Is Waters Elementary School a good school?

Waters Elementary School ranks 364 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waters Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 659 students attended Waters Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Waters Elementary School?

Students at Waters Elementary School are 61% White, 23% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Waters Elementary School attend?

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

Waters Elementary School

Summary:

Waters Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 627 students in grades PK-8 in Chicago, Illinois, which is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299. This high-performing school has consistently ranked among the top 25% of Illinois elementary schools over the past decade, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Waters Elementary School significantly outperforms the district and state in academic proficiency, with 55% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 43.6% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 30.5% and 18.3% for the district, respectively. The school also excels in science, with 71.1% of students scoring proficient or better, far exceeding the district and state averages. Additionally, Waters Elementary School demonstrates strong performance across diverse student subgroups, including female, male, Hispanic, white, and special education students.

While Waters Elementary School has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism, reaching 16% in the 2023-2024 school year, it still performs better than the district average of 30.5%. When compared to nearby schools in the same district, such as Coonley Elementary School and Bell Elementary School, Waters Elementary School stands out as a top performer, with slightly higher proficiency rates in some subject areas.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

4540 N Campbell Ave
Chicago, IL 60625-3006

(773) 534-5090

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,211

Students who attend Waters Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Amundsen High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.1

Number of students: 659

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.0%

Hispanic:

22.8%

Two or more races:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 21.2%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Waters Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waters Elementary School ranks better than 82.4% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 39^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 79.96. (See more...)

Compare Details Waters Elementary School ranks better than 78.7% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.25. (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 Racial makeup is: White (61%), Hispanic (22.8%), two or more races (9.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 21.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waters Elementary School is 15.1. 356 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Waters Elementary School employs 43.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waters Elementary School is $16,211. 439 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waters Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Waters Elementary School 364^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Waters 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 Waters Elementary School 291^st of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Waters Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Waters Elementary School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	10.55	1776^th	2020	12.1%
2004	36.40	1477^th	2030	27.2%
2005	30.12	1590^th	2022	21.4%
2006	39.31	1517^th	2086	27.3%
2007	54.45	1215^th	2095	42.0%
2008	28.91	1636^th	2092	21.8%
2009	36.90	1528^th	2120	27.9%
2010	45.84	1376^th	2139	35.7%
2011	42.01	1445^th	2147	32.7%
2012	53.12	1213^th	2166	44.0%
2013	65.97	782^nd	2167	63.9%
2014	64.93	766^th	2093	63.4%
2015	77.82	390^th	2052	81.0%
2016	81.30	341^st	2046	83.3%
2017	75.33	464^th	2044	77.3%
2018	80.84	341^st	2037	83.3%
2019	86.43	235^th	2086	88.7%
2021	85.13	232^nd	1948	88.1%
2022	84.44	290^th	2082	86.1%
2023	84.98	275^th	2077	86.8%
2024	79.96	364^th	2067	82.4%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	52.84	257^th	718	64.2%
2019	66.27	120^th	743	83.8%
2024	30.42	638^th	826	22.8%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	87.08	83^rd	1194	93.0%
2021	84.67	54^th	640	91.6%
2022	97.72	17^th	1113	98.5%
2023	85.70	103^rd	1156	91.1%
2024	83.73	121^st	1195	89.9%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	72.34	292^nd	1765	83.5%
2019	66.06	433^rd	1816	76.2%
2022	54.36	676^th	1763	61.7%
2023	51.11	787^th	1808	56.5%
2024	54.87	678^th	1793	62.2%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	80.01	331^st	1964	83.1%
2019	82.41	279^th	2019	86.2%
2021	86.65	151^st	1680	91.0%
2022	83.02	290^th	1970	85.3%
2023	83.63	270^th	1957	86.2%
2024	80.47	303^rd	1942	84.4%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	79.25	105^th	907	88.4%
2024	36.08	533^rd	886	39.8%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	76.22	408^th	1972	79.3%
2019	86.68	203^rd	2019	89.9%
2021	77.75	301^st	1707	82.4%
2022	82.99	279^th	1977	85.9%
2023	83.27	261^st	1984	86.8%
2024	76.75	393^rd	1959	79.9%

