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Barack Obama School of Ldership

Q: Is Barack Obama School of Ldership a good school?

Barack Obama School of Ldership ranks 1314 th of 2056 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 4-6

1314^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 36% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Barack Obama School of Leadership is an elementary school serving grades 4-5 in Chicago Heights, Illinois, with a total enrollment of 315 students. The school is part of the Park Forest School District 163. Despite its namesake, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools, with a rating of 1 or 2 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance compared to other schools in the state.

The school's academic performance is a significant concern, with proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics consistently falling below state and district averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's English Language Arts proficiency rate was 44%, compared to 53.1% for the state and 40.4% for the district. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rate was only 19%, while the state and district rates were 38.5% and 18.6%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low for special education students and students with low socioeconomic status, ranking in the bottom half of Illinois schools for these subgroups. However, the school performs relatively better for African American and Hispanic students, ranking in the top half of Illinois schools for these subgroups.

Interestingly, the nearby schools within the same district and the Chicago Heights School District 170 generally perform at a similar or slightly lower level compared to Barack Obama School of Leadership. However, one school, Illinois School, which is part of the Matteson Education Service District 162, outperforms Barack Obama School of Leadership and the other nearby schools in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency rates. While the school's resource allocation appears adequate, with relatively high spending per student and low student-teacher ratios, the high rates of poverty and chronic absenteeism may be contributing factors to the school's underperformance.

367

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,129

Per pupil spending ?

80.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 Concord Dr
Chicago Heights, IL 60411-3916

(708) 668-9101

District: Park Forest School District 163

Students who attend Barack Obama School of Ldership usually attend:

Middle:	Michelle Obama School of Technology
High:	Rich Township High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

77.1%

Hispanic:

15.3%

Two or more races:

5.7%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Barack Obama School of Ldership to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (32% vs 44% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 20 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg31%

Illinois avg44%

1,314^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Park Forest School District 163

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	35.0	1314 of 2056	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.9	1545 of 2067	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	1623 of 2077	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	1724 of 2082	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.1	1727 of 2086	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.3	1415 of 2037	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.4	1182 of 2044	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	27.0	1507 of 2046	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.4	1647 of 2052	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.8	163 of 688	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	56.3	195 of 655	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	51.3	250 of 692	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.6	305 of 684	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	45.5	331 of 711	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.7	233 of 698	66.6%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	687 of 1049	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	529 of 886	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.6	643 of 907	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	33.7	1279 of 1942	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.3	1495 of 1942	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.2	1391 of 1957	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.1	1560 of 1970	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.7	1644 of 2019	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.2	1353 of 1964	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	65.0	273 of 982	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	32.8	658 of 959	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	17.0	918 of 970	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	31.5	663 of 954	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.9	785 of 955	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	47.9	920 of 1800	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	1136 of 1793	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.4	1314 of 1808	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.6	1348 of 1763	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.3	1361 of 1816	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.3	973 of 1765	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	36.4	1211 of 1947	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.7	1378 of 1959	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	1689 of 1984	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	1716 of 1977	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.5	1637 of 2019	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.4	1330 of 1972	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.3	1050 of 1292	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	902 of 1195	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.8	952 of 1156	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.5	899 of 1113	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.2	1098 of 1194	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	30.5	524 of 763	31.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)76th percentile+40 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile+36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)49th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)38th percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)35th percentile~ school

Female (2025)34th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)19th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts44%-9 vs state

Science33%-7 vs state

Mathematics19%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Barack Obama School of Ldership

