Is Otis Elementary School a good school?

Otis Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.0% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Otis Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 317 students attended Otis Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Otis Elementary School?

Students at Otis Elementary School are 59% Hispanic, 31% African American, 5% White, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Otis Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Otis Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Wells Community Academy High School

Otis Elementary School

Summary:

Otis Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, with 317 students. 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. Otis Elementary School has consistently been ranked in the bottom 25% of Illinois elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Otis Elementary School is struggling across a range of metrics, including high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly below-average test scores, and poor subgroup performance. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 15.8% of Otis students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 30.5% for the district and 41.2% for the state. In math, only 5.8% of Otis students were proficient or better, compared to 18.3% for the district and 28.4% for the state. The school's performance is also significantly worse than most of the nearby schools in the same district, such as Skinner Elementary School, which had 67.6% of students proficient or better in ELA and 60.3% in math.

Despite relatively high spending per student at $29,732 in 2022-2023, Otis Elementary School's academic outcomes have not improved. The high chronic absenteeism rates and low socioeconomic status of the student population may be contributing factors to the school's poor performance. Targeted interventions and support services may be needed to address these challenges and ensure that Otis students receive a high-quality education and are prepared for success in the future.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

525 N Armour St
Chicago, IL 60642-6105

(773) 534-7665

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1881^st of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,636

Students who attend Otis Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Wells Community Academy High School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.9

Number of students: 317

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

59.0%

African American:

31.2%

White:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91.2%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Otis Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Otis Elementary School ranks worse than 91% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 351^st among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.18. (See more...)

Compare Details Otis Elementary School ranks worse than 81.1% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.54. (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 Otis 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 Otis Elementary School is $25,636, which is the 79^th highest among 452 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Otis Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Otis Elementary School 1881^st of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Otis 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:

SchoolDigger ranks Otis Elementary School 1105^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Otis 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:

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 Otis Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	12.91	1746^th	2020	13.6%
2004	31.32	1559^th	2030	23.2%
2005	18.95	1747^th	2022	13.6%
2006	29.52	1665^th	2086	20.2%
2007	42.93	1448^th	2095	30.9%
2008	21.12	1757^th	2092	16.0%
2009	48.43	1313^th	2120	38.1%
2010	25.23	1727^th	2139	19.3%
2011	53.53	1205^th	2147	43.9%
2012	42.63	1453^rd	2166	32.9%
2013	24.35	1719^th	2167	20.7%
2014	30.66	1523^rd	2093	27.2%
2015	23.27	1616^th	2052	21.2%
2016	29.07	1449^th	2046	29.2%
2017	23.49	1589^th	2044	22.3%
2018	21.42	1614^th	2037	20.8%
2019	17.89	1793^rd	2086	14.0%
2021	19.12	1609^th	1948	17.4%
2022	22.21	1590^th	2082	23.6%
2023	20.67	1656^th	2077	20.3%
2024	14.18	1881^st	2067	9.0%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	29.28	591^st	718	17.7%
2019	27.83	653^rd	743	12.1%
2022	42.79	390^th	768	49.2%
2023	40.47	440^th	788	44.2%
2024	34.97	557^th	826	32.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	26.32	914^th	1195	23.5%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.26	1302^nd	1765	26.2%
2019	27.15	1449^th	1816	20.2%
2021	35.06	997^th	1514	34.1%
2022	34.74	1152^nd	1763	34.7%
2023	26.38	1443^rd	1808	20.2%
2024	19.28	1622^nd	1793	9.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.31	1576^th	1964	19.8%
2019	15.33	1811^th	2019	10.3%
2023	27.31	1388^th	1957	29.1%
2024	21.96	1529^th	1942	21.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	23.09	776^th	907	14.4%
2024	40.17	475^th	886	46.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	23.00	1548^th	1972	21.5%
2019	22.98	1590^th	2019	21.2%
2022	20.64	1568^th	1977	20.7%
2023	15.34	1780^th	1984	10.3%
2024	11.81	1883^rd	1959	3.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.54	608^th	698	12.9%
2022	34.04	441^st	684	35.5%
2023	58.38	192^nd	692	72.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	30.98	667^th	938	28.9%
2019	26.99	759^th	955	20.5%
2021	32.20	506^th	742	31.8%
2022	37.37	572^nd	954	40.0%
2023	30.21	701^st	970	27.7%
2024	20.26	857^th	959	10.6%

