Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Summary:

Polaris Elementary Charter Academy is a public charter school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 348 students in grades K-8. 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.

Polaris Elementary Charter Academy consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Illinois elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school's performance is particularly poor for female, male, and low socioeconomic status student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10-15% of Illinois elementary schools. Polaris has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 0.2% in 2019-2020 to 53.2% in 2023-2024. Additionally, the school has seen a decrease in per-student spending, from $17,410 in 2019-2020 to $6,311 in 2022-2023, and an increase in the student-teacher ratio from around 17.5 in 2021-2022 to 18.3 in 2022-2023.

While the nearby schools, such as Beidler Elementary School, Ward L Elementary School, and Cather Elementary School, also struggle academically, they generally perform better than Polaris, with higher rankings and slightly better proficiency rates in both ELA and Math. The nearby charter school, KIPP One Academy, outperforms Polaris in both academic achievement and student subgroup performance. These challenges faced by Polaris are not unique and may be indicative of broader systemic issues affecting schools in this area of Chicago.


Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

 620 N Sawyer Ave
       Chicago, IL  60624-1528


(773) 534-0820

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
1989th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $2,308 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  18.3 Help
Number of students:  348

Racial breakdown:

African American:
91.1%
Hispanic:
8.0%
White:
0.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  80.2% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Polaris Elementary Charter Academy ranks worse than 96.2% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 407th among 452 ranked elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.61. (See more...)
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Compare Details Polaris Elementary Charter Academy ranks worse than 93% of middle schools in Illinois. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.9. (See more...)
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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
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Compare Details Polaris Elementary Charter Academy has the largest elementary school student body size in the Chicago Public Schools District 299.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy is $2,308, which is the lowest among 458 elementary schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polaris Elementary Charter Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Polaris Elementary Charter Academy 1989th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Polaris Elementary Charter Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Polaris Elementary Charter Academy 1267th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See Polaris Elementary Charter Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 19.72 1822nd 2139 14.8%
2011 38.61 1504th 2147 29.9%
2012 46.66 1370th 2166 36.7%
2013 27.85 1632nd 2167 24.7%
2014 20.56 1746th 2093 16.6%
2015 16.37 1807th 2052 11.9%
2016 15.02 1828th 2046 10.7%
2017 26.65 1501st 2044 26.6%
2018 18.82 1695th 2037 16.8%
2019 16.93 1816th 2086 12.9%
2021 13.01 1859th 1948 4.6%
2022 13.43 1935th 2082 7.1%
2023 15.20 1861st 2077 10.4%
2024 11.61 1989th 2067 3.8%
See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.59 676th 763 11.4%
2019 25.37 975th 1194 18.3%
2021 22.08 557th 640 13.0%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.05 1333rd 1765 24.5%
2019 26.75 1461st 1816 19.5%
2021 19.83 1393rd 1514 8.0%
2022 18.50 1634th 1763 7.3%
2023 19.85 1635th 1808 9.6%
2024 14.82 1736th 1793 3.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.96 1470th 1964 25.2%
2019 23.29 1596th 2019 21.0%
2021 12.78 1589th 1680 5.4%
2022 15.21 1763rd 1970 10.5%
2023 16.09 1745th 1957 10.8%
2024 10.37 1907th 1942 1.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.09 1733rd 1972 12.1%
2019 15.21 1829th 2019 9.4%
2021 11.96 1671st 1707 2.1%
2022 12.51 1894th 1977 4.2%
2023 16.87 1720th 1984 13.3%
2024 15.08 1757th 1959 10.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.89 313th 698 55.2%
2019 41.46 368th 711 48.2%
2021 31.42 310th 428 27.6%
2022 34.24 437th 684 36.1%
2023 28.68 543rd 692 21.5%
2024 24.11 575th 655 12.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American Students!

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

Rank History for Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2013 41.86 825th 1367 39.6%
2014 11.67 1216th 1322 8.0%
2015 17.46 1118th 1302 14.1%
2016 16.98 1149th 1294 11.2%
2017 16.12 1131st 1293 12.5%
2018 20.65 1046th 1293 19.1%
2019 24.12 1041st 1356 23.2%
2021 19.77 1030th 1241 17.0%
2022 15.52 1227th 1369 10.4%
2023 18.17 1155th 1367 15.5%
2024 12.90 1267th 1363 7.0%
See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.74 551st 602 8.5%
2019 45.39 316th 792 60.1%
2021 25.59 501st 548 8.6%
2022 26.86 654th 781 16.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.13 853rd 1161 26.5%
2019 35.70 796th 1217 34.6%
2021 30.38 730th 1019 28.4%
2022 18.17 1127th 1221 7.7%
2023 26.23 962nd 1234 22.0%
2024 15.84 1132nd 1219 7.1%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.92 993rd 1226 19.0%
2019 32.77 863rd 1276 32.4%
2021 18.53 870th 1017 14.5%
2022 16.40 1127th 1286 12.4%
2023 16.43 1111th 1275 12.9%
2024 10.41 1210th 1251 3.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 34.39 423rd 674 37.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.53 991st 1223 19.0%
2019 22.06 1028th 1296 20.7%
2021 19.66 891st 1048 15.0%
2022 16.66 1138th 1286 11.5%
2023 23.97 986th 1292 23.7%
2024 19.06 1054th 1264 16.6%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.26 253rd 511 50.5%
2019 54.62 183rd 565 67.6%
2021 48.26 148th 385 61.6%
2022 36.60 345th 573 39.8%
2023 39.48 321st 569 43.6%
2024 27.90 418th 548 23.7%
See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for African American 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.

