Is McPherson Elementary School a good school?

McPherson Elementary School ranks 1239 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend McPherson Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 651 students attended McPherson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of McPherson Elementary School?

Students at McPherson Elementary School are 56% Hispanic, 23% White, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

What schools do graduates of McPherson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McPherson Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Amundsen High School

McPherson Elementary School

Summary:

McPherson Elementary School is a public school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 651 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. The school 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. Over the past 10 years, McPherson Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois elementary schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McPherson Elementary School's academic performance is significantly below the state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 30.8% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 41.2% statewide and 30.5% in the Chicago Public Schools district. In Mathematics, only 18.3% of students were proficient or better, compared to 28.4% statewide and 18.3% in the district. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, reaching 23.4% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, Ravenswood Elementary School and Chappell Elementary School have significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, McPherson Elementary School has a wide variation in performance across different student groups, suggesting the need for targeted interventions and support. Despite the relatively high spending per student at $23,900, the school's academic performance remains below the state and district averages, raising questions about the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

4728 N Wolcott Ave
Chicago, IL 60640-4364

(773) 534-2625

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1239^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,053

Students who attend McPherson Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Amundsen High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 651

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.4%

White:

23.0%

African American:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.5%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare McPherson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McPherson Elementary School ranks worse than 59.9% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 125^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 36.36. (See more...)

Compare Details McPherson Elementary School ranks worse than 64.5% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.27. (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 McPherson 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 McPherson Elementary School is $22,053, which is the 186^th highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McPherson Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks McPherson Elementary School 1239^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See McPherson Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks McPherson Elementary School 879^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See McPherson Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

Hispanic 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 McPherson Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	24.30	1619^th	2020	19.9%
2004	28.82	1596^th	2030	21.4%
2005	43.52	1357^th	2022	32.9%
2006	50.63	1294^th	2086	38.0%
2007	38.25	1535^th	2095	26.7%
2008	43.77	1385^th	2092	33.8%
2009	41.06	1452^nd	2120	31.5%
2010	37.57	1528^th	2139	28.6%
2011	42.46	1436^th	2147	33.1%
2012	38.05	1548^th	2166	28.5%
2013	30.20	1586^th	2167	26.8%
2014	35.59	1407^th	2093	32.8%
2015	42.58	1073^rd	2052	47.7%
2016	42.94	1106^th	2046	45.9%
2017	38.55	1203^rd	2044	41.1%
2018	30.40	1414^th	2037	30.6%
2019	38.64	1229^th	2086	41.1%
2021	22.24	1502^nd	1948	22.9%
2022	32.08	1341^st	2082	35.6%
2023	37.08	1237^th	2077	40.4%
2024	36.36	1239^th	2067	40.1%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.89	668^th	718	7.0%
2019	39.66	459^th	743	38.2%
2021	29.09	467^th	537	13.0%
2022	34.13	549^th	768	28.5%
2023	23.13	732^nd	788	7.1%
2024	23.37	767^th	826	7.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	26.69	591^st	763	22.5%
2019	32.68	776^th	1194	35.0%
2022	32.72	708^th	1113	36.4%
2023	28.08	836^th	1156	27.7%
2024	52.67	446^th	1195	62.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	44.13	949^th	1765	46.2%
2019	54.72	690^th	1816	62.0%
2021	29.53	1123^rd	1514	25.8%
2022	40.13	1020^th	1763	42.1%
2023	36.73	1131^st	1808	37.4%
2024	26.65	1410^th	1793	21.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.67	1198^th	1964	39.0%
2019	45.65	1053^rd	2019	47.8%
2021	18.04	1430^th	1680	14.9%
2022	38.09	1127^th	1970	42.8%
2023	40.83	1083^rd	1957	44.7%
2024	46.52	946^th	1942	51.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	30.93	615^th	907	32.2%
2024	25.56	714^th	886	19.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	26.14	1469^th	1972	25.5%
2019	36.11	1240^th	2019	38.6%
2021	23.12	1318^th	1707	22.8%
2022	27.11	1388^th	1977	29.8%
2023	31.92	1276^th	1984	35.7%
2024	27.13	1388^th	1959	29.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	34.84	605^th	938	35.5%
2019	44.91	501^st	955	47.5%
2021	25.12	625^th	742	15.8%
2022	33.45	639^th	954	33.0%
2023	36.35	608^th	970	37.3%
2024	27.33	732^nd	959	23.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	62.29	487^th	1392	65.0%

