490.7%☆☆☆☆☆
202437.9509 of 88642.6%★★☆☆☆
202322.2795 of 90712.3%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202531.5575 of 78827.0%★☆☆☆☆
202435.8541 of 82634.5%★★☆☆☆
202346.7336 of 78857.4%★★★☆☆
202256.0226 of 76870.6%★★★★☆
202127.1493 of 5378.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201976.465 of 74391.3%★★★★★
201870.5109 of 71884.8%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202524.11513 of 194222.1%★☆☆☆☆
202417.41672 of 194213.9%★☆☆☆☆
202322.01533 of 195721.7%★☆☆☆☆
202227.41391 of 197029.4%★☆☆☆☆
202115.91494 of 168011.1%★☆☆☆☆
201960.4739 of 201963.4%★★★☆☆
201855.5801 of 196459.2%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202530.8707 of 98228.0%★☆☆☆☆
202431.7671 of 95930.0%★★☆☆☆
202344.4497 of 97048.8%★★☆☆☆
202246.4461 of 95451.7%★★★☆☆
202131.8510 of 74231.3%★★☆☆☆
201976.3119 of 95587.5%★★★★☆
201876.6135 of 93885.6%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202535.01233 of 180031.5%★★☆☆☆
202433.61225 of 179331.7%★★☆☆☆
202351.9766 of 180857.6%★★★☆☆
202257.3610 of 176365.4%★★★☆☆
202134.31012 of 151433.2%★★☆☆☆
201982.2144 of 181692.1%★★★★★
201879.5188 of 176589.3%★★★★☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202524.51477 of 194724.1%★☆☆☆☆
202432.11264 of 195935.5%★★☆☆☆
202343.41034 of 198447.9%★★☆☆☆
202240.51083 of 197745.2%★★☆☆☆
202124.51278 of 170725.1%★☆☆☆☆
201960.7709 of 201964.9%★★★☆☆
201861.5685 of 197265.3%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202514.81204 of 12926.8%☆☆☆☆☆
202428.7867 of 119527.4%★☆☆☆☆
202327.1863 of 115625.3%★☆☆☆☆
202223.6986 of 111311.4%★☆☆☆☆
201930.8817 of 119431.6%★★☆☆☆
201836.1429 of 76343.8%★★☆☆☆
Middle school ranking
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202534.5871 of 136836.3%★★☆☆☆
202437.8782 of 136342.6%★★☆☆☆
202361.0433 of 136768.3%★★★☆☆
202256.5491 of 136964.1%★★★☆☆
202128.8848 of 124131.7%★★☆☆☆
201968.2380 of 135672.0%★★★★☆
201874.3270 of 129379.1%★★★★☆
201760.9440 of 129366.0%★★★☆☆
201665.0373 of 129471.2%★★★★☆
201540.7703 of 130246.0%★★☆☆☆
201427.61004 of 132224.1%★☆☆☆☆
201333.3973 of 136728.8%★☆☆☆☆
201245.1867 of 136536.5%★★☆☆☆
201147.9800 of 134440.5%★★☆☆☆
201052.8740 of 132744.2%★★☆☆☆
200950.7767 of 131841.8%★★☆☆☆
200860.8609 of 129352.9%★★★☆☆
200747.0808 of 128737.2%★★☆☆☆
200643.9832 of 127234.6%★★☆☆☆
200534.6855 of 120929.3%★☆☆☆☆
200432.2868 of 120427.9%★☆☆☆☆
200327.8889 of 118525.0%★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202535.9404 of 69441.8%★★☆☆☆
202446.4258 of 63959.6%★★★☆☆
202348.9248 of 67463.2%★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202536.6306 of 48336.6%★★☆☆☆
202444.0219 of 48654.9%★★★☆☆
202368.654 of 48088.8%★★★★☆
202267.848 of 45489.4%★★★★☆
202140.1164 of 27740.8%★★☆☆☆
201959.563 of 33981.4%★★★★☆
201853.168 of 28576.1%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202530.9860 of 124831.1%★★☆☆☆
202431.6820 of 125134.5%★★☆☆☆
202354.4485 of 127562.0%★★★☆☆
202257.4440 of 128665.8%★★★☆☆
202120.3844 of 101717.0%★☆☆☆☆
201960.3456 of 127664.3%★★★☆☆
201870.2308 of 122674.9%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202539.8373 of 66944.2%★★☆☆☆
202445.8300 of 64353.3%★★★☆☆
202373.3118 of 66182.1%★★★★☆
202266.7148 of 66277.6%★★★★☆
202136.6323 of 51737.5%★★☆☆☆
201978.878 of 63987.8%★★★★☆
201885.250 of 59091.5%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202547.7603 of 122950.9%★★★☆☆
202453.0477 of 121960.9%★★★☆☆
202381.3122 of 123490.1%★★★★★
202274.2180 of 122185.3%★★★★☆
202140.9566 of 101944.5%★★☆☆☆
201986.280 of 121793.4%★★★★★
201889.958 of 116195.0%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202537.0754 of 127140.7%★★☆☆☆
202446.7592 of 126453.2%★★★☆☆
202365.4353 of 129272.7%★★★★☆
202252.8506 of 128660.7%★★★☆☆
202137.6599 of 104842.8%★★☆☆☆
201973.8283 of 129678.2%★★★★☆
201876.1226 of 122381.5%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIllinois percentileRating
202537.1455 of 81244.0%★★☆☆☆
202446.6324 of 80259.6%★★★☆☆
202348.4296 of 80563.2%★★★☆☆
202236.7450 of 78142.4%★★☆☆☆
201930.7555 of 79229.9%★★☆☆☆
201828.7452 of 60224.9%★☆☆☆☆
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)32nd percentile+9 vs school
Hispanic (2025)28th percentile+6 vs school
English Language Learner (2025)27th percentile+5 vs school
Male (2025)24th percentile~ school
Female (2025)22nd percentile~ school
Special Education (2025)7th percentile-15 vs school
Disabled (2025)1st percentile-22 vs school
Middle school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)51st percentile+15 vs school
Hispanic (2025)44th percentile+8 vs school
Special Education (2025)44th percentile+8 vs school
Disabled (2025)42nd percentile+5 vs school
Male (2025)41st percentile+4 vs school
English Language Learner (2025)37th percentile~ school
Female (2025)31st percentile-5 vs school
By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts39%-14 vs state
Science27%-16 vs state
Mathematics20%-19 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Zapata Elementary Academy

In the 2024-25 school year, 524 students attended Zapata Elementary Academy.

Students who attend Zapata Elementary Academy usually go on to attend:

High : Infinity Math Science & Technical High School

Zapata Elementary Academy ranks in the bottom 22.2% of Illinois elementary schools.

Students at Zapata Elementary Academy 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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