Is Bright Elementary School a good school?

Bright Elementary School ranks in the bottom 0.8% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Bright Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 230 students attended Bright Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Bright Elementary School?

Students at Bright Elementary School are 68% African American, 31% Hispanic, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Bright Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bright Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Washington G High School

Bright Elementary School

Summary:

Bright Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 230 students. It is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Bright Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bright Elementary School faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly below-average test scores across all grade levels and subjects, and struggles to effectively serve its subgroups, such as female, male, African American, Hispanic, and low-socioeconomic status students. Despite spending significantly more per student ($21,143 in 2022-2023) compared to nearby schools, Bright Elementary School is not achieving better outcomes, with a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 19.1.

Comparing Bright Elementary School to nearby schools, such as Washington G Elementary, Burnham Elementary Inclusive Academy, and Sadlowski Elementary, highlights that Bright Elementary School is an outlier in the area, as these nearby schools generally perform better on key metrics like test scores, chronic absenteeism, and subgroup performance. Bright Elementary School's consistently poor performance over the past decade suggests a need for significant intervention and support to turn the school around.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

10740 S Calhoun Ave
Chicago, IL 60617-6418

(773) 535-6215

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
2051^st of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $30,936

Students who attend Bright Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Washington G High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 230

Racial breakdown:

African American:

67.8%

Hispanic:

30.9%

White:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bright Elementary School ranks worse than 99.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 442^nd among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.25. (See more...)

Compare Details Bright Elementary School ranks worse than 93.2% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.72. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Bright Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bright Elementary School is $30,936, which is the 15^th highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bright Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Bright Elementary School 2051^st of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Bright Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Bright Elementary School 1270^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Bright Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

African American students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Bright Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	2.58	1949^th	2020	3.5%
2004	5.56	1892^nd	2030	6.8%
2005	5.56	1874^th	2022	7.3%
2006	12.07	1890^th	2086	9.4%
2007	11.70	1896^th	2095	9.5%
2008	19.11	1792^nd	2092	14.3%
2009	13.55	1903^rd	2120	10.2%
2010	10.01	1978^th	2139	7.5%
2011	7.36	2044^th	2147	4.8%
2012	5.32	2099^th	2166	3.1%
2013	6.39	2099^th	2167	3.1%
2014	6.54	2026^th	2093	3.2%
2015	18.58	1749^th	2052	14.8%
2016	12.30	1909^th	2046	6.7%
2017	13.05	1870^th	2044	8.5%
2018	12.00	1909^th	2037	6.3%
2019	10.44	2001^st	2086	4.1%
2022	14.49	1883^rd	2082	9.6%
2023	13.34	1931^st	2077	7.0%
2024	9.25	2051^st	2067	0.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.71	1612^th	1765	8.7%
2019	15.57	1724^th	1816	5.1%
2022	18.67	1630^th	1763	7.5%
2023	18.60	1668^th	1808	7.7%
2024	12.35	1776^th	1793	0.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.01	1822^nd	1964	7.2%
2019	10.10	1943^rd	2019	3.8%
2022	13.80	1819^th	1970	7.7%
2023	11.01	1903^rd	1957	2.8%
2024	12.64	1843^rd	1942	5.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	12.37	1861^st	1972	5.6%
2019	8.27	2003^rd	2019	0.8%
2022	19.81	1605^th	1977	18.8%
2023	16.88	1718^th	1984	13.4%
2024	8.08	1956^th	1959	0.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	26.71	571^st	698	18.2%
2019	26.15	591^st	711	16.9%
2022	28.49	542^nd	684	20.8%
2023	26.35	573^rd	692	17.2%
2024	24.19	572^nd	655	12.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	25.27	792^nd	955	17.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Bright Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	5.58	1125^th	1185	5.1%
2004	7.93	1095^th	1204	9.1%
2005	14.89	1023^rd	1209	15.4%
2006	33.90	943^rd	1272	25.9%
2007	35.05	941^st	1287	26.9%
2008	25.74	1028^th	1293	20.5%
2009	25.58	1046^th	1318	20.6%
2010	9.18	1225^th	1327	7.7%
2011	14.54	1205^th	1344	10.3%
2012	11.60	1258^th	1365	7.8%
2013	11.27	1257^th	1367	8.0%
2014	23.13	1072^nd	1322	18.9%
2015	18.89	1098^th	1302	15.7%
2016	15.78	1165^th	1294	10.0%
2017	15.18	1147^th	1293	11.3%
2018	10.49	1243^rd	1293	3.9%
2019	12.57	1255^th	1356	7.4%
2022	16.53	1192^nd	1369	12.9%
2023	21.66	1082^nd	1367	20.8%
2024	12.72	1270^th	1363	6.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	14.96	1094^th	1161	5.8%
2019	17.74	1095^th	1217	10.0%
2022	33.02	816^th	1221	33.2%
2023	29.51	901^st	1234	27.0%
2024	20.85	1045^th	1219	14.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	12.57	1135^th	1226	7.4%
2019	16.37	1099^th	1276	13.9%
2022	22.87	999^th	1286	22.3%
2023	20.57	1023^rd	1275	19.8%
2024	11.88	1175^th	1251	6.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	11.34	1178^th	1223	3.7%
2019	14.06	1186^th	1296	8.5%
2022	16.86	1131^st	1286	12.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Bright Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.87	449^th	511	12.1%
2019	22.52	508^th	565	10.1%
2022	27.54	475^th	573	17.1%
2023	53.08	192^nd	569	66.3%
2024	26.52	433^rd	548	21.0%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, June 23, 2012