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

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

Rank History for McPherson Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	39.52	775^th	1185	34.6%
2004	45.75	736^th	1204	38.9%
2005	36.11	844^th	1209	30.2%
2006	51.10	731^st	1272	42.5%
2007	38.43	910^th	1287	29.3%
2008	60.12	617^th	1293	52.3%
2009	61.44	581^st	1318	55.9%
2010	49.91	787^th	1327	40.7%
2011	44.97	841^st	1344	37.4%
2012	45.17	866^th	1365	36.6%
2013	39.30	881^st	1367	35.6%
2014	47.68	720^th	1322	45.5%
2015	44.36	632^nd	1302	51.5%
2016	44.92	655^th	1294	49.4%
2017	37.04	787^th	1293	39.1%
2018	44.16	682^nd	1293	47.3%
2019	40.67	759^th	1356	44.0%
2021	41.57	629^th	1241	49.3%
2022	36.26	816^th	1369	40.4%
2023	27.95	949^th	1367	30.6%
2024	31.27	879^th	1363	35.5%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	27.72	417^th	454	8.1%
2023	37.29	293^rd	480	39.0%
2024	24.12	453^rd	486	6.8%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	36.60	340^th	602	43.5%
2019	42.33	351^st	792	55.7%
2022	32.75	532^nd	781	31.9%
2023	33.94	491^st	805	39.0%
2024	43.79	360^th	802	55.1%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	60.57	354^th	1161	69.5%
2019	60.07	378^th	1217	68.9%
2021	57.61	309^th	1019	69.7%
2022	40.19	675^th	1221	44.7%
2023	36.35	786^th	1234	36.3%
2024	39.08	710^th	1219	41.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.81	637^th	1226	48.0%
2019	39.56	751^st	1276	41.1%
2021	44.27	514^th	1017	49.5%
2022	40.66	704^th	1286	45.3%
2023	29.24	873^rd	1275	31.5%
2024	37.28	742^nd	1251	40.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	48.43	255^th	674	62.2%
2024	53.07	200^th	639	68.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	42.11	662^nd	1223	45.9%
2019	42.92	674^th	1296	48.0%
2021	35.40	631^st	1048	39.8%
2022	32.87	814^th	1286	36.7%
2023	26.26	937^th	1292	27.5%
2024	24.38	937^th	1264	25.9%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at McPherson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.00	248^th	590	58.0%
2019	42.53	344^th	639	46.2%
2021	47.68	225^th	517	56.5%
2022	38.62	392^nd	662	40.8%
2023	26.60	515^th	661	22.1%
2024	30.03	456^th	643	29.1%

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

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

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, May 21, 2022

McPherson is a diverse learner school and the test scores are an unfair standard to rank the school because it doesn't tell the entire story. The parent and family community is active. The social emotional skills of the students are stellar. The teachers care about their students and advocate for them. It has a gifted program, an IB program, and kids from all over the city come to McPherson because of all the extra supports that are available.

It is a wonderful school . Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, October 12, 2017

