Is Sawyer Elementary School a good school?

Sawyer Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.8% of Illinois elementary schools.

How many students attend Sawyer Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,030 students attended Sawyer Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Sawyer Elementary School?

Students at Sawyer Elementary School are 97% Hispanic, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Sawyer Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sawyer Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Curie Metropolitan High School

Sawyer Elementary School

Summary:

Sawyer Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 1,030 students in grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, which is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299. Unfortunately, the school has consistently been ranked in the bottom 15% of Illinois elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sawyer Elementary School faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 26.2% to 37.1% in recent years, which is much higher than the district and state averages. Academically, the school's performance is also well below the district and state, with only 19% of students proficient or better in ELA and just 10.9% proficient or better in math, compared to 30.5% and 18.3% for the district, respectively. The school's struggles are particularly pronounced for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities, who perform in the bottom 15% of Illinois elementary schools.

When comparing Sawyer Elementary School to nearby schools, the differences are stark. For example, Acero Charter - Rufino Tamayo Elementary, just 0.63 miles away, significantly outperforms Sawyer Elementary across all grade levels and subject areas. This suggests that addressing the root causes of Sawyer's chronic absenteeism and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all students should be top priorities for the school and district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

5248 S Sawyer Ave
Chicago, IL 60632-3131

(773) 535-0440

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1762^nd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,210

Students who attend Sawyer Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Curie Metropolitan High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 1,030

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.8%

White:

1.7%

American Indian:

0.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.8%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Sawyer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sawyer Elementary School ranks worse than 85.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 287^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 17.19. (See more...)

Compare Details Sawyer Elementary School ranks worse than 72.1% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.96. (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 Sawyer 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 Sawyer Elementary School is $17,210. 399 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sawyer Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sawyer Elementary School 1762^nd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Sawyer 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 Sawyer Elementary School 983^rd of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Sawyer 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.)

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Your rating for Sawyer Elementary School?

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Rank History for Sawyer Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	14.75	1729^th	2020	14.4%
2004	44.38	1326^th	2030	34.7%
2005	34.34	1506^th	2022	25.5%
2006	46.72	1366^th	2086	34.5%
2007	49.64	1332^nd	2095	36.4%
2008	20.63	1768^th	2092	15.5%
2009	23.37	1742^nd	2120	17.8%
2010	20.24	1814^th	2139	15.2%
2011	29.58	1663^rd	2147	22.5%
2012	33.39	1617^th	2166	25.3%
2013	29.47	1600^th	2167	26.2%
2014	25.13	1650^th	2093	21.2%
2015	28.94	1443^rd	2052	29.7%
2016	26.95	1508^th	2046	26.3%
2017	22.28	1622^nd	2044	20.6%
2018	22.69	1585^th	2037	22.2%
2019	22.91	1630^th	2086	21.9%
2021	14.45	1783^rd	1948	8.5%
2022	17.32	1770^th	2082	15.0%
2023	17.51	1776^th	2077	14.5%
2024	17.19	1762^nd	2067	14.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	31.83	545^th	718	24.1%
2019	35.30	520^th	743	30.0%
2021	39.31	310^th	537	42.3%
2022	30.95	605^th	768	21.2%
2023	27.55	682^nd	788	13.5%
2024	26.14	712^th	826	13.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	21.41	709^th	763	7.1%
2019	19.80	1140^th	1194	4.5%
2022	27.55	842^nd	1113	24.3%
2023	23.36	965^th	1156	16.5%
2024	20.45	1059^th	1195	11.4%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	36.60	1147^th	1765	35.0%
2019	37.77	1172^nd	1816	35.5%
2021	22.44	1323^rd	1514	12.6%
2022	27.89	1339^th	1763	24.0%
2023	27.63	1399^th	1808	22.6%
2024	26.94	1401^st	1793	21.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.59	1548^th	1964	21.2%
2019	22.54	1618^th	2019	19.9%
2021	13.81	1559^th	1680	7.2%
2022	20.08	1592^nd	1970	19.2%
2023	20.84	1570^th	1957	19.8%
2024	18.86	1629^th	1942	16.1%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.42	676^th	907	25.5%
2024	21.57	797^th	886	10.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.37	1514^th	1972	23.2%
2019	24.98	1529^th	2019	24.3%
2021	13.46	1620^th	1707	5.1%
2022	16.67	1739^th	1977	12.0%
2023	15.87	1760^th	1984	11.3%
2024	16.63	1699^th	1959	13.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	31.22	665^th	938	29.1%
2019	30.79	703^rd	955	26.4%
2021	19.92	709^th	742	4.4%
2022	21.41	847^th	954	11.2%
2023	22.59	844^th	970	13.0%
2024	22.85	805^th	959	16.1%

