S T E M Academy

Q: Is S T E M Academy a good school?

S T E M Academy ranks 889 th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

S T E M Academy is a public middle school located in Calumet City, Illinois, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 173 students. The school is part of the Dolton School District 149, which is ranked 793 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

S T E M Academy consistently performs below the state average in proficiency rates for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics across all grades, with an ELA proficiency rate of 28.1% in 2023-2024 compared to the state average of 41.2%. The school's performance in Science is slightly better, with a proficiency rate of 24.7% in 2023-2024, compared to the state average of 53.2%. However, the school's performance is generally better than the Dolton School District 149 average. S T E M Academy has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 18.0% in 2019-2020 to 36.5% in 2022-2023, which is well above the state average.

While S T E M Academy's performance is generally better than the other two schools in the Dolton School District 149, it lags behind many neighboring schools, such as McKinley Junior High School (South Holland School District 150) and Schrum Memorial School (Hoover-Schrum Memorial School District 157). Additionally, the school's African American students perform relatively well, ranking in the top 35% of Illinois middle schools for this subgroup, but the school's special education and low socioeconomic status students perform significantly worse than their peers across the state.

Detail:

Public 7-8

1650 Pulaski Rd
Calumet City, IL 60409-3828

(708) 868-7595

District: Dolton School District 149

SchoolDigger Rank:
889^th of 1,363 Illinois Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $20,696

Students who attend S T E M Academy usually attend:

High:

Thornridge High School

Feeder schools for S T E M Academy:

Elementary:	Berger-Vandenberg Elementary School
	Carol Moseley Braun School
	Caroline Sibley Elementary School
	Diekman Elementary School
	More...
	New Beginnings Learning Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 22.5

Number of students: 173

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.8%

Hispanic:

2.9%

Two or more races:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.8%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details S T E M Academy ranks worse than 65.2% of middle schools in Illinois. It also ranks first among 3 ranked middle schools in the Dolton School District 149! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.73. (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 S T E M Academy has the largest middle school student body size in the Dolton School District 149. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at S T E M Academy is $20,696, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Dolton School District 149!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

S T E M Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks S T E M Academy 889^th of 1363 Illinois public middle schools. (See S T E M 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:

Dolton School District 149:

SchoolDigger ranks Dolton School District 149 793^rd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for S T E M Academy

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Rank History for all students at S T E M Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2015	12.60	1204^th	1302	7.5%
2016	12.54	1212^th	1294	6.3%
2017	13.99	1173^rd	1293	9.3%
2018	17.80	1090^th	1293	15.7%
2019	16.47	1166^th	1356	14.0%
2021	23.97	943^rd	1241	24.0%
2022	26.09	979^th	1369	28.5%
2023	25.97	992^nd	1367	27.4%
2024	30.73	889^th	1363	34.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at S T E M Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	28.60	621^st	792	21.6%
2023	32.35	517^th	805	35.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at S T E M Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	26.70	908^th	1161	21.8%
2019	24.36	993^rd	1217	18.4%
2021	34.74	666^th	1019	34.6%
2022	38.69	699^th	1221	42.8%
2023	38.97	736^th	1234	40.4%
2024	44.74	615^th	1219	49.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at S T E M Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	22.70	966^th	1226	21.2%
2019	20.17	1045^th	1276	18.1%
2021	23.34	798^th	1017	21.5%
2022	25.15	952^nd	1286	26.0%
2023	26.04	924^th	1275	27.5%
2024	31.15	834^th	1251	33.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at S T E M Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	13.96	1121^st	1223	8.3%
2019	13.62	1196^th	1296	7.7%
2021	20.20	883^rd	1048	15.7%
2022	28.24	903^rd	1286	29.8%
2023	26.87	924^th	1292	28.5%
2024	30.66	815^th	1264	35.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at S T E M Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	44.23	241^st	511	52.8%
2019	43.17	286^th	565	49.4%
2021	50.58	132^nd	385	65.7%
2022	54.14	190^th	573	66.8%
2023	53.41	187^th	569	67.1%
2024	54.31	187^th	548	65.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Middle 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.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for S T E M Academy

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2013	2	238	3	1	0	244
2014	0	242	1	1	0	244
2015	0	217	7	0	0	224
2016	1	190	12	0	1	204
2017	1	197	8	0	0	206
2018	2	189	5	0	0	196
2019	1	177	8	0	0	186
2020	1	187	6	0	0	194
2021	2	174	11	2	1	190
2022	0	166	10	3	1	180
2023	1	164	5	1	2	173