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 Otis Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	26.71	899^th	1185	24.1%
2004	34.05	854^th	1204	29.1%
2005	16.17	1014^th	1209	16.1%
2006	36.62	909^th	1272	28.5%
2007	44.99	835^th	1287	35.1%
2008	39.01	890^th	1293	31.2%
2009	43.89	865^th	1318	34.4%
2010	51.09	767^th	1327	42.2%
2011	51.05	757^th	1344	43.7%
2012	58.62	635^th	1365	53.5%
2013	42.98	801^st	1367	41.4%
2014	8.76	1246^th	1322	5.7%
2015	19.30	1092^nd	1302	16.1%
2016	33.13	847^th	1294	34.5%
2017	20.64	1046^th	1293	19.1%
2018	19.80	1063^rd	1293	17.8%
2019	16.60	1163^rd	1356	14.2%
2022	23.90	1025^th	1369	25.1%
2023	22.50	1064^th	1367	22.2%
2024	19.54	1105^th	1363	18.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2022	43.72	208^th	454	54.2%
2023	30.75	385^th	480	19.8%
2024	27.35	417^th	486	14.2%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	32.19	508^th	802	36.7%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.89	930^th	1161	19.9%
2019	19.66	1061^st	1217	12.8%
2022	31.99	842^nd	1221	31.0%
2023	26.84	950^th	1234	23.0%
2024	27.04	920^th	1219	24.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	18.50	1024^th	1226	16.5%
2019	15.14	1131^st	1276	11.4%
2022	19.83	1064^th	1286	17.3%
2024	20.77	1004^th	1251	19.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	20.86	1002^nd	1223	18.1%
2019	20.88	1046^th	1296	19.3%
2022	26.51	926^th	1286	28.0%
2023	21.99	1026^th	1292	20.6%
2024	20.33	1023^rd	1264	19.1%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.11	420^th	511	17.8%
2019	21.48	524^th	565	7.3%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Otis Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	23.47	499^th	590	15.4%
2019	21.45	553^rd	639	13.5%
2022	30.02	480^th	662	27.5%
2023	27.49	507^th	661	23.3%
2024	30.06	455^th	643	29.2%

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: 2.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, October 3, 2019

This use to be a great school until Mrs. Mendez took over. Our school was at a level 1. I pulled my daughter out of this school and sent her to another level 1 school. She had to catch up because she was so behind. I did appreciate the teachers that tried to make a difference. Also, some of the staff made my daughter to be a bully, but she was the one that got bullied. My daughter is a big girl that didn't cry so they targeted her. At her new school, all the staff loves her especially the principal and she has many friends. Close Quote

by a principal
Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Teachers are working hard. Classes are becoming more rigorous and engaging. THe principal and assistant principal couldn't be more dedicated and professional. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Otis Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	154	20	1	652	1	n/a	n/a	0	828
1989	133	21	n/a	625	3	n/a	n/a	0	782
1990	126	29	n/a	591	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	746
1991	109	24	0	661	0	n/a	n/a	0	794
1992	97	30	2	656	1	n/a	n/a	0	786
1993	66	26	0	544	0	n/a	n/a	0	636
1994	71	33	2	537	2	n/a	n/a	0	645
1995	65	46	0	573	0	n/a	n/a	0	684
1996	65	46	0	573	0	n/a	n/a	0	684
1997	66	48	0	586	3	n/a	n/a	0	703
1998	60	53	0	572	2	n/a	n/a	0	687
1999	53	62	0	585	2	n/a	n/a	0	702
2000	50	61	1	594	1	n/a	n/a	0	707
2001	40	62	4	596	1	n/a	n/a	0	703
2002	55	39	9	576	20	n/a	n/a	0	699
2003	55	39	9	576	20	n/a	n/a	0	699
2004	43	42	3	553	6	n/a	n/a	0	647
2005	34	53	2	555	2	n/a	n/a	0	646
2006	26	53	3	480	0	n/a	n/a	26	588
2007	17	45	2	379	1	n/a	n/a	23	467
2008	22	56	4	332	1	n/a	n/a	22	437
2009	25	50	1	329	1	n/a	n/a	0	406
2010	24	71	5	323	2	n/a	n/a	0	425
2011	22	76	2	327	1	0	8	0	436
2012	19	100	2	356	3	0	8	0	488
2013	20	85	1	343	4	0	5	0	458
2014	20	124	1	475	4	0	8	0	632
2015	17	122	2	440	4	0	8	0	593
2016	13	122	2	397	2	0	9	0	545
2017	10	119	2	354	3	0	5	0	493
2018	11	108	2	316	3	0	3	0	443
2019	8	107	3	277	3	1	4	0	403
2020	11	100	12	232	2	1	2	0	360
2021	10	84	5	184	3	1	6	0	293
2022	9	81	6	164	1	1	7	0	269
2023	15	99	7	187	1	1	7	0	317

