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

New rankings! Illinois test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Lara Elementary Academy

Public Grades PK, KG-8

Summary

Lara Elementary Academy is a Chicago Public Schools PK–8 school with 362 students. Its all-grades test results show substantial gaps compared with both the state and Chicago Public Schools District 299. In 2025–2026, 26% of students were proficient in English language arts (ELA), versus 56% statewide and 46% in the district; in math, 12% were proficient, compared with 40% statewide and 29% in the district. The most important concern is that math proficiency is especially low relative to nearby schools: the school’s 12% result was below their 22% average.

The school has a notable eighth-grade science strength, but its results vary across grades and subjects. Eighth-grade science proficiency was 46%, above the district’s 41% and third-highest among seven nearby schools with reported results, though below the state’s 52%. Eighth-grade ELA proficiency was 54%, close to the district’s 56% and below the state’s 63%; it was higher than four nearby schools and lower than three. By contrast, sixth-grade ELA proficiency was 29%, below the district’s 48%, the state’s 59%, and every nearby school with a reported result. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern: 44% of students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, compared with 39% in the district and 24% statewide; this was the second-highest rate among nearby schools with data.

ELA proficiency rose from 18% in 2023–2024 to 27% in 2024–2025, then dipped to 26%; over that period, the gap with the state widened from 24 to 30 points. Math improved from 10% in 2024–2025 to 12% in 2025–2026, while its state gap narrowed from 29 to 27 points. SchoolDigger rated the school at the 12th percentile with one star in 2024–2025, ranking it 1,799th of 2,056 Illinois schools. Its student-teacher ratio was 10.6 in 2024–2025, among the lowest in the nearby group, while 91% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking for English Language Learner Students fell from the 42nd percentile in 2022–2023 to the 14th in 2024–2025; its Special Education Students ranking fell from the 54th percentile in 2018–2019 to the 9th in 2023–2024, indicating sharp declines in the school’s standing for these groups.

362

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,657

Per pupil spending ?

91.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

96.1%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

4619 S Wolcott Ave
Chicago, IL 60609-3855

(773) 535-4389

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Students who attend Lara Elementary Academy usually attend:

High:

Richards Career Academy High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

92.5%

African American:

5.0%

White:

1.1%

See top rated Illinois public schools

Compare Lara Elementary Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 13th percentile in 2015 → 12th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (28% vs 49% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 24% Illinois)

!English Language Arts scores 30 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school28%

District avg38%

Illinois avg49%

868^th of 1,126

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

568^th of 738Chicago 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	14.6	1799 of 2056	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	1921 of 2067	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.3	1701 of 2077	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.6	1677 of 2082	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.8	1725 of 1948	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	1609 of 2086	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.8	1431 of 2037	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.7	1726 of 2044	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.9	1538 of 2046	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.1	1786 of 2052	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.7	1821 of 2093	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.7	1898 of 2167	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	14.6	1945 of 2166	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	14.9	1910 of 2147	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	5.4	2057 of 2139	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	11.0	1933 of 2120	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	3.1	2040 of 2092	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	14.4	1873 of 2095	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.5	1770 of 2086	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	7.5	1848 of 2022	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	8.3	1854 of 2030	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	1.7	1983 of 2020	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.3	675 of 788	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.1	678 of 826	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.3	456 of 788	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.5	545 of 768	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.1	452 of 537	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.3	557 of 743	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.7	603 of 718	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.6	1558 of 1942	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.0	1683 of 1942	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.9	1454 of 1957	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.4	1388 of 1970	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	1462 of 2019	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.9	1241 of 1964	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	18.5	874 of 982	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	899 of 959	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	774 of 970	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.7	789 of 954	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	656 of 742	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.9	654 of 955	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.4	513 of 938	45.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.1	1513 of 1800	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.9	1656 of 1793	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.5	1279 of 1808	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.0	1233 of 1763	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.3	1405 of 1514	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	36.5	1203 of 1816	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.8	836 of 1765	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	9.8	1850 of 1947	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.4	1868 of 1959	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	15.9	1758 of 1984	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.5	1784 of 1977	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.8	1574 of 1707	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.0	1616 of 2019	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	1482 of 1972	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	19.4	1086 of 1195	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	44.6	546 of 1194	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	23.4	868 of 1126	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	1030 of 1368	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.9	1042 of 1363	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.8	1117 of 1367	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	1044 of 1369	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.5	1036 of 1241	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	1001 of 1356	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.9	867 of 1293	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	28.5	924 of 1293	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.8	819 of 1294	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	25.3	978 of 1302	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.5	1131 of 1322	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.7	1011 of 1367	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	36.6	974 of 1365	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	44.6	850 of 1344	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	12.0	1200 of 1327	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	7.7	1232 of 1318	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	8.3	1192 of 1293	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.8	1178 of 1287	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	18.8	1065 of 1272	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	8.9	1078 of 1209	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	4.5	1154 of 1204	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	6.0	1116 of 1185	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.6	402 of 483	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	430 of 486	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	427 of 480	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.1	340 of 454	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.1	111 of 277	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.5	167 of 339	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	32.7	233 of 285	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	31.0	858 of 1248	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.9	1017 of 1251	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	1043 of 1275	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	900 of 1286	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.0	995 of 1276	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	915 of 1226	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	301 of 483	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.1	475 of 669	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.7	470 of 643	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.6	548 of 661	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.2	527 of 662	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	431 of 517	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.8	465 of 639	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.1	369 of 590	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.4	754 of 1229	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.1	802 of 1219	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.7	885 of 1234	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.4	754 of 1221	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.4	798 of 1019	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.3	752 of 1217	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.8	550 of 1161	52.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.1	963 of 1271	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.7	892 of 1264	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	1062 of 1292	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.3	1061 of 1286	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.8	984 of 1048	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.7	874 of 1296	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.3	718 of 1223	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2019	33.6	491 of 792	38.0%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2025)20th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)16th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)14th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)11th percentile~ school

