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Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School

Q: Is Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School a good school?

Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School ranks 1202 nd of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

1202^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School is a public charter elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 535 students in grades K-8. 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.

Great Lakes Academy consistently outperforms the district and state in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rate was 50.1%, compared to 42.8% for the district and 53.1% for the state. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rate was 24.6%, compared to 27.3% for the district and 38.5% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in the upper grades, with 8th-grade ELA proficiency at 50% and 8th-grade Mathematics proficiency at 16.7%.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, Great Lakes Academy generally outperforms them in academic proficiency, particularly in ELA. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rate was 50.1%, compared to 47% for Hoyne Elementary School, 15.6% for Bradwell Community Arts & Sci Elementary School, and 25% for Coles Elementary Language Academy. However, the school's Mathematics proficiency rates are more mixed, with some nearby schools performing better in certain grade levels.

538

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,541

Per pupil spending ?

85.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8401 S Saginaw Ave
Chicago, IL 60617-2029

(773) 503-3040

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.0%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Two or more races:

1.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 21st percentile in 2021 → 42nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 42nd (2025) from a 21st-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (29% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Science scores 21 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg33%

Illinois avg44%

Elementary school

1,202^nd of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 13 pts since 2018

From top 46% (2018) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

801^st of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 26 pts since 2021

From bottom 15% (2021) to bottom 41% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

122^nd 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	40.4	1202 of 2056	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.8	1152 of 2067	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.5	1332 of 2077	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.6	1305 of 2082	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.1	1542 of 1948	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.3	1468 of 2086	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.0	930 of 2037	54.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	75.3	101 of 688	85.3%	★★★★☆
2024	73.8	90 of 655	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	137 of 692	80.2%	★★★★☆
2022	62.4	157 of 684	77.0%	★★★★☆
2021	53.5	117 of 428	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	134 of 711	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	85.9	43 of 698	93.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.9	1180 of 1942	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.9	1105 of 1942	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.3	1258 of 1957	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.2	1346 of 1970	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	18.7	1413 of 1680	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	1649 of 2019	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.2	1073 of 1964	45.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	58.4	670 of 1800	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	592 of 1793	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.9	815 of 1808	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.7	912 of 1763	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.3	1083 of 1514	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.8	996 of 1816	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.2	579 of 1765	67.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	39.6	1145 of 1947	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.8	1090 of 1959	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.1	1274 of 1984	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.7	1124 of 1977	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.4	1366 of 1707	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.0	1054 of 2019	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	61.9	674 of 1972	65.8%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	22.4	1011 of 1113	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	40.4	620 of 1194	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.3	801 of 1368	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.5	455 of 1363	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.8	423 of 1367	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.0	488 of 1369	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	18.6	1051 of 1241	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	68.6	120 of 574	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.4	32 of 548	94.2%	★★★★★
2023	86.9	34 of 569	94.0%	★★★★★
2022	91.3	28 of 573	95.1%	★★★★★
2021	44.4	169 of 385	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	49.7	265 of 694	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.2	107 of 639	83.3%	★★★★☆
2023	63.1	139 of 674	79.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	34.2	807 of 1248	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.6	557 of 1251	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.5	440 of 1275	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.0	470 of 1286	63.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.0	390 of 669	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	52.4	532 of 1229	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.4	248 of 1219	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	79.7	133 of 1234	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	73.9	185 of 1221	84.8%	★★★★☆
2021	26.1	806 of 1019	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	39.9	707 of 1271	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.2	342 of 1264	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	62.7	383 of 1292	70.4%	★★★★☆
2022	56.9	459 of 1286	64.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	31.5	513 of 812	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	73.1	157 of 802	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	60.5	207 of 805	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	58.2	163 of 781	79.1%	★★★★☆

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

African American (2025)85th percentile+44 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile+21 vs school

Male (2025)41st percentile~ school

Female (2025)39th percentile~ school

Special Education (2022)9th percentile-28 vs school

Middle school

African American (2025)79th percentile+38 vs school

Disabled (2025)62nd percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)57th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2025)44th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)37th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2025)35th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts50%-3 vs state

