Is Smyser Elementary School a good school?

Smyser Elementary School ranks 1272 nd of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Smyser Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 763 students attended Smyser Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Smyser Elementary School?

Students at Smyser Elementary School are 65% Hispanic, 24% White, 5% Asian, 3% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Smyser Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Smyser Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Taft High School

Smyser Elementary School

Summary:

Smyser Elementary School is a public school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 763 students in grades PK-8. 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. Smyser Elementary School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, dropping from a high of 562 out of 2,093 Illinois elementary schools in 2013-2014 to its current ranking of 1,272 out of 2,067 in 2023-2024.

Smyser Elementary School faces significant challenges, including a high rate of chronic absenteeism (35.2% in 2023-2024, notably higher than the district and state averages) and academic performance that is generally below the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Math. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with Hispanic students and English Language Learners ranking in the bottom quartile of Illinois elementary schools, while White and male students perform better, though still below state averages. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of low-socioeconomic status students, with 63.17% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023.

While Smyser Elementary School's performance is generally on par with or slightly below that of its closest neighboring schools, such as Prussing Elementary and Thorp O.A. Elementary Scholastic Academy, some nearby schools, like Garvy J. Elementary and Union Ridge Elementary (in a different district), significantly outperform Smyser in both academic achievement and student engagement. Despite increased funding in recent years, Smyser Elementary School has not yet seen substantial improvements in student outcomes, suggesting that factors beyond just funding, such as school leadership, teacher quality, and curriculum, may be playing a role in the school's performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

4310 N Melvina Ave
Chicago, IL 60634-1542

(773) 534-3711

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1272^nd of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,431

Students who attend Smyser Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Taft High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 763

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

65.0%

White:

24.2%

Asian:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.2%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Smyser Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Smyser Elementary School ranks worse than 61.5% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 130^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 34.94. (See more...)

Compare Details Smyser Elementary School ranks worse than 52.4% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.19. (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 Smyser 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 Smyser Elementary School is $17,431. 388 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Smyser Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Smyser Elementary School 1272^nd of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Smyser 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 Smyser Elementary School 714^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Smyser 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:

White 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 Smyser Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	68.69	755^th	2020	62.6%
2004	72.52	608^th	2030	70.0%
2005	70.51	656^th	2022	67.6%
2006	68.85	748^th	2086	64.1%
2007	71.24	659^th	2095	68.5%
2008	59.43	1059^th	2092	49.4%
2009	54.57	1165^th	2120	45.0%
2010	65.10	910^th	2139	57.5%
2011	67.74	813^th	2147	62.1%
2012	74.51	568^th	2166	73.8%
2013	70.16	657^th	2167	69.7%
2014	72.78	562^nd	2093	73.1%
2015	65.44	607^th	2052	70.4%
2016	60.55	729^th	2046	64.4%
2017	60.95	727^th	2044	64.4%
2018	58.82	787^th	2037	61.4%
2019	56.10	859^th	2086	58.8%
2021	40.14	1049^th	1948	46.1%
2022	49.16	947^th	2082	54.5%
2023	45.18	1051^st	2077	49.4%
2024	34.94	1272^nd	2067	38.5%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	64.86	145^th	718	79.8%
2019	62.99	139^th	743	81.3%
2021	39.47	304^th	537	43.4%
2022	44.27	370^th	768	51.8%
2023	32.78	577^th	788	26.8%
2024	31.62	624^th	826	24.5%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	61.17	324^th	1194	72.9%
2022	44.86	480^th	1113	56.9%
2023	53.54	413^th	1156	64.3%
2024	40.60	638^th	1195	46.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	74.52	249^th	1765	85.9%
2019	70.34	349^th	1816	80.8%
2021	54.98	524^th	1514	65.4%
2022	66.24	400^th	1763	77.3%
2023	62.31	510^th	1808	71.8%
2024	35.80	1169^th	1793	34.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	58.53	741^st	1964	62.3%
2019	50.30	940^th	2019	53.4%
2021	23.73	1281^st	1680	23.8%
2022	40.11	1085^th	1970	44.9%
2023	36.21	1174^th	1957	40.0%
2024	32.71	1249^th	1942	35.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	37.08	509^th	907	43.9%
2024	32.20	596^th	886	32.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	57.64	752^nd	1972	61.9%
2019	60.67	710^th	2019	64.8%
2021	44.52	848^th	1707	50.3%
2022	56.84	756^th	1977	61.8%
2023	53.41	824^th	1984	58.5%
2024	37.21	1139^th	1959	41.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	69.10	193^rd	938	79.4%
2019	68.73	197^th	955	79.4%
2021	47.27	319^th	742	57.0%
2022	57.65	311^th	954	67.4%
2023	52.00	393^rd	970	59.5%
2024	31.43	676^th	959	29.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.50	640^th	1463	56.3%
2019	42.81	868^th	1462	40.6%
2021	34.92	888^th	1308	32.1%
2022	42.88	838^th	1425	41.2%
2023	41.21	847^th	1419	40.3%
2024	44.66	770^th	1392	44.7%