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 Otis Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	828	48.0	17.2	n/a
1989	782	48.0	16.2	n/a
1990	746	47.0	15.8	n/a
1991	794	51.0	15.5	n/a
1992	786	51.0	15.4	n/a
1993	636	50.0	12.7	n/a
1994	645	48.0	13.4	n/a
1995	684	46.0	14.9	n/a
1996	684	46.0	14.9	n/a
1997	703	46.0	15.3	n/a
1998	687	46.0	14.9	n/a
1999	702	44.0	16.0	n/a
2000	707	43.0	16.4	n/a
2001	703	46.0	15.3	n/a
2002	699	46.0	15.2	87.8
2003	699	46.0	15.2	87.8
2004	647	42.9	15.1	97.1
2005	646	44.3	14.6	89.9
2006	588	45.8	12.8	99.3
2007	467	31.0	15.1	93.9
2008	437	32.0	13.7	101
2009	406	29.0	14.0	99.3
2010	425	30.0	14.1	99.3
2011	436	32.0	13.6	94.7
2012	488	31.0	15.7	93.4
2013	458	44.4	10.2	93
2014	632	47.0	13.4	95.7
2015	593	45.0	13.1	97
2016	545	37.0	14.7	93.9
2017	493	32.8	15.0	93.5
2018	443	28.7	15.4	93.2
2019	403	32.5	12.4	81.4
2020	360	33.0	10.9	90.6
2021	293	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	269	33.5	8.0	92.6
2023	317	32.0	9.9	91.2

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 Otis Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	828	48.0	17.2	n/a
1989	782	48.0	16.2	n/a
1990	746	47.0	15.8	n/a
1991	794	51.0	15.5	n/a
1992	786	51.0	15.4	n/a
1993	636	50.0	12.7	n/a
1994	645	48.0	13.4	n/a
1995	684	46.0	14.9	n/a
1996	684	46.0	14.9	n/a
1997	703	46.0	15.3	n/a
1998	687	46.0	14.9	n/a
1999	702	44.0	16.0	n/a
2000	707	43.0	16.4	n/a
2001	703	46.0	15.3	n/a
2002	699	46.0	15.2	87.8
2003	699	46.0	15.2	87.8
2004	647	42.9	15.1	97.1
2005	646	44.3	14.6	89.9
2006	588	45.8	12.8	99.3
2007	467	31.0	15.1	93.9
2008	437	32.0	13.7	101
2009	406	29.0	14.0	99.3
2010	425	30.0	14.1	99.3
2011	436	32.0	13.6	94.7
2012	488	31.0	15.7	93.4
2013	458	44.4	10.2	93
2014	632	47.0	13.4	95.7
2015	593	45.0	13.1	97
2016	545	37.0	14.7	93.9
2017	493	32.8	15.0	93.5
2018	443	28.7	15.4	93.2
2019	403	32.5	12.4	81.4
2020	360	33.0	10.9	90.6
2021	293	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	269	33.5	8.0	92.6
2023	317	32.0	9.9	91.2

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