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 Sawyer Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	37.82	793^rd	1185	33.1%
2004	35.39	833^rd	1204	30.8%
2005	43.62	773^rd	1209	36.1%
2006	40.71	866^th	1272	31.9%
2007	44.42	839^th	1287	34.8%
2008	40.85	868^th	1293	32.9%
2009	39.88	915^th	1318	30.6%
2010	35.51	972^nd	1327	26.8%
2011	44.33	853^rd	1344	36.5%
2012	43.74	890^th	1365	34.8%
2013	40.61	848^th	1367	38.0%
2014	36.45	881^st	1322	33.4%
2015	26.91	953^rd	1302	26.8%
2016	23.85	1019^th	1294	21.3%
2017	27.25	945^th	1293	26.9%
2018	30.93	881^st	1293	31.9%
2019	28.88	957^th	1356	29.4%
2021	17.91	1065^th	1241	14.2%
2022	26.56	967^th	1369	29.4%
2023	24.95	1009^th	1367	26.2%
2024	25.96	983^rd	1363	27.9%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	42.39	139^th	285	51.2%
2019	40.04	208^th	339	38.6%
2021	44.15	126^th	277	54.5%
2022	37.89	281^st	454	38.1%
2023	32.35	366^th	480	23.8%
2024	33.44	344^th	486	29.2%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.39	457^th	602	24.1%
2019	30.67	558^th	792	29.5%
2022	26.86	654^th	781	16.3%
2023	27.83	590^th	805	26.7%
2024	26.80	613^th	802	23.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	47.14	565^th	1161	51.3%
2019	43.88	653^rd	1217	46.3%
2021	28.65	758^th	1019	25.6%
2022	40.38	669^th	1221	45.2%
2023	37.04	777^th	1234	37.0%
2024	39.89	697^th	1219	42.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	32.00	841^st	1226	31.4%
2019	28.19	935^th	1276	26.7%
2021	21.35	829^th	1017	18.5%
2022	24.48	966^th	1286	24.9%
2023	25.64	929^th	1275	27.1%
2024	29.67	861^st	1251	31.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.94	529^th	674	21.5%
2024	31.61	445^th	639	30.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.44	860^th	1223	29.7%
2019	29.71	887^th	1296	31.6%
2021	13.77	986^th	1048	5.9%
2022	29.84	867^th	1286	32.6%
2023	24.90	968^th	1292	25.1%
2024	23.69	950^th	1264	24.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Sawyer Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	36.59	386^th	590	34.6%
2019	32.31	450^th	639	29.6%
2021	19.74	468^th	517	9.5%
2022	30.26	478^th	662	27.8%
2023	29.53	486^th	661	26.5%
2024	29.89	459^th	643	28.6%

