Is Cather Elementary School a good school?

Cather Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.8% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Cather Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 327 students attended Cather Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Cather Elementary School?

Students at Cather Elementary School are 95% African American, 5% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Cather Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cather Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Marshall Metropolitan High School

Cather Elementary School

Summary:

Cather Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in the West Side neighborhood of Chicago, with 327 students enrolled. Unfortunately, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, with a current ranking of 1823 out of 2067 Illinois elementary schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

Cather Elementary significantly underperforms compared to the Chicago Public Schools District 299 and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 16% of Cather students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 30.5% for the district and 41.2% for the state. In math, the proficiency rate was even lower at just 3-8% for Cather, compared to 16-22% for the district and 24-34% for the state. Cather Elementary also has extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching over 50% in the 2021-2022 school year, significantly higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, over 96% of Cather's students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, higher than the district average of around 90%.

Interestingly, Cather Elementary's performance is significantly worse than that of nearby schools, such as Morton Elementary Career Academy and Locke A Elementary Charter Academy, both located within a half-mile of Cather. These nearby schools have higher proficiency rates and better overall performance, suggesting that the challenges faced by Cather Elementary may be unique and require a targeted approach to address the underlying issues affecting student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

2908 W Washington Blvd
Chicago, IL 60612-1934

(773) 534-6780

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1823^rd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,958

Students who attend Cather Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Marshall Metropolitan High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 327

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.8%

Hispanic:

4.6%

American Indian:

0.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.6%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Cather Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cather Elementary School ranks worse than 88.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 325^th among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.61. (See more...)

Compare Details Cather Elementary School ranks worse than 88% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.04. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 Cather 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 Cather Elementary School is $25,958, which is the 74^th highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cather Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cather Elementary School 1823^rd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Cather Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Cather Elementary School 1199^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Cather Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male 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.)

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Rank History for Cather Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	1.09	2011^th	2020	0.4%
2004	0.95	2012^th	2030	0.9%
2005	3.35	1917^th	2022	5.2%
2006	1.60	2049^th	2086	1.8%
2007	7.44	1951^st	2095	6.9%
2008	6.10	1984^th	2092	5.2%
2009	16.46	1851^st	2120	12.7%
2010	28.86	1669^th	2139	22.0%
2011	54.62	1174^th	2147	45.3%
2012	43.20	1441^st	2166	33.5%
2013	47.45	1209^th	2167	44.2%
2014	36.36	1394^th	2093	33.4%
2015	21.24	1680^th	2052	18.1%
2016	18.84	1727^th	2046	15.6%
2017	12.56	1883^rd	2044	7.9%
2018	14.56	1836^th	2037	9.9%
2019	14.90	1879^th	2086	9.9%
2022	13.55	1930^th	2082	7.3%
2023	9.71	2049^th	2077	1.3%
2024	15.61	1823^rd	2067	11.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	23.88	966^th	1113	13.2%
2023	16.99	1125^th	1156	2.7%
2024	18.85	1100^th	1195	7.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.65	1514^th	1765	14.2%
2019	22.81	1575^th	1816	13.3%
2022	20.05	1580^th	1763	10.4%
2023	13.18	1779^th	1808	1.6%
2024	23.87	1481^st	1793	17.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.08	1820^th	1964	7.3%
2019	15.56	1805^th	2019	10.6%
2022	15.70	1748^th	1970	11.3%
2023	10.36	1918^th	1957	2.0%
2024	13.49	1816^th	1942	6.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	22.87	775^th	886	12.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.99	1674^th	1972	15.1%
2019	16.98	1766^th	2019	12.5%
2022	12.56	1889^th	1977	4.5%
2023	10.82	1932^nd	1984	2.6%
2024	12.63	1860^th	1959	5.1%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.26	407^th	698	41.7%
2019	36.12	439^th	711	38.3%
2022	32.07	470^th	684	31.3%
2023	22.71	629^th	692	9.1%
2024	36.43	409^th	655	37.6%

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

Rank History for Cather Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	5.24	1129^th	1185	4.7%
2004	2.98	1183^rd	1204	1.7%
2005	1.98	1197^th	1209	1.0%
2006	2.21	1250^th	1272	1.7%
2007	8.42	1184^th	1287	8.0%
2008	8.20	1193^rd	1293	7.7%
2009	23.16	1075^th	1318	18.4%
2010	35.48	973^rd	1327	26.7%
2011	55.23	705^th	1344	47.5%
2012	57.02	661^st	1365	51.6%
2013	54.65	632^nd	1367	53.8%
2014	23.42	1065^th	1322	19.4%
2015	9.83	1264^th	1302	2.9%
2016	11.06	1241^st	1294	4.1%
2017	9.14	1260^th	1293	2.6%
2018	8.96	1266^th	1293	2.1%
2019	8.58	1331^st	1356	1.8%
2021	12.73	1174^th	1241	5.4%
2022	15.08	1245^th	1369	9.1%
2023	11.12	1319^th	1367	3.5%
2024	16.04	1199^th	1363	12.0%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	27.32	635^th	781	18.7%
2024	22.09	695^th	802	13.3%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	12.43	1126^th	1161	3.0%
2019	10.37	1194^th	1217	1.9%
2021	18.62	940^th	1019	7.8%
2022	22.21	1055^th	1221	13.6%
2023	14.63	1181^st	1234	4.3%
2024	23.34	993^rd	1219	18.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	6.27	1221^st	1226	0.4%
2019	6.77	1266^th	1276	0.8%
2022	15.16	1153^rd	1286	10.3%
2023	10.88	1228^th	1275	3.7%
2024	18.85	1036^th	1251	17.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	31.15	450^th	639	29.6%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Cather Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	14.24	1115^th	1223	8.8%
2019	13.85	1192^nd	1296	8.0%
2022	16.37	1146^th	1286	10.9%
2023	12.65	1225^th	1292	5.2%
2024	14.19	1174^th	1264	7.1%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.45	452^nd	511	11.5%
2019	19.05	539^th	565	4.6%
2021	29.51	297^th	385	22.9%
2022	33.04	385^th	573	32.8%
2023	24.60	497^th	569	12.7%
2024	36.25	343^rd	548	37.4%

