EPIC Academy High School

Summary:

EPIC Academy High School is a public charter high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 345 students in grades 9-12. 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.

EPIC Academy High School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Illinois high schools, with a statewide ranking between 549-672 out of 699 high schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on standardized tests is significantly below the state and district averages, with only 1.6% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to 26.1% at the state level and 18.6% in the Chicago Public Schools district. EPIC Academy High School has also had fluctuating four-year graduation rates, ranging from a low of 15.0% in 2020-2021 to a high of 85.1% in 2021-2022, and a consistently high rate of chronic absenteeism, reaching 66.9% in the 2022-2023 school year.

When comparing EPIC Academy High School to nearby schools within the same district, the data reveals a consistent pattern of underperformance. For example, Hirsch Metropolitan High School, YCCS Charter - Chatham, and YCCS-Sullivan House Alt High School all have lower academic performance, graduation rates, and higher chronic absenteeism rates than EPIC Academy High School. Despite increased funding, from $5,271 per student in 2019-2020 to $9,174 per student in 2022-2023, the school has not been able to significantly improve its performance, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review of its educational strategies and support systems.


Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

 8255 S Houston Ave
       Chicago, IL  60617-2191


(773) 535-7930

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
598th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $10,464 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  12.7 Help
Number of students:  345

Racial breakdown:

African American:
56.2%
Hispanic:
39.1%
Two or more races:
3.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  96.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details EPIC Academy High School ranks worse than 85.8% of high schools in Illinois. It also ranks 68th among 145 ranked high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.02. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of EPIC Academy High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Help
Compare Details EPIC Academy High School has the largest high 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 EPIC Academy High School is $10,464. 136 high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

EPIC Academy High School:

SchoolDigger ranks EPIC Academy High School 598th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See EPIC Academy High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Homeless students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic 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 EPIC Academy High School

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Rank History for all students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 5.71 608th 665 8.6%
2013 3.71 628th 670 6.3%
2014 5.72 615th 670 8.2%
2015 24.55 480th 614 21.8%
2016 10.54 613th 643 4.7%
2017 16.18 549th 642 14.5%
2018 12.32 576th 647 11.0%
2019 13.48 603rd 701 14.0%
2021 13.69 600th 688 12.8%
2022 8.15 669th 699 4.3%
2023 8.42 672nd 699 3.9%
2024 15.02 598th 697 14.2%
See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.84 93rd 151 38.4%
2019 60.81 31st 183 83.1%
2021 32.79 86th 189 54.5%
2022 23.51 190th 205 7.3%
2023 23.07 201st 217 7.4%
2024 28.56 158th 248 36.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.23 248th 374 33.7%
2019 36.07 248th 473 47.6%
2021 40.27 206th 453 54.5%
2022 31.21 286th 493 42.0%
2023 21.07 375th 476 21.2%
2024 20.75 377th 482 21.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.00 485th 585 17.1%
2019 23.54 512th 639 19.9%
2021 22.32 499th 611 18.3%
2022 12.29 598th 626 4.5%
2023 11.62 613th 644 4.8%
2024 21.08 520th 639 18.6%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 39.63 43rd 98 56.1%
2023 28.07 55th 104 47.1%
2024 49.76 47th 125 62.4%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.54 560th 620 9.7%
2019 11.90 577th 665 13.2%
2021 16.23 537th 639 16.0%
2022 8.92 620th 658 5.8%
2023 7.50 646th 656 1.5%
2024 16.86 549th 664 17.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 23.38 382nd 428 10.7%
2024 27.00 261st 429 39.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.54 542nd 619 12.4%
2019 15.91 571st 675 15.4%
2021 10.79 608th 653 6.9%
2022 8.13 644th 664 3.0%
2023 9.45 636th 668 4.8%
2024 13.78 589th 668 11.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.42 132nd 253 47.8%
2019 33.17 181st 299 39.5%
2021 34.22 168th 281 40.2%
2022 22.66 261st 294 11.2%
2023 21.31 276th 301 8.3%
2024 35.75 168th 299 43.8%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at EPIC Academy High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.19 267th 291 8.2%
2019 22.88 250th 317 21.1%
2021 20.06 274th 317 13.6%
2022 11.92 323rd 335 3.6%
2023 9.82 330th 333 0.9%
2024 14.35 314th 336 6.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High 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.