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

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

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 Sawyer Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	305	105	3	140	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	553
1989	263	116	3	182	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	564
1990	287	96	4	200	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	587
1991	265	83	3	342	0	n/a	n/a	0	693
1992	286	85	3	401	0	n/a	n/a	0	775
1993	239	60	1	536	2	n/a	n/a	0	838
1994	203	48	3	604	4	n/a	n/a	0	862
1995	154	36	0	692	0	n/a	n/a	0	882
1996	154	36	0	692	0	n/a	n/a	0	882
1997	126	29	1	807	0	n/a	n/a	0	963
1998	79	21	0	910	1	n/a	n/a	0	1011
1999	81	11	1	1343	1	n/a	n/a	0	1437
2000	81	14	0	1397	1	n/a	n/a	0	1493
2001	70	8	2	1566	0	n/a	n/a	0	1646
2002	45	9	0	1752	0	n/a	n/a	0	1806
2003	45	9	0	1752	0	n/a	n/a	0	1806
2004	34	11	1	1800	2	n/a	n/a	0	1848
2005	23	10	0	1725	1	n/a	n/a	0	1759
2006	18	7	0	1908	0	n/a	n/a	34	1967
2007	19	16	0	1920	0	n/a	n/a	50	2005
2008	19	13	0	1944	24	n/a	n/a	44	2044
2009	22	8	0	2092	0	n/a	n/a	0	2122
2010	23	18	0	2047	0	n/a	n/a	0	2088
2011	23	11	0	1978	1	0	3	0	2016
2012	22	5	0	1794	4	0	2	0	1827
2013	22	13	0	1824	5	0	1	0	1865
2014	21	12	0	1789	3	0	4	0	1829
2015	23	11	0	1757	5	0	4	0	1800
2016	23	10	0	1702	4	0	2	0	1741
2017	19	9	0	1618	6	0	1	0	1653
2018	16	8	1	1522	4	0	1	0	1552
2019	15	4	0	1433	5	0	2	0	1459
2020	17	2	0	1265	5	0	1	0	1290
2021	16	2	1	1217	3	0	4	0	1243
2022	20	0	1	1113	4	0	4	0	1142
2023	17	1	3	997	6	0	6	0	1030

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 Sawyer Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	553	39.0	14.1	n/a
1989	564	39.0	14.4	n/a
1990	587	45.0	13.0	n/a
1991	693	34.0	20.3	n/a
1992	775	38.0	20.3	n/a
1993	838	39.0	21.5	n/a
1994	862	39.0	22.1	n/a
1995	882	44.0	20.0	n/a
1996	882	44.0	20.0	n/a
1997	963	45.0	21.4	n/a
1998	1011	45.0	22.5	n/a
1999	1437	61.0	23.6	n/a
2000	1493	67.0	22.3	n/a
2001	1646	68.0	24.2	n/a
2002	1806	67.0	27.0	93.1
2003	1806	67.0	27.0	93.1
2004	1848	74.5	24.8	98.2
2005	1759	85.1	20.7	98.9
2006	1967	90.6	21.7	101.6
2007	2005	84.0	23.9	102.4
2008	2044	84.0	24.3	102
2009	2122	89.5	23.7	98.2
2010	2088	92.0	22.7	99.9
2011	2016	87.0	23.1	99.1
2012	1827	82.0	22.2	99.3
2013	1865	115.2	16.1	98.1
2014	1829	87.5	20.9	98
2015	1800	82.0	21.9	97.9
2016	1741	80.0	21.7	96.5
2017	1653	72.7	22.7	95.8
2018	1552	68.3	22.7	96.4
2019	1459	81.0	18.0	95.8
2020	1290	78.5	16.4	94.3
2021	1243	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1142	67.0	17.0	95.2
2023	1030	63.5	16.2	95.8

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 Sawyer Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	553	39.0	14.1	n/a
1989	564	39.0	14.4	n/a
1990	587	45.0	13.0	n/a
1991	693	34.0	20.3	n/a
1992	775	38.0	20.3	n/a
1993	838	39.0	21.5	n/a
1994	862	39.0	22.1	n/a
1995	882	44.0	20.0	n/a
1996	882	44.0	20.0	n/a
1997	963	45.0	21.4	n/a
1998	1011	45.0	22.5	n/a
1999	1437	61.0	23.6	n/a
2000	1493	67.0	22.3	n/a
2001	1646	68.0	24.2	n/a
2002	1806	67.0	27.0	93.1
2003	1806	67.0	27.0	93.1
2004	1848	74.5	24.8	98.2
2005	1759	85.1	20.7	98.9
2006	1967	90.6	21.7	101.6
2007	2005	84.0	23.9	102.4
2008	2044	84.0	24.3	102
2009	2122	89.5	23.7	98.2
2010	2088	92.0	22.7	99.9
2011	2016	87.0	23.1	99.1
2012	1827	82.0	22.2	99.3
2013	1865	115.2	16.1	98.1
2014	1829	87.5	20.9	98
2015	1800	82.0	21.9	97.9
2016	1741	80.0	21.7	96.5
2017	1653	72.7	22.7	95.8
2018	1552	68.3	22.7	96.4
2019	1459	81.0	18.0	95.8
2020	1290	78.5	16.4	94.3
2021	1243	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	1142	67.0	17.0	95.2
2023	1030	63.5	16.2	95.8

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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