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

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	74.14	156^th	938	83.4%
2019	69.12	190^th	955	80.1%
2021	60.37	181^st	742	75.6%
2022	56.50	335^th	954	64.9%
2023	58.89	296^th	970	69.5%
2024	63.53	245^th	959	74.5%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	85.44	146^th	1463	90.0%
2019	91.39	54^th	1462	96.3%
2021	85.82	119^th	1308	90.9%
2022	82.31	173^rd	1425	87.9%
2023	85.45	150^th	1419	89.4%
2024	78.11	232^nd	1392	83.3%

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 Waters Elementary School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	13.29	1010^th	1185	14.8%
2004	28.91	904^th	1204	24.9%
2005	28.75	903^rd	1209	25.3%
2006	29.16	985^th	1272	22.6%
2007	32.80	964^th	1287	25.1%
2008	24.63	1039^th	1293	19.6%
2009	38.30	932^nd	1318	29.3%
2010	47.51	826^th	1327	37.8%
2011	53.89	724^th	1344	46.1%
2012	41.25	920^th	1365	32.6%
2013	67.62	409^th	1367	70.1%
2014	67.05	411^th	1322	68.9%
2015	56.10	474^th	1302	63.6%
2016	59.80	445^th	1294	65.6%
2017	54.36	523^rd	1293	59.6%
2018	57.37	502^nd	1293	61.2%
2019	75.60	286^th	1356	78.9%
2021	83.77	151^st	1241	87.8%
2022	86.32	141^st	1369	89.7%
2023	83.30	185^th	1367	86.5%
2024	74.25	291^st	1363	78.7%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	78.68	76^th	792	90.4%
2021	91.09	24^th	548	95.6%
2022	95.60	18^th	781	97.7%
2023	84.20	86^th	805	89.3%
2024	87.87	68^th	802	91.5%

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

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	51.82	487^th	1161	58.1%
2019	66.40	296^th	1217	75.7%
2021	67.69	186^th	1019	81.7%
2022	62.47	326^th	1221	73.3%
2023	61.56	346^th	1234	72.0%
2024	28.89	884^th	1219	27.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	55.49	505^th	1226	58.8%
2019	78.92	228^th	1276	82.1%
2021	80.62	143^rd	1017	85.9%
2022	88.46	114^th	1286	91.1%
2023	85.80	136^th	1275	89.3%
2024	76.83	242^nd	1251	80.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.47	497^th	1223	59.4%
2019	63.70	398^th	1296	69.3%
2021	81.17	138^th	1048	86.8%
2022	79.17	197^th	1286	84.7%
2023	75.64	240^th	1292	81.4%
2024	69.37	311^th	1264	75.4%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	43.18	315^th	590	46.6%
2019	53.54	257^th	639	59.8%
2021	61.38	138^th	517	73.3%
2022	49.69	281^st	662	57.6%
2023	55.23	228^th	661	65.5%
2024	43.37	319^th	643	50.4%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Waters Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	84.90	90^th	889	89.9%
2019	83.46	94^th	905	89.6%
2021	91.08	47^th	813	94.2%
2022	92.69	30^th	898	96.7%
2023	89.39	55^th	895	93.9%
2024	78.85	139^th	875	84.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

33%

67%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, March 25, 2024

Lots of excuses after Covid to why these children are behind in reading and math. Community comes together well, million dollars homes surround the area but a new playground and a Arts teacher cannot possibly make the school as great as claimed. Teachers are new with limited skills or a revolving door. Pushing the curriculum as the children fall behind. Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, August 9, 2018