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)	% 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 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 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	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Barack Obama School of Ldership	Public	4-6	401 Concord Dr	Chicago Heights	60411	Cook County	Park Forest School District 163	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 668-9101	367	30	12.4	80.7%	5 (1.4%)	283 (77.1%)	56 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.7%)								(n/a)	33.3		31.1	56.0	49.3			44.0	16.6	24.6	14.1			19.0	97.5	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.7	98.7	97.8		$23,129	$2,216	$20,913
Chicago Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	1020 Dixie Hwy	Chicago Heights	60411	Cook County	Chicago Heights School District 170	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 882-0170	872	65	13.3	92.1%	27 (3.1%)	267 (30.6%)	568 (65.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.0%)	25	1014^th of 1368 public middle schools	25.9%		27.5	950^th of 1363 public middle schools	30.3%	64		23.7			36.7	30.2	42.5	36.4			13.9	15.4	18.2	15.9	99.3	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.3	99.9	98.7	$21,301	$1,754	$19,547
Indiana Elementary School	Public	4-6	165 Indiana St	Park Forest	60466	Cook County	Matteson Education Service District 162	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 747-5300	215	17	12.3	54.4%	1 (0.5%)	187 (87.0%)	16 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.1%)								(n/a)	21.2		25.0	51.3	55.8			51.2	18.8	25.0	26.7			25.2	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	95.6	43.7	$22,841	$980	$21,861
Michelle Obama School of Technology	Public	6-8	530 Lakewood Blvd	Park Forest	60466	Cook County	Park Forest School District 163	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 668-9600	428	38	11.2	79.0%	6 (1.4%)	352 (82.2%)	44 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.1%)	21.8	1079^th of 1368 public middle schools	21.1%		21.5	1069^th of 1363 public middle schools	21.6%	10		19.5			28.3	36.9	47.1	38.6			12.1	12.6	7.0	10.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	94.3	$24,715	$2,105	$22,609
O W Huth Middle School	Public	7-8	3718 213th Pl	Matteson	60443	Cook County	Matteson Education Service District 162	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 748-0470	421	33	12.8	68.2%	5 (1.2%)	369 (87.6%)	30 (7.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	38.6	796^th of 1368 public middle schools	41.8%		31.7	872^nd of 1363 public middle schools	36.0%	76		32.5				47.9	43.2	45.7				21.0	28.3	24.4	99.5	98.4	98.4	98.4	98.7	97.9	99.5	96.6	$20,928	$1,238	$19,690
Columbia Central School	Public	5-8	94 Richton Rd	Steger	60475	Will County	Steger School District 194	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 753-4700	646	39	16.5	56.3%	117 (18.1%)	204 (31.6%)	260 (40.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	61 (9.4%)	42.4	739^th of 1368 public middle schools	46.0%		41	729^th of 1363 public middle schools	46.5%	10	20.4	17.9		55.4	67.3	56.5	64.5	60.8		26.8	18.7	14.4	12.5	18.1	91.6	91.6	91.6	91.6	91.6	91.6	91.6	67.6	$17,487	$1,276	$16,211
Sauk Elementary School	Public	4-6	4435 S Churchill Dr	Richton Park	60471	Cook County	Matteson Education Service District 162	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 747-2660	281	21	13.2	74.4%	7 (2.5%)	240 (85.4%)	23 (8.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.6%)								(n/a)	11.8		39.6	30.6	44.6			38.7	25.0	23.5	16.7			21.6	98.2	97.1	97.1	97.1	98.2	97.1	98.2	32.2	$21,060	$1,133	$19,927
Parker Junior High School	Public	6-8	2810 School St	Flossmoor	60422	Cook County	Flossmoor School District 161	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 647-5400	822	66	12.4	54.3%	69 (8.4%)	568 (69.1%)	114 (13.9%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (7.8%)	52.9	582^nd of 1368 public middle schools	57.5%		47.8	617^th of 1363 public middle schools	54.7%	35		41.7			51.6	57.3	66.2	58.4			26.8	29.0	23.6	26.5	98.2	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.2	98.2	98.3	94.1	$19,738	$845	$18,893
Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center	Public	5-8	800 E 14th St	Ford Heights	60411	Cook County	Ford Heights School District 169	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 758-1400	156	12	13.1	98.7%	0 (0.0%)	145 (92.9%)	11 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.3	1061^st of 1368 public middle schools	22.4%		16.3	1191^st of 1363 public middle schools	12.6%	130	4.8	22.9		7.1	37.5	37.1	42.9	30.3		0.0	2.6	8.6	14.3	6.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	66.2	$25,927	$1,725	$24,202
Colin Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	20600 Matteson Ave	Matteson	60443	Cook County	Education Service District 159	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(708) 283-9600	564	42	13.3	68.3%	8 (1.4%)	459 (81.4%)	69 (12.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.3%)	20.4	1104^th of 1368 public middle schools	19.3%		16	1202^nd of 1363 public middle schools	11.8%	98		33.5			33.9	26.9	29.0	30.0			11.1	12.5	8.3	10.6									$25,168	$1,265	$23,903

Frequently Asked Questions about Barack Obama School of Ldership

What high school do graduates of Barack Obama School of Ldership attend?

Students who attend Barack Obama School of Ldership usually go on to attend Michelle Obama School of Technology

What district is Barack Obama School of Ldership in?

Park Forest School District 163

Is Barack Obama School of Ldership a good school?

Barack Obama School of Ldership ranks 1314^th of 2056 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Barack Obama School of Ldership?

In the 2024-25 school year, 367 students attended Barack Obama School of Ldership.

What is the racial makeup of Barack Obama School of Ldership?

Students at Barack Obama School of Ldership are 77% African American, 15% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 1% 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.