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

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Enrollment information for Cather Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	572	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	572
1990	n/a	616	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	616
1991	0	602	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	602
1992	0	574	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	574
1993	0	573	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
1994	0	513	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	513
1995	0	426	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
1996	0	426	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
1997	0	481	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1998	0	460	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	460
1999	0	473	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	473
2000	0	489	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	489
2001	0	482	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
2002	1	396	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2003	1	396	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2004	0	326	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	327
2005	0	298	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	298
2006	0	250	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	1	253
2007	0	245	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2008	0	234	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	234
2009	0	217	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	218
2010	1	232	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	234
2011	0	221	0	1	0	0	0	0	222
2012	0	223	0	6	0	0	4	0	233
2013	0	228	0	7	0	0	0	0	235
2014	0	436	0	7	0	0	0	0	443
2015	0	367	1	6	0	0	0	0	374
2016	0	355	2	7	0	0	0	0	364
2017	0	376	2	8	0	0	3	0	389
2018	0	357	5	12	1	0	0	0	375
2019	2	347	6	10	0	0	2	0	367
2020	0	324	3	15	1	0	1	0	344
2021	1	335	2	14	1	0	3	0	356
2022	1	318	0	16	1	0	2	0	338
2023	0	310	0	15	1	0	1	0	327

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 Cather Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	572	33.0	17.3	n/a
1990	616	32.0	19.2	n/a
1991	602	36.0	16.7	n/a
1992	574	32.0	17.9	n/a
1993	573	33.0	17.4	n/a
1994	513	28.0	18.3	n/a
1995	426	27.0	15.8	n/a
1996	426	27.0	15.8	n/a
1997	482	25.0	19.3	n/a
1998	460	26.0	17.7	n/a
1999	473	24.0	19.7	n/a
2000	489	26.0	18.8	n/a
2001	482	26.0	18.5	n/a
2002	397	20.0	19.9	97.2
2003	397	20.0	19.9	97.2
2004	327	22.1	14.8	98.2
2005	298	20.7	14.4	99
2006	253	23.7	10.7	99.2
2007	245	13.0	18.8	98.4
2008	234	14.0	16.7	98.7
2009	218	18.0	12.1	98.6
2010	234	14.0	16.7	98.7
2011	222	15.0	14.8	98.6
2012	233	13.0	17.9	98.7
2013	235	13.4	17.5	98.7
2014	443	28.0	15.8	98
2015	374	27.0	13.8	98.9
2016	364	22.0	16.5	96.2
2017	389	22.2	17.5	96.9
2018	375	24.7	15.1	92.8
2019	367	23.0	15.9	91.8
2020	344	24.0	14.3	98.8
2021	356	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	338	27.0	12.5	94.7
2023	327	28.0	11.6	96.6

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 Cather Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	572	33.0	17.3	n/a
1990	616	32.0	19.2	n/a
1991	602	36.0	16.7	n/a
1992	574	32.0	17.9	n/a
1993	573	33.0	17.4	n/a
1994	513	28.0	18.3	n/a
1995	426	27.0	15.8	n/a
1996	426	27.0	15.8	n/a
1997	482	25.0	19.3	n/a
1998	460	26.0	17.7	n/a
1999	473	24.0	19.7	n/a
2000	489	26.0	18.8	n/a
2001	482	26.0	18.5	n/a
2002	397	20.0	19.9	97.2
2003	397	20.0	19.9	97.2
2004	327	22.1	14.8	98.2
2005	298	20.7	14.4	99
2006	253	23.7	10.7	99.2
2007	245	13.0	18.8	98.4
2008	234	14.0	16.7	98.7
2009	218	18.0	12.1	98.6
2010	234	14.0	16.7	98.7
2011	222	15.0	14.8	98.6
2012	233	13.0	17.9	98.7
2013	235	13.4	17.5	98.7
2014	443	28.0	15.8	98
2015	374	27.0	13.8	98.9
2016	364	22.0	16.5	96.2
2017	389	22.2	17.5	96.9
2018	375	24.7	15.1	92.8
2019	367	23.0	15.9	91.8
2020	344	24.0	14.3	98.8
2021	356	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	338	27.0	12.5	94.7
2023	327	28.0	11.6	96.6

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.

Immunization Rates