Polaris Elementary Charter Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 









Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2008 0 98 0 16 0 n/a n/a 2 116
2009 1 162 0 18 0 n/a n/a 0 181
2010 1 220 0 22 0 n/a n/a 0 243
2011 0 259 0 21 0 0 1 0 281
2012 0 304 0 29 0 0 2 0 335
2013 0 343 0 34 0 0 4 0 381
2014 1 396 0 33 0 0 5 0 435
2015 1 380 0 36 0 0 3 0 420
2016 1 388 0 46 0 0 3 0 438
2017 1 391 0 44 1 0 3 0 440
2018 1 399 0 31 0 0 3 0 434
2019 2 393 0 36 0 0 7 0 438
2020 5 319 0 33 0 0 3 0 360
2021 5 354 0 32 0 0 3 0 394
2022 3 339 0 34 0 0 2 0 378
2023 2 317 0 28 0 0 1 0 348

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 Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 116 6.0 19.3 n/a
2009 181 n/a n/a n/a
2010 243 11.0 22.0 n/a
2011 281 13.0 21.6 n/a
2012 335 17.0 19.7 94.6
2013 381 n/a n/a 92.7
2014 435 20.0 21.7 90.8
2015 420 25.0 16.8 94.3
2016 438 n/a n/a 93.4
2017 440 3.0 146.6 96.1
2018 434 2.0 217.0 94.9
2019 438 0.0 n/a 88.1
2020 360 5.0 72.0 93.6
2021 394 n/a n/a n/a
2022 378 21.5 17.5 88.9
2023 348 19.0 18.3 80.2

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 Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 116 6.0 19.3 n/a
2009 181 n/a n/a n/a
2010 243 11.0 22.0 n/a
2011 281 13.0 21.6 n/a
2012 335 17.0 19.7 94.6
2013 381 n/a n/a 92.7
2014 435 20.0 21.7 90.8
2015 420 25.0 16.8 94.3
2016 438 n/a n/a 93.4
2017 440 3.0 146.6 96.1
2018 434 2.0 217.0 94.9
2019 438 0.0 n/a 88.1
2020 360 5.0 72.0 93.6
2021 394 n/a n/a n/a
2022 378 21.5 17.5 88.9
2023 348 19.0 18.3 80.2

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,613 (19.0%) $11,134 (81.0%) $13,748
2020 $4,087 (23.5%) $13,323 (76.5%) $17,410
2021 $2,072 (15.3%) $11,458 (84.7%) $13,529
2022 $2,072 (15.3%) $11,458 (84.7%) $13,529
2023 $833 (13.2%) $5,478 (86.8%) $6,311
2024 $174 (7.5%) $2,134 (92.5%) $2,308

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 1816th of 2086 Elementary schoolsRanks 1861st of 2077 Elementary schools
 2.5%
Ranks 1041st of 1356 Middle schoolsRanks 1155th of 1367 Middle schools
 7.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)20.46.7
 13.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)39.419.7
 19.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.428.8
 7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)5.613.3
 7.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)32.920.9
 12%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Illinois)40.633
 7.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)10.60
 10.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)23.225
 1.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.735.4
 1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)8.50
 8.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)24.116.4
 7.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)33.527.7
 5.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)13.810.3
 3.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)24.124.1
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)37.935.2
 2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)11.80
 11.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)20.715
 5.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.825.6
 4.2%
5th Grade Science (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)19.629.6
 10%
   5th Grade Science (Chicago Public Schools District 299)40.739.2
 1.5%
   5th Grade Science (Illinois)54.452.4
 2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)19.318.2
 1.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)22.824.7
 1.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)3534.2
 0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)12.90
 12.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)17.714.6
 3.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)25.323.4
 1.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)25.619.3
 6.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)28.229.7
 1.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)41.237.9
 3.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)12.93.2
 9.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)21.818.7
 3.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)29.926.9
 3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)21.420.5
 0.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)26.231.3
 5.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)39.640.5
 0.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)8.62.6
 6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)24.319.5
 4.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)32.625.7
 6.9%
8th Grade Science (Polaris Elementary Charter Academy)27.523.1
 4.4%
   8th Grade Science (Chicago Public Schools District 299)40.340.3
   8th Grade Science (Illinois)5552
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students438348
 20.5%
African American393317
 19.3%
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic3628
 22.2%
Pacific Islander00
White22
Two or More Races71
 85.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients88.1%80.2%
 8%


Schools Near Polaris Elementary Charter Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about Polaris Elementary Charter Academy

Students at Polaris Elementary Charter Academy are 91% African American, 8% Hispanic.

Polaris Elementary Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 3.8% of Illinois elementary schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 348 students attended Polaris Elementary Charter Academy.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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