Mathematics25%-14 vs state

Science22%-21 vs state

5.0

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Schools Near Great Lakes Academy Charter 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
Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-8	8401 S Saginaw Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 503-3040	538	34	15.8	85.7%	0 (0.0%)	484 (90.0%)	43 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.7%)	40.4	1202^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	41.5%		39.8	1152^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	44.3%	50	28.3	15.0	39.0	42.4	57.4	55.0	56.9	50.0	50.1	59.3	13.6	18.0	15.0	25.9	16.7	24.6										$21,541	$725	$20,817
Coles Elementary Language Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	8441 S Yates Blvd	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6550	286	22	12.8	60.8%	0 (0.0%)	252 (88.1%)	31 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	35.2	1308^th of 2056 public elementary schools	36.4%		19.9	1687^th of 2067 public elementary schools	18.4%	379	26.3	0.0	22.7	9.1	52.6	20.7	26.7	22.7	25.0	22.7	4.5	68.4	60.7	3.3	0.0	25.9	88.8	93.6	93.6	93.6	94.0	93.2	88.8	11.6	29.9	$23,265	$3,768	$19,497
Ninos Heroes Elementary Academic Center	Public	PK, KG-8	8344 S Commercial Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6694	315	28	11.2	88.9%	2 (0.6%)	215 (68.3%)	94 (29.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.7	1854^th of 2056 public elementary schools	9.8%		11.3	1998^th of 2067 public elementary schools	3.3%	144	11.1	30.4	30.3	9.4	34.5	20.7	30.4	47.8	27.8	27.3	3.1	0.0	3.6	18.2	13.6	10.8	82.7	84.9	84.9	84.9	92.6	83.4	84.1	4.8	18.1	$21,077	$2,886	$18,191
Hoyne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8905 S Crandon Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6425	230	20	11.5	69.6%	0 (0.0%)	223 (97.0%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	32.5	1367^th of 2056 public elementary schools	33.5%		28.4	1451^st of 2067 public elementary schools	29.8%	84	16.7	37.5	26.3	47.8	50.0	34.8	51.9	66.7	47.0	31.6	39.1	27.8	13.0	33.3	25.0	28.4	88.8	91.2	91.2	91.2	95.6	90.8	91.2	6.0	21.6	$23,717	$2,997	$20,719
Bradwell Community Arts & Sci Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	7736 S Burnham Ave	Chicago	60649	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6600	513	32	16.2	86.9%	0 (0.0%)	372 (72.5%)	138 (26.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	5.4	2044^th of 2056 public elementary schools	0.6%		9.6	2046^th of 2067 public elementary schools	1.0%	2	2.5	15.6	13.5	7.8	7.9	18.2	16.7	29.5	15.6	2.8	2.0	0.0	0.0	2.1	0.0	1.1	85.5	92.3	92.5	92.5	95.9	91.6	88.9	5.3	22.0	$16,124	$2,058	$14,066
Mireles Elementary Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	9000 S Exchange Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6360	546	33	16.8	83.3%	7 (1.3%)	250 (45.8%)	283 (51.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11.3	1897^th of 2056 public elementary schools	7.7%		13.9	1897^th of 2067 public elementary schools	8.2%		13.2	4.3	8.9	10.2	28.9	31.3	17.4	22.0	18.5	4.4	3.3	2.6	16.7	11.4	2.1	6.0	85.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	93.3	88.8	84.4	4.7	21.4	$18,209	$2,467	$15,742
Sullivan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8331 S Mackinaw Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6585	439	35	12.5	96.1%	11 (2.5%)	308 (70.2%)	114 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	8.8	1975^th of 2056 public elementary schools	3.9%		16.3	1789^th of 2067 public elementary schools	13.4%	186	9.4	20.7	12.1	5.3	23.1	26.5	32.1	38.7	22.2	9.4	2.6	10.8	2.9	0.0	3.3	5.1	88.5	93.9	93.9	93.9	94.1	93.1	86.8	13.7	23.5	$24,134	$3,730	$20,404
Mann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8050 S Chappel Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6640	283	22	12.8	91.5%	1 (0.4%)	250 (88.3%)	28 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	19.5	1681^st of 2056 public elementary schools	18.2%		29.3	1418^th of 2067 public elementary schools	31.4%	263	20.8	17.1	28.0	26.1	25.0	41.7	41.7	56.3	37.8	29.2	21.7	4.3	8.7	18.2	9.4	15.2	84.5	89.6	89.6	89.6	96.4	89.2	86.3	5.4	25.5	$21,209	$2,396	$18,813
Thorp J N Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	8914 S Buffalo Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-6250	296	26	11.3	96.6%	3 (1.0%)	234 (79.1%)	55 (18.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.3	1933^rd of 2056 public elementary schools	6.0%		13.4	1923^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	7.0%	10	13.6	14.3	20.7	25.0	20.0	23.5	29.2	37.5	25.9	13.8	7.4	4.0	0.0	9.1	4.2	7.0	80.6	90.3	90.0	90.0	96.2	89.3	83.1	14.1	20.1	$29,363	$3,886	$25,477
LEARN Charter - South Chicago Campus	Public, Charter	K-8	8914 S Buffalo Ave	Chicago	60617	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 722-8577	390	27	14.4	88.2%	3 (0.8%)	356 (91.3%)	27 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	28.3	1472^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	28.4%		36	1246^th of 2067 public elementary schools	39.7%	226	12.8	24.3	38.9	14.3	41.0	44.1	55.6	43.2	38.8	33.3	21.4	23.1	26.5	33.3	40.5	29.5										$20,444	$4,024	$16,420

Frequently Asked Questions about Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School

What district is Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

What is the racial makeup of Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School?

Students at Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School are 90% African American, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School a good school?

Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School ranks 1202^nd of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 538 students attended Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School.

Rate Great Lakes Academy Charter 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.