Ever since the current principal began her tenure at Bright test scores have plummeted, enrollment has dropped, and teaching positions have been cut. The principal is very disrespectful and "combative" (her favorite word). She screams at the students and the teachers. I have heard her scream at a teacher in front of other parents and children. Is there any wonder why so many teachers quit in the middle of the year every school year? Our school has a huge problem with bullying unfortunately the biggest bully is the principal and all of our children are suffering because of it. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bright Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	46	162	n/a	388	3	n/a	n/a	0	599
1990	38	161	n/a	351	1	n/a	n/a	0	551
1991	50	172	0	344	0	n/a	n/a	0	566
1992	37	187	0	361	0	n/a	n/a	0	585
1993	33	194	0	359	1	n/a	n/a	0	587
1994	22	191	0	360	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
1995	35	249	0	320	0	n/a	n/a	0	604
1996	35	249	0	320	0	n/a	n/a	0	604
1997	25	260	0	323	0	n/a	n/a	0	608
1998	23	253	0	297	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
1999	23	271	0	321	0	n/a	n/a	0	615
2000	22	263	0	295	0	n/a	n/a	0	580
2001	16	250	1	319	0	n/a	n/a	0	586
2002	6	293	0	285	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2003	6	293	0	285	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2004	3	247	0	239	12	n/a	n/a	0	501
2005	4	162	0	215	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2006	0	163	2	206	4	n/a	n/a	5	380
2007	2	166	1	164	2	n/a	n/a	5	340
2008	3	138	1	140	3	n/a	n/a	3	288
2009	3	162	1	139	0	n/a	n/a	0	305
2010	3	247	1	124	0	n/a	n/a	0	375
2011	2	235	0	127	0	1	6	0	371
2012	2	223	0	126	1	1	2	0	355
2013	1	201	0	93	0	0	2	0	297
2014	2	203	0	86	0	0	0	0	291
2015	3	207	0	82	0	0	0	0	292
2016	6	203	0	86	0	0	0	0	295
2017	4	203	0	83	0	0	1	0	291
2018	4	193	0	86	0	0	1	0	284
2019	4	206	0	88	0	0	1	0	299
2020	4	179	0	84	0	0	0	0	267
2021	2	147	0	80	0	0	0	0	229
2022	1	143	0	74	0	0	0	0	218
2023	3	156	0	71	0	0	0	0	230

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bright Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	599	26.0	23.0	n/a
1990	551	29.0	19.0	n/a
1991	566	31.0	18.2	n/a
1992	585	32.0	18.2	n/a
1993	587	34.0	17.3	n/a
1994	573	33.0	17.4	n/a
1995	604	35.0	17.3	n/a
1996	604	35.0	17.3	n/a
1997	608	37.0	16.4	n/a
1998	573	34.0	16.9	n/a
1999	615	35.0	17.6	n/a
2000	580	33.0	17.6	n/a
2001	586	33.0	17.8	n/a
2002	584	38.0	15.4	82.7
2003	584	38.0	15.4	82.7
2004	501	25.2	19.9	99.4
2005	381	24.0	15.9	96.9
2006	380	22.0	17.3	100.5
2007	340	16.0	21.3	96.4
2008	288	14.0	20.6	100
2009	305	15.0	20.3	99
2010	375	21.0	17.8	99.2
2011	371	23.0	16.1	95.7
2012	355	21.0	16.9	98.6
2013	297	23.7	12.4	99
2014	291	21.0	13.8	99
2015	292	18.0	16.2	98.6
2016	295	20.0	14.7	95.9
2017	291	16.7	17.3	97.9
2018	284	19.4	14.6	95.8
2019	299	17.5	17.0	94
2020	267	19.0	14.0	95.1
2021	229	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	218	21.5	10.1	78
2023	230	12.0	19.1	90

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Bright Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	599	26.0	23.0	n/a
1990	551	29.0	19.0	n/a
1991	566	31.0	18.2	n/a
1992	585	32.0	18.2	n/a
1993	587	34.0	17.3	n/a
1994	573	33.0	17.4	n/a
1995	604	35.0	17.3	n/a
1996	604	35.0	17.3	n/a
1997	608	37.0	16.4	n/a
1998	573	34.0	16.9	n/a
1999	615	35.0	17.6	n/a
2000	580	33.0	17.6	n/a
2001	586	33.0	17.8	n/a
2002	584	38.0	15.4	82.7
2003	584	38.0	15.4	82.7
2004	501	25.2	19.9	99.4
2005	381	24.0	15.9	96.9
2006	380	22.0	17.3	100.5
2007	340	16.0	21.3	96.4
2008	288	14.0	20.6	100
2009	305	15.0	20.3	99
2010	375	21.0	17.8	99.2
2011	371	23.0	16.1	95.7
2012	355	21.0	16.9	98.6
2013	297	23.7	12.4	99
2014	291	21.0	13.8	99
2015	292	18.0	16.2	98.6
2016	295	20.0	14.7	95.9
2017	291	16.7	17.3	97.9
2018	284	19.4	14.6	95.8
2019	299	17.5	17.0	94
2020	267	19.0	14.0	95.1
2021	229	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	218	21.5	10.1	78
2023	230	12.0	19.1	90

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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