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 S T E M Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	244	19.3	12.6	98.8
2014	244	11.0	22.1	98.8
2015	224	10.0	22.4	98.7
2016	204	14.0	14.5	100
2017	206	10.3	19.9	98.5
2018	196	10.3	18.9	100
2019	186	11.0	16.9	98.4
2020	194	11.6	16.6	99
2021	190	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	180	9.0	20.0	98.9
2023	173	7.6	22.5	98.8

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 S T E M Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	244	19.3	12.6	98.8
2014	244	11.0	22.1	98.8
2015	224	10.0	22.4	98.7
2016	204	14.0	14.5	100
2017	206	10.3	19.9	98.5
2018	196	10.3	18.9	100
2019	186	11.0	16.9	98.4
2020	194	11.6	16.6	99
2021	190	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	180	9.0	20.0	98.9
2023	173	7.6	22.5	98.8

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.

Immunization Rates

S T E M Academy

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Year	Polio	Measles	Mumps	Rubella	Hepatitis B	Varicella	DTP	Meningococcal
2015	100.0%	99.6%	99.6%	99.6%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
2016	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
2017	99.1%	99.1%	99.1%	99.1%	99.1%	99.1%	99.1%	48.6%
2018	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	98.0%	97.0%
2019	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	99.5%
2021	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	90.5%
2022	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	78.3%
2023	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	99.4%	100.0%	89.5%
2024	97.7%	97.7%	97.7%	97.7%	97.7%	97.7%	97.7%	89.4%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for S T E M Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,058 (5.9%)	$16,957 (94.1%)	$18,015
2020	$1,357 (8.3%)	$15,086 (91.7%)	$16,443
2021	$2,555 (13.3%)	$16,597 (86.7%)	$19,152
2022	$2,555 (13.3%)	$16,597 (86.7%)	$19,152
2023	$2,398 (11.8%)	$17,902 (88.2%)	$20,300
2024	$2,832 (13.7%)	$17,864 (86.3%)	$20,696

Data source: Illinois Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on S T E M 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 1166^th of 1356 Middle schools	Ranks 992^nd of 1367 Middle schools	13.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (S T E M Academy)	19.4	15.9	3.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Dolton School District 149)	17.4	11.7	5.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)	41.2	37.9	3.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (S T E M Academy)	7.5	10.2	2.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Dolton School District 149)	3.9	5.3	1.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)	29.9	26.9	3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (S T E M Academy)	17	24.1	7.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Dolton School District 149)	12	15.5	3.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)	39.6	40.5	0.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (S T E M Academy)	5.3	6.3	1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Dolton School District 149)	5.8	5.5	0.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)	32.6	25.7	6.9%
8th Grade Science (S T E M Academy)	25.5	42.3	16.8%
8th Grade Science (Dolton School District 149)	26.3	25.6	0.7%
8th Grade Science (Illinois)	55	52	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	186	173	7%
African American	177	164	7.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	8	5	37.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1	1
Two or More Races	0	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	98.4%	98.8%	0.5%