Not a great school if your child is gifted or has special needs. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The community in the school is wonderful and the teachers are kind and care. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Waters Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	225	17	79	233	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	554
1989	191	29	64	245	4	n/a	n/a	0	533
1990	191	39	58	318	2	n/a	n/a	0	608
1991	187	31	73	316	3	n/a	n/a	0	610
1992	175	36	33	342	1	n/a	n/a	0	587
1993	205	29	38	331	1	n/a	n/a	0	604
1994	177	36	58	381	3	n/a	n/a	0	655
1995	195	43	33	428	8	n/a	n/a	0	707
1996	195	43	33	428	8	n/a	n/a	0	707
1997	189	38	27	434	5	n/a	n/a	0	693
1998	187	46	19	444	6	n/a	n/a	0	702
1999	161	42	20	443	7	n/a	n/a	0	673
2000	144	28	24	423	3	n/a	n/a	0	622
2001	134	29	23	441	5	n/a	n/a	0	632
2002	134	21	26	438	3	n/a	n/a	0	622
2003	134	21	26	438	3	n/a	n/a	0	622
2004	103	17	27	416	1	n/a	n/a	0	564
2005	84	22	18	340	1	n/a	n/a	0	465
2006	70	14	15	301	6	n/a	n/a	15	421
2007	100	16	14	222	6	n/a	n/a	10	368
2008	137	16	17	229	4	n/a	n/a	9	412
2009	185	27	28	217	2	n/a	n/a	0	459
2010	184	27	34	224	1	n/a	n/a	0	470
2011	211	19	24	266	0	2	32	0	554
2012	233	18	19	272	2	2	36	0	582
2013	261	18	21	257	0	3	43	0	603
2014	300	21	19	272	1	12	41	0	666
2015	305	19	20	237	1	9	31	0	622
2016	318	20	21	241	1	6	34	0	641
2017	314	20	23	235	1	4	32	0	629
2018	338	17	22	216	0	3	30	0	626
2019	344	19	23	205	0	3	44	0	638
2020	351	23	25	193	2	1	46	0	641
2021	382	16	36	170	2	2	53	0	661
2022	382	17	37	144	1	1	56	0	638
2023	371	13	29	152	1	1	60	0	627
2024	402	12	31	150	2	1	61	0	659

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 Waters Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	554	28.0	19.7	n/a
1989	533	28.0	19.0	n/a
1990	608	30.0	20.2	n/a
1991	610	30.0	20.3	n/a
1992	587	29.0	20.2	n/a
1993	604	32.0	18.9	n/a
1994	655	35.0	18.7	n/a
1995	707	34.0	20.8	n/a
1996	707	34.0	20.8	n/a
1997	693	38.0	18.2	n/a
1998	702	39.0	18.0	n/a
1999	673	39.0	17.3	n/a
2000	622	35.0	17.8	n/a
2001	632	37.0	17.1	n/a
2002	622	37.0	16.8	89.9
2003	622	37.0	16.8	89.9
2004	564	32.9	17.1	90.6
2005	465	28.2	16.5	92.5
2006	421	27.4	15.4	90.6
2007	368	21.0	17.5	73.2
2008	412	23.0	17.9	70.7
2009	459	24.5	18.7	62.3
2010	470	27.0	17.4	67.7
2011	554	28.0	19.7	65.2
2012	582	30.0	19.4	54.6
2013	603	42.0	14.3	49.4
2014	666	35.5	18.7	46.8
2015	622	34.0	18.2	46.8
2016	641	33.0	19.4	38.7
2017	629	31.0	20.2	41.3
2018	626	32.8	19.0	35.5
2019	638	32.5	19.6	29
2020	641	32.5	19.7	25.9
2021	661	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	638	37.0	17.2	22.4
2023	627	40.0	15.6	22.2
2024	659	43.5	15.1	21.2

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 Waters Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	554	28.0	19.7	n/a
1989	533	28.0	19.0	n/a
1990	608	30.0	20.2	n/a
1991	610	30.0	20.3	n/a
1992	587	29.0	20.2	n/a
1993	604	32.0	18.9	n/a
1994	655	35.0	18.7	n/a
1995	707	34.0	20.8	n/a
1996	707	34.0	20.8	n/a
1997	693	38.0	18.2	n/a
1998	702	39.0	18.0	n/a
1999	673	39.0	17.3	n/a
2000	622	35.0	17.8	n/a
2001	632	37.0	17.1	n/a
2002	622	37.0	16.8	89.9
2003	622	37.0	16.8	89.9
2004	564	32.9	17.1	90.6
2005	465	28.2	16.5	92.5
2006	421	27.4	15.4	90.6
2007	368	21.0	17.5	73.2
2008	412	23.0	17.9	70.7
2009	459	24.5	18.7	62.3
2010	470	27.0	17.4	67.7
2011	554	28.0	19.7	65.2
2012	582	30.0	19.4	54.6
2013	603	42.0	14.3	49.4
2014	666	35.5	18.7	46.8
2015	622	34.0	18.2	46.8
2016	641	33.0	19.4	38.7
2017	629	31.0	20.2	41.3
2018	626	32.8	19.0	35.5
2019	638	32.5	19.6	29
2020	641	32.5	19.7	25.9
2021	661	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	638	37.0	17.2	22.4
2023	627	40.0	15.6	22.2
2024	659	43.5	15.1	21.2

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