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 Smyser Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	71.85	354^th	1185	70.1%
2004	64.62	479^th	1204	60.2%
2005	52.50	679^th	1209	43.8%
2006	73.16	339^th	1272	73.3%
2007	69.76	400^th	1287	68.9%
2008	67.28	468^th	1293	63.8%
2009	59.44	620^th	1318	53.0%
2010	61.71	585^th	1327	55.9%
2011	71.66	389^th	1344	71.1%
2012	72.20	377^th	1365	72.4%
2013	66.64	431^st	1367	68.5%
2014	63.53	469^th	1322	64.5%
2015	61.04	400^th	1302	69.3%
2016	52.91	550^th	1294	57.5%
2017	57.24	484^th	1293	62.6%
2018	51.89	577^th	1293	55.4%
2019	58.73	501^st	1356	63.1%
2021	36.19	702^nd	1241	43.4%
2022	50.18	591^st	1369	56.8%
2023	39.16	788^th	1367	42.4%
2024	42.19	714^th	1363	47.6%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	60.67	58^th	339	82.9%
2022	68.55	46^th	454	89.9%
2023	56.55	114^th	480	76.3%
2024	38.74	282^nd	486	42.0%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	24.64	570^th	602	5.3%
2019	69.15	116^th	792	85.4%
2022	46.78	290^th	781	62.9%
2023	38.16	428^th	805	46.8%
2024	54.53	252^nd	802	68.6%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	66.22	283^rd	1161	75.6%
2019	74.24	197^th	1217	83.8%
2021	48.53	436^th	1019	57.2%
2022	63.89	310^th	1221	74.6%
2023	49.44	550^th	1234	55.4%
2024	47.75	556^th	1219	54.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.86	514^th	1226	58.1%
2019	57.85	478^th	1276	62.5%
2022	41.38	694^th	1286	46.0%
2023	30.92	849^th	1275	33.4%
2024	27.75	884^th	1251	29.3%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.68	459^th	674	31.9%
2024	32.69	427^th	639	33.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	47.47	590^th	1223	51.8%
2019	57.46	481^st	1296	62.9%
2021	31.50	692^nd	1048	34.0%
2022	57.53	449^th	1286	65.1%
2023	46.20	612^th	1292	52.6%
2024	54.86	478^th	1264	62.2%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.65	230^th	590	61.0%
2019	56.91	227^th	639	64.5%
2021	51.44	203^rd	517	60.7%
2022	48.57	294^th	662	55.6%
2023	44.41	325^th	661	50.8%
2024	40.72	337^th	643	47.6%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Smyser Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	45.94	464^th	889	47.8%
2019	61.54	318^th	905	64.9%
2022	48.23	437^th	898	51.3%
2023	32.49	618^th	895	30.9%
2024	42.20	489^th	875	44.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White 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 Smyser Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	226	68	27	37	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	358
1989	256	72	20	42	1	n/a	n/a	0	391
1990	291	59	22	44	1	n/a	n/a	0	417
1991	341	44	21	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	472
1992	336	41	26	91	3	n/a	n/a	0	497
1993	355	41	34	111	5	n/a	n/a	0	546
1994	378	37	23	112	8	n/a	n/a	0	558
1995	418	27	18	126	7	n/a	n/a	0	596
1996	418	27	18	126	7	n/a	n/a	0	596
1997	474	25	23	128	8	n/a	n/a	0	658
1998	503	27	33	148	9	n/a	n/a	0	720
1999	576	20	44	166	7	n/a	n/a	0	813
2000	591	19	39	182	7	n/a	n/a	0	838
2001	596	16	53	230	4	n/a	n/a	0	899
2002	551	14	34	271	6	n/a	n/a	0	876
2003	551	14	34	271	6	n/a	n/a	0	876
2004	541	11	34	333	2	n/a	n/a	0	921
2005	529	7	22	362	1	n/a	n/a	0	921
2006	480	6	26	355	1	n/a	n/a	52	920
2007	423	10	40	380	4	n/a	n/a	30	887
2008	389	11	39	415	1	n/a	n/a	49	904
2009	401	15	41	477	7	n/a	n/a	1	942
2010	404	16	39	516	4	n/a	n/a	0	979
2011	382	12	37	569	4	1	8	0	1013
2012	390	10	34	593	4	1	5	0	1037
2013	382	9	33	564	4	4	10	0	1006
2014	378	7	32	564	5	3	11	0	1000
2015	366	9	31	590	7	5	11	0	1019
2016	347	16	31	589	5	5	8	0	1001
2017	311	19	35	612	3	5	5	0	990
2018	293	19	34	581	6	4	2	0	939
2019	264	15	32	540	5	4	5	0	865
2020	239	13	34	529	6	4	15	0	840
2021	224	16	41	534	7	2	38	0	862
2022	214	17	43	515	7	2	12	0	810
2023	185	22	40	496	6	1	13	0	763

