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Kerkstra Elementary School

Q: Is Kerkstra Elementary School a good school?

Kerkstra Elementary School ranks 778 th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 1-5

778^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Kerkstra Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Oak Forest, Illinois, serving grades 1-5 with a total enrollment of 402 students. The school is part of the Forest Ridge School District 142, which is ranked 345 out of 811 school districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kerkstra Elementary has shown a mixed academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (54%) and Mathematics (46%) that are higher than the state averages but lower than the district averages. The school's 5th-grade Science proficiency (46.3%) also exceeds the state average but falls short of the district average. Over the past few years, Kerkstra's ranking among Illinois elementary schools has fluctuated between 332 and 778 out of 2,056 schools. While the school's male students have outperformed their female counterparts, the special education and disabled student populations have struggled, ranking in the bottom quartile of Illinois elementary schools.

Compared to nearby schools, Kerkstra's performance is generally on par with or slightly below other schools in the Forest Ridge School District 142, such as Lee R Foster Elementary School. However, when compared to schools in neighboring districts, such as Midlothian School District 143 and Prairie-Hills Education Service District 144, Kerkstra's academic performance is notably stronger. The school's rising chronic absenteeism rates and its relatively high percentage of students from low-income families suggest the need for targeted interventions and additional resources to support its unique challenges.

407

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,776

Per pupil spending ?

43.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14950 Laramie Ave
Oak Forest, IL 60452-1323

(708) 687-2860

District: Forest Ridge School District 142

Students who attend Kerkstra Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Jack Hille Middle School
High:	Oak Forest High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.2%

Hispanic:

37.3%

African American:

9.6%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Kerkstra Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 93rd percentile in 2014 → 62nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Illinois median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 31 percentile points since 2014

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school49%

District avg48%

Illinois avg44%

778^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Forest Ridge School District 142

345^th of 811Forest Ridge School District 142 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	61.0	778 of 2056	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.9	716 of 2067	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.5	460 of 2077	77.9%	★★★★☆
2022	82.5	332 of 2082	84.1%	★★★★☆
2021	59.3	662 of 1948	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.1	604 of 2086	71.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.5	917 of 2037	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	49.3	956 of 2044	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.0	765 of 2046	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2014	89.2	153 of 2093	92.7%	★★★★★
2013	86.1	245 of 2167	88.7%	★★★★☆
2012	77.3	471 of 2166	78.3%	★★★★☆
2011	74.6	557 of 2147	74.1%	★★★★☆
2010	71.1	703 of 2139	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	68.9	763 of 2120	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.6	733 of 2092	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.7	639 of 2095	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	68.4	764 of 2086	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	69.1	702 of 2022	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	48.1	1246 of 2030	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2003	52.2	1172 of 2020	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	88.6	38 of 688	94.5%	★★★★★
2018	55.7	215 of 698	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.1	767 of 1049	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.8	396 of 886	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.6	352 of 907	61.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	65.9	140 of 826	83.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	53.4	868 of 1942	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.3	834 of 1942	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.4	499 of 1957	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	87.7	205 of 1970	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	57.6	626 of 1680	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.7	614 of 2019	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.9	731 of 1964	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	60.1	334 of 982	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.9	171 of 959	82.2%	★★★★☆
2023	75.9	128 of 970	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	91.5	38 of 954	96.0%	★★★★★
2021	63.6	156 of 742	79.0%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	275 of 955	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	51.5	413 of 938	56.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.4	471 of 1800	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	59.6	562 of 1793	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.9	267 of 1808	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	95.8	29 of 1763	98.4%	★★★★★
2021	72.7	216 of 1514	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	65.9	438 of 1816	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	55.3	674 of 1765	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	65.2	645 of 1947	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.8	544 of 1959	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	76.2	402 of 1984	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.4	437 of 1977	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	53.5	664 of 1707	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.2	602 of 2019	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	45.7	978 of 1972	50.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	906 of 1292	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.6	600 of 1195	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.1	515 of 1156	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.6	429 of 1113	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.9	348 of 640	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.7	614 of 1194	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.6	468 of 763	38.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	53.4	651 of 1389	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.4	671 of 1392	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.5	309 of 1419	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	72.4	315 of 1425	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	49.2	621 of 1308	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.4	616 of 1462	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.9	930 of 1463	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)94th percentile+32 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)83rd percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)74th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2025)67th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)66th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)53rd percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2025)30th percentile-32 vs school

Disabled (2025)27th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts54%~ state avg

Science46%+6 vs state

Mathematics46%+8 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Thursday, May 21, 2026

Horrible school to work for. Principal is out to lunch and has a hands-off approach. Admin is a nightmare and will try to prevent you from doing your job. Staff are mean and clique-y and talk about how miserable they are, so the atmosphere is always negative. Teachers scream at students. Some teachers do a decent job of supporting the students, but overall most could care less. Paras treated awfully. Would not recommend. Close Quote

by a citizen
Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Not a school for minorities Close Quote