Schools Near S T E M Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISA Science (2024)	IAR English Language Arts (2024)				IAR Mathematics (2024)				% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science All Grades	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
S T E M Academy	Public	7-8	1650 Pulaski Rd	Calumet City	60409	Cook County	Dolton School District 149	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 868-7595	173	8	22.5	98.8%	1 (0.6%)	164 (94.8%)	5 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	30.7	889^th of 1363 public middle schools	34.8%		26	992^nd of 1367 public middle schools	27.4%	103	24.7		39.2	19.6	28.1		18.9	8.2	12.9	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	89.4	$20,696	$2,832	$17,864
School of Fine Arts	Public	7-8	292 Torrence Ave	Calumet City	60409	Cook County	Dolton School District 149	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 868-7565	175	9	20.1	99.4%	4 (2.3%)	163 (93.1%)	8 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11	1316^th of 1363 public middle schools	3.4%		14.7	1241^st of 1367 public middle schools	9.2%	75	21.3		9.0	13.8	11.6		0.0	5.3		96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	96.0	84.5	$20,613	$3,289	$17,324
Creative Communications Academy	Public	7-8	292 Torrence Ave	Calumet City	60409	Cook County	Dolton School District 149	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 868-7585	177	9	20.4	98.9%	0 (0.0%)	165 (93.2%)	10 (5.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	11.2	1309^th of 1363 public middle schools	4.0%		11.3	1313^th of 1367 public middle schools	4.0%	4	16.9		11.9	15.4	13.7		1.2	2.2		95.4	95.4	95.4	95.4	95.4	95.4	95.4	87.4	$19,714	$2,906	$16,808
Wentworth Junior High School	Public	6-8	560 Superior Ave	Calumet City	60409	Cook County	Calumet City School District 155	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 862-0750	311	28	11.1	71.7%	2 (0.6%)	175 (56.3%)	130 (41.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	15.8	1211^th of 1363 public middle schools	11.2%		17.4	1172^nd of 1367 public middle schools	14.3%	39	23.7	16.3	19.2	11.5	15.5	3.5	5.8	9.7	6.6	99.7	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.4	99.1	$19,468	$2,872	$16,596
Schrum Memorial School	Public	6-8	485 165th St	Calumet City	60409	Cook County	Hoover-Schrum Memorial School District 157	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 862-4236	277	28	9.8	70.8%	1 (0.4%)	208 (75.1%)	58 (20.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (2.9%)	22.5	1050^th of 1363 public middle schools	23.0%		26.1	990^th of 1367 public middle schools	27.6%	60	34.4	29.2	25.9	30.5	28.7	5.6	6.2	6.4	6.0	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	96.9	$23,977	$4,245	$19,733
Lincoln Junior High School	Public	7-8	14151 Lincoln Ave	Dolton	60419	Cook County	Dolton School District 148	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 201-2075	150	14	10.4	98.7%	0 (0.0%)	138 (92.0%)	12 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.6	1302^nd of 1363 public middle schools	4.5%		12.4	1293^rd of 1367 public middle schools	5.4%	9	15.0		11.4	17.3	14.4		3.8	0.0		100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	$27,103	$4,671	$22,432
McKinley Junior High School	Public	6-8	16949 Cottage Grove Ave	South Holland	60473	Cook County	South Holland School District 150	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 339-8500	297	22	13.5	89.9%	1 (0.3%)	275 (92.6%)	19 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	44.5	679^th of 1363 public middle schools	50.2%		36.8	824^th of 1367 public middle schools	39.7%	145	44.3	45.6	34.1	46.5	42.4	15.9	13.8	25.5	18.8	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	96.1	$18,673	$1,342	$17,332
Roosevelt Junior High School	Public	7-8	111 W 146th St	Dolton	60419	Cook County	Dolton School District 148	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 201-2071	132	14	9.2	97.7%	1 (0.8%)	121 (91.7%)	9 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	30	905^th of 1363 public middle schools	33.6%		22.7	1056^th of 1367 public middle schools	22.8%	151	40.0		32.8	43.3	38.3		8.2	4.6		96.8	96.8	96.8	96.8	96.8	96.8	93.5	90.2	$27,767	$4,672	$23,095
Coolidge Middle School	Public	6-8	15500 7th Ave	Phoenix	60426	Cook County	South Holland School District 151	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(708) 339-5300	507	45	11.3	99.8%	2 (0.4%)	339 (66.9%)	155 (30.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.4%)	28.6	932^nd of 1363 public middle schools	31.6%		28	948^th of 1367 public middle schools	30.7%	16	30.3	22.4	34.5	29.5	28.6	10.9	15.2	12.1	12.6	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	99.8	98.4	$18,183	$4,102	$14,081
Brooks Middle School	Public	6-8	14741 Wallace St	Harvey	60426	Cook County	Harvey School District 152	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(708) 333-6390	487	25	19.4	80.5%	1 (0.2%)	301 (61.8%)	162 (33.3%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	18	1151^st of 1363 public middle schools	15.6%		14.8	1236^th of 1367 public middle schools	9.6%	85	27.6	21.8	15.1	22.3	19.5	5.5	6.3	10.5	7.5	95.1	95.7	95.7	95.7	95.3	95.3	96.6	85.4	$18,145	$2,593	$15,552

Frequently Asked Questions about S T E M Academy

What is the racial makeup of S T E M Academy?

Students at S T E M Academy are 95% African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend S T E M Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 173 students attended S T E M Academy.

What district is S T E M Academy in?

Dolton School District 149

What high school do graduates of S T E M Academy attend?

Students who attend S T E M Academy usually go on to attend Thornridge High School

Is S T E M Academy a good school?

S T E M Academy ranks 889^th of 1363 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate S T E M 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.