Special Education (2024)9th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile-8 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)39th percentile+14 vs school

Special Education (2019)38th percentile+12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)38th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)31st percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)24th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)17th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

Science46%-4 vs state

English Language Arts26%-30 vs state

Mathematics12%-27 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Lara Elementary Academy and help other families decide.

Rate Lara Elementary Academy

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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Lara Elementary Academy

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISA Science (2026)		IAR English Language Arts (2026)							IAR Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	Vaccination: Measles protection (all grades)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lara Elementary Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	4619 S Wolcott Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4389	362	34	10.6	91.4%	4 (1.1%)	18 (5.0%)	335 (92.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)								(n/a)		45.8				28.9		54.2	26.3							12.4	96.1%		$27,657	$1,777	$25,879
Seward Elementary Communication Arts Ac	Public	PK, KG-8	4600 S Hermitage Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4890	390	31	12.4	97.4%	3 (0.8%)	9 (2.3%)	376 (96.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	23.3	35.3					35.9	41.2	21.9							9.0	98.7%		$21,988	$1,647	$20,341
Hedges Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4747 S Winchester Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7360	502	36	14.1	95.6%	6 (1.2%)	6 (1.2%)	483 (96.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.8	1687^th of 1737 public elementary schools	2.9%		9.2	1961^st of 2056 public elementary schools	4.6%	274		41.8		22.9	25.0	33.3	39.4	58.2	33.2					30.3		17.9	94.6%		$21,315	$1,471	$19,844
Chavez Elementary Multicultural Academy Ct	Public	PK, KG-8	4747 S Marshfield Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4600	784	53	14.7	96.0%	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.0%)	760 (96.9%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	57.2	710^th of 1737 public elementary schools	59.1%		66.4	680^th of 2056 public elementary schools	66.9%	30	45.2	56.8	57.3	36.4	51.4	70.7	64.7	80.0	60.0	78.7	44.2	63.9	53.7	39.7	43.2	54.8	98.1%		$21,343	$1,866	$19,477
Daley Elementary Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	5024 S Wolcott Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9091	511	36	14.1	94.1%	10 (2.0%)	53 (10.4%)	446 (87.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5.1	1702^nd of 1737 public elementary schools	2.0%		11.3	1899^th of 2056 public elementary schools	7.6%	197	22.6	41.9			17.7	30.8	25.5	44.2	23.2							11.2	94.9%		$20,035	$1,727	$18,308
Hamline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	4747 S Bishop St	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4565	582	51	11.5	97.9%	5 (0.9%)	33 (5.7%)	539 (92.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)								(n/a)		18.6	29.3			30.4	30.6	27.1	23.2							12.5	94.3%		$22,736	$2,057	$20,679
Fulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	5300 S Hermitage Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9000	321	31	10.5	—	3 (0.9%)	60 (18.7%)	254 (79.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)								(n/a)									15.7							8.5	89.6%		$23,078	$1,909	$21,170
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%)								(n/a)									23.4							14.4	97%		$36,904	$3,701	$33,202
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%)	12.3	1556^th of 1737 public elementary schools	10.4%		17.6	1726^th of 2056 public elementary schools	16.1%	170			29.6	28.8					29.2	35.2						24.6	98.2%		$24,462	$1,308	$23,154
Namaste Elementary Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	3737 S Paulina St	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 715-9558	364	31	11.7	83.2%	20 (5.5%)	12 (3.3%)	325 (89.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	31.8	1159^th of 1737 public elementary schools	33.3%		35.9	1296^th of 2056 public elementary schools	37.0%	137	36.2	30.2	48.6		44.7	55.8	62.3	53.5	49.6	37.8		43.5	23.8	34.0		30.1	95.1%		$22,631	$680	$21,951

Frequently Asked Questions about Lara Elementary Academy

What district is Lara Elementary Academy in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

How many students attend Lara Elementary Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 362 students attended Lara Elementary Academy.

What schools do graduates of Lara Elementary Academy attend?

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

High : Richards Career Academy High School

What is the racial makeup of Lara Elementary Academy?

Students at Lara Elementary Academy are 93% Hispanic, 5% African American, 1% White, 1% Two or more races.

Rate Lara Elementary Academy!

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 Lara Elementary Academy!

Latest Illinois data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresNewOct 30, 2026

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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.