Schools Near Kerkstra 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
Kerkstra Elementary School	Public	1-5	14950 Laramie Ave	Oak Forest	60452	Cook County	Forest Ridge School District 142	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 687-2860	407	30	13.7	43.7%	196 (48.2%)	39 (9.6%)	152 (37.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.4%)	61	778^th of 2056 public elementary schools	62.2%		60.9	716^th of 2067 public elementary schools	65.4%	62	46.3		46.6	50.0	66.3				54.0	46.6	44.0	47.5				46.0	98.8	99.0	99.0	99.0	100.0	98.8	99.5			$14,776	$660	$14,116
Ridge Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	5151 149th St	Oak Forest	60452	Cook County	Forest Ridge School District 142	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 687-2964	245	13	18.8	25.7%	122 (49.8%)	25 (10.2%)	83 (33.9%)	7 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)								(n/a)																	96.3	95.5	95.5	95.5	100.0	95.5	96.3	43.4		$14,640	$600	$14,040
Lee R Foster Elementary School	Public	1-5	5931 School St	Oak Forest	60452	Cook County	Forest Ridge School District 142	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 687-4763	397	29	13.9	48.6%	197 (49.6%)	47 (11.8%)	132 (33.2%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	71.3	571^st of 2056 public elementary schools	72.2%		73.5	497^th of 2067 public elementary schools	76.0%	74	46.7		57.1	59.0	73.6				63.9	47.1	63.9	47.3				52.9	97.5	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.5	97.2			$14,853	$593	$14,260
Scarlet Oak Elementary School	Public	3-4	5731 Albert Dr	Oak Forest	60452	Cook County	Arbor Park School District 145	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 687-5822	249	19	13.1	57.8%	98 (39.4%)	30 (12.0%)	73 (29.3%)	43 (17.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	39.8	1219^th of 2056 public elementary schools	40.7%		49.7	943^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	54.4%	276			32.8	48.7					40.4	34.4	39.8					37.0	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5			$17,098	$2,011	$15,087
Kolmar Elementary School	Public	K-8	4500 143rd St	Midlothian	60445	Cook County	Midlothian School District 143	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 385-6747	535	41	13.1	65.0%	110 (20.6%)	104 (19.4%)	277 (51.8%)	4 (0.7%)	15 (2.8%)	5 (0.9%)	20 (3.7%)	26.8	1518^th of 2056 public elementary schools	26.2%		20	1682^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	18.6%	164	25.4	14.8	22.7	54.3	33.9	45.2	27.9	37.0	36.8	18.2	23.9	11.9	13.1	15.1	13.6	15.3	97.9	98.4	98.4	98.4	98.4	97.9	97.9		47.4	$18,053	$2,151	$15,902
Springfield Elementary School	Public	K-5	14620 Springfield Ave	Midlothian	60445	Cook County	Midlothian School District 143	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 388-4121	311	30	10.4	73.0%	71 (22.8%)	65 (20.9%)	151 (48.6%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.3%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.5%)	44.5	1118^th of 2056 public elementary schools	45.6%		40.4	1141^st of 2067 public elementary schools	44.8%	23	27.9		38.9	64.0	46.5				49.7	39.6	46.0	18.6				35.6	98.9	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	98.9	98.5			$18,299	$2,318	$15,981
Walter F Fierke Educational Center	Public	PK, KG-5	6535 Victoria Dr	Oak Forest	60452	Cook County	Ccsd 146	No	(n/a)	No	No	(708) 614-4520	443	33	13.3	35.9%	239 (54.0%)	39 (8.8%)	106 (23.9%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (11.3%)	60.1	807^th of 2056 public elementary schools	60.7%		54.7	825^th of 2067 public elementary schools	60.1%	18	45.0		59.1	30.3	60.0				50.5	71.2	35.8	43.8				49.8	98.3	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.5	98.3	98.3			$18,070	$602	$17,468
Nathan Hale Intermediate	Public	4-5	5312 135th St	Crestwood	60445	Cook County	Cook County School District 130	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 385-3399	175	15	11.6	66.3%	39 (22.3%)	34 (19.4%)	97 (55.4%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	30.2	1429^th of 2056 public elementary schools	30.5%		25.8	1519^th of 2067 public elementary schools	26.5%	90	16.0			43.5	43.4				43.5		28.2	20.5				24.4	98.3	97.8	97.8	97.8	99.4	97.2	98.3			$23,888	$3,368	$20,521
Nathan Hale Primary School	Public	PK, KG-3	5324 135th St	Crestwood	60445	Cook County	Cook County School District 130	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 385-4690	334	27	12.6	70.1%	84 (25.1%)	78 (23.4%)	164 (49.1%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)			32.9						32.9	29.1						29.1	99.1	99.4	99.4	99.4	100.0	98.5	99.4			$21,050	$2,924	$18,126
Central Park Elementary School	Public	K-8	3621 151st St	Midlothian	60445	Cook County	Midlothian School District 143	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 385-0045	640	47	13.7	67.5%	110 (17.2%)	160 (25.0%)	330 (51.6%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	21 (3.3%)	25.5	1545^th of 2056 public elementary schools	24.9%		24.2	1560^th of 2067 public elementary schools	24.5%	15	18.4	22.7	22.4	37.3	30.7	41.4	39.5	51.7	38.1	43.1	31.3	5.3	14.3	25.9	9.2	20.3	99.0	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.0	99.3		40.4	$17,381	$2,641	$14,740

Frequently Asked Questions about Kerkstra Elementary School

How many students attend Kerkstra Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 407 students attended Kerkstra Elementary School.

Is Kerkstra Elementary School a good school?

Kerkstra Elementary School ranks 778^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Kerkstra Elementary School?

Students at Kerkstra Elementary School are 48% White, 37% Hispanic, 10% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Kerkstra Elementary School in?

Forest Ridge School District 142

What schools do graduates of Kerkstra Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Jack Hille Middle School
High : Oak Forest High 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.