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 Smyser Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	358	20.0	17.9	n/a
1989	391	20.0	19.5	n/a
1990	417	26.0	16.0	n/a
1991	472	28.0	16.8	n/a
1992	497	26.0	19.1	n/a
1993	546	29.0	18.8	n/a
1994	558	31.0	18.0	n/a
1995	596	34.0	17.5	n/a
1996	596	34.0	17.5	n/a
1997	658	35.0	18.8	n/a
1998	720	36.0	20.0	n/a
1999	813	41.0	19.8	n/a
2000	838	43.0	19.5	n/a
2001	899	44.0	20.4	n/a
2002	876	43.0	20.4	51.9
2003	876	43.0	20.4	51.9
2004	921	43.2	21.3	61.3
2005	921	46.0	20.0	62.1
2006	920	49.5	18.6	59.2
2007	887	40.0	22.2	68.6
2008	904	47.0	19.2	73.8
2009	942	46.0	20.5	69.3
2010	979	49.0	19.9	75.4
2011	1013	49.0	20.6	79
2012	1037	48.0	21.6	78
2013	1006	65.2	15.4	77
2014	1000	52.0	19.2	77.8
2015	1019	55.0	18.5	82.3
2016	1001	52.0	19.2	77.2
2017	990	49.3	20.0	77.9
2018	939	47.7	19.6	75.5
2019	865	51.5	16.7	67.3
2020	840	51.5	16.3	71.2
2021	862	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	810	52.0	15.5	67.7
2023	763	52.5	14.5	63.2

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 Smyser Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	358	20.0	17.9	n/a
1989	391	20.0	19.5	n/a
1990	417	26.0	16.0	n/a
1991	472	28.0	16.8	n/a
1992	497	26.0	19.1	n/a
1993	546	29.0	18.8	n/a
1994	558	31.0	18.0	n/a
1995	596	34.0	17.5	n/a
1996	596	34.0	17.5	n/a
1997	658	35.0	18.8	n/a
1998	720	36.0	20.0	n/a
1999	813	41.0	19.8	n/a
2000	838	43.0	19.5	n/a
2001	899	44.0	20.4	n/a
2002	876	43.0	20.4	51.9
2003	876	43.0	20.4	51.9
2004	921	43.2	21.3	61.3
2005	921	46.0	20.0	62.1
2006	920	49.5	18.6	59.2
2007	887	40.0	22.2	68.6
2008	904	47.0	19.2	73.8
2009	942	46.0	20.5	69.3
2010	979	49.0	19.9	75.4
2011	1013	49.0	20.6	79
2012	1037	48.0	21.6	78
2013	1006	65.2	15.4	77
2014	1000	52.0	19.2	77.8
2015	1019	55.0	18.5	82.3
2016	1001	52.0	19.2	77.2
2017	990	49.3	20.0	77.9
2018	939	47.7	19.6	75.5
2019	865	51.5	16.7	67.3
2020	840	51.5	16.3	71.2
2021	862	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	810	52.0	15.5	67.7
2023	763	52.5	14.5	63.2

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.

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