EPIC Academy High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

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Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for EPIC Academy High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 0 83 0 37 0 n/a n/a 0 120
2011 26 168 0 211 2 0 9 0 416
2012 3 219 1 127 2 0 10 0 362
2013 3 291 0 177 2 0 8 0 481
2014 4 282 0 185 2 1 2 0 476
2015 1 237 0 179 0 1 4 0 422
2016 4 251 0 175 0 0 5 0 435
2017 2 316 0 178 0 1 2 0 499
2018 2 344 0 188 0 0 4 0 538
2019 4 343 0 194 0 0 4 0 545
2020 4 325 0 172 0 0 18 0 519
2021 5 305 0 187 0 0 24 0 521
2022 7 279 0 187 0 0 24 0 497
2023 3 194 0 135 1 0 12 0 345

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 EPIC Academy High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 120 2.2 54.5 96.7
2011 416 15.0 27.7 n/a
2012 362 15.6 23.2 96.4
2013 481 43.8 10.9 96.9
2014 476 22.0 21.6 95.8
2015 422 31.0 13.6 96.2
2016 435 32.0 13.5 93.8
2017 499 10.5 47.5 95.6
2018 538 1.0 538.0 96.3
2019 545 0.0 n/a 96.3
2020 519 27.0 19.2 95
2021 521 n/a n/a n/a
2022 497 n/a n/a 93.6
2023 345 27.0 12.7 96.8

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 EPIC Academy High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 120 2.2 54.5 96.7
2011 416 15.0 27.7 n/a
2012 362 15.6 23.2 96.4
2013 481 43.8 10.9 96.9
2014 476 22.0 21.6 95.8
2015 422 31.0 13.6 96.2
2016 435 32.0 13.5 93.8
2017 499 10.5 47.5 95.6
2018 538 1.0 538.0 96.3
2019 545 0.0 n/a 96.3
2020 519 27.0 19.2 95
2021 521 n/a n/a n/a
2022 497 n/a n/a 93.6
2023 345 27.0 12.7 96.8

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for EPIC Academy High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $812 (5.8%) $13,073 (94.1%) $13,886
2020 $184 (3.5%) $5,087 (96.5%) $5,271
2021 $451 (7.7%) $5,425 (92.3%) $5,876
2022 $451 (7.7%) $5,425 (92.3%) $5,876
2023 $3,052 (33.3%) $6,122 (66.7%) $9,174
2024 $258 (2.5%) $10,206 (97.5%) $10,464

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

Impact of COVID-19 on EPIC Academy High School

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 603rd of 701 High schoolsRanks 672nd of 699 High schools
 10.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Mathematics (EPIC Academy High School)7.41.2
 6.2%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Chicago Public Schools District 299)26.719.1
 7.6%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)34.826.7
 8.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (EPIC Academy High School)11.11.2
 9.9%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Chicago Public Schools District 299)26.322.3
 4%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.731.6
 5.1%
End of Course Science (EPIC Academy High School)5.63.9
 1.7%
   End of Course Science (Chicago Public Schools District 299)19.931.1
 11.2%
   End of Course Science (Illinois)36.452.2
 15.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students545345
 36.7%
African American343194
 43.4%
American Indian01
Asian00
Hispanic194135
 30.4%
Pacific Islander00
White43
 25%
Two or More Races412
 200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients96.3%96.8%
 0.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about EPIC Academy High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 345 students attended EPIC Academy High School.

Students at EPIC Academy High School are 56% African American, 39% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

EPIC Academy High School ranks in the bottom 14.2% of Illinois high schools.


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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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