Great teachers! Great school! Close Quote

Enrollment information for McPherson Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	346	55	118	593	6	n/a	n/a	0	1118
1989	288	60	93	668	16	n/a	n/a	0	1125
1990	266	65	89	670	11	n/a	n/a	0	1101
1991	248	81	79	748	13	n/a	n/a	0	1169
1992	238	73	77	748	13	n/a	n/a	0	1149
1993	263	76	77	776	8	n/a	n/a	0	1200
1994	229	76	69	772	13	n/a	n/a	0	1159
1995	187	55	61	747	8	n/a	n/a	0	1058
1996	187	55	61	747	8	n/a	n/a	0	1058
1997	177	49	63	692	10	n/a	n/a	0	991
1998	165	43	58	656	5	n/a	n/a	0	927
1999	149	33	45	651	3	n/a	n/a	0	881
2000	152	43	40	631	8	n/a	n/a	0	874
2001	138	45	39	660	5	n/a	n/a	0	887
2002	146	56	34	639	3	n/a	n/a	0	878
2003	146	56	34	639	3	n/a	n/a	0	878
2004	146	55	31	624	4	n/a	n/a	0	860
2005	132	45	49	557	3	n/a	n/a	0	786
2006	95	42	32	516	1	n/a	n/a	43	729
2007	80	35	37	487	0	n/a	n/a	43	682
2008	87	34	44	479	0	n/a	n/a	37	681
2009	85	30	45	488	0	n/a	n/a	0	648
2010	89	27	40	497	1	n/a	n/a	0	654
2011	72	21	43	527	7	0	5	0	675
2012	64	27	45	536	8	0	5	0	685
2013	63	30	45	530	5	0	9	0	682
2014	110	50	56	578	7	0	13	0	814
2015	76	46	55	581	0	0	12	0	770
2016	79	44	53	598	0	0	13	0	787
2017	64	49	46	563	0	0	9	0	731
2018	62	34	35	548	0	0	13	0	692
2019	90	40	28	506	0	0	18	0	682
2020	94	33	26	448	0	0	22	0	623
2021	96	34	21	387	1	0	25	0	564
2022	130	33	25	358	0	0	36	0	582
2023	150	53	33	367	0	1	47	0	651

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 McPherson Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1118	47.0	23.7	n/a
1989	1125	47.0	23.9	n/a
1990	1101	46.0	23.9	n/a
1991	1169	52.0	22.4	n/a
1992	1149	51.0	22.5	n/a
1993	1200	51.0	23.5	n/a
1994	1159	50.0	23.2	n/a
1995	1058	53.0	20.0	n/a
1996	1058	53.0	20.0	n/a
1997	991	49.0	20.2	n/a
1998	927	45.0	20.6	n/a
1999	881	42.2	20.9	n/a
2000	874	44.2	19.8	n/a
2001	887	45.2	19.6	n/a
2002	878	45.0	19.5	87
2003	878	45.0	19.5	87
2004	860	42.5	20.2	88
2005	786	46.0	17.1	88.7
2006	729	44.0	16.6	95
2007	682	29.0	23.5	92.8
2008	681	34.0	20.0	89.6
2009	648	40.0	16.2	91.2
2010	654	41.0	15.9	93.7
2011	675	39.0	17.3	90.7
2012	685	38.0	18.0	91.7
2013	682	44.5	15.3	91.2
2014	814	59.0	13.7	90.7
2015	770	55.0	14.0	88.2
2016	787	52.0	15.1	84.9
2017	731	48.6	15.0	85.9
2018	692	47.7	14.4	82.7
2019	682	53.5	12.7	72.4
2020	623	57.0	10.9	69.7
2021	564	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	582	54.0	10.7	54.8
2023	651	58.0	11.2	56.5

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 McPherson Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1118	47.0	23.7	n/a
1989	1125	47.0	23.9	n/a
1990	1101	46.0	23.9	n/a
1991	1169	52.0	22.4	n/a
1992	1149	51.0	22.5	n/a
1993	1200	51.0	23.5	n/a
1994	1159	50.0	23.2	n/a
1995	1058	53.0	20.0	n/a
1996	1058	53.0	20.0	n/a
1997	991	49.0	20.2	n/a
1998	927	45.0	20.6	n/a
1999	881	42.2	20.9	n/a
2000	874	44.2	19.8	n/a
2001	887	45.2	19.6	n/a
2002	878	45.0	19.5	87
2003	878	45.0	19.5	87
2004	860	42.5	20.2	88
2005	786	46.0	17.1	88.7
2006	729	44.0	16.6	95
2007	682	29.0	23.5	92.8
2008	681	34.0	20.0	89.6
2009	648	40.0	16.2	91.2
2010	654	41.0	15.9	93.7
2011	675	39.0	17.3	90.7
2012	685	38.0	18.0	91.7
2013	682	44.5	15.3	91.2
2014	814	59.0	13.7	90.7
2015	770	55.0	14.0	88.2
2016	787	52.0	15.1	84.9
2017	731	48.6	15.0	85.9
2018	692	47.7	14.4	82.7
2019	682	53.5	12.7	72.4
2020	623	57.0	10.9	69.7
2021	564	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	582	54.0	10.7	54.8
2023	651	58.0	11.2	56.5

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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