Horizon Science Acad-belmont, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Horizon Science Acad-belmont

Horizon Science Academy Belmont is a charter school serving kindergarten through ninth grade in Chicago's Belmont neighborhood. It is part of the Concept Schools network, a STEM-focused charter operator. The school serves a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a small majority of students identifying as Hispanic and roughly two-fifths identifying as Black. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner or special education populations were not available.

The school's state assessment results show a mixed picture across mathematics and English language arts. In English language arts, proficiency rates are stronger in the upper middle grades, with sixth graders showing above-average performance, and eighth graders performing solidly. Proficiency in grades three and four is moderate. Mathematics proficiency is weaker overall and shows a steep dropoff from third to fourth grade, then gradual improvement through eighth grade, though the pattern suggests students face increasing difficulty with grade-level material as they advance. Science proficiency, tested in grades five and eight, is low. A parent may want to look into these results further with the school to understand its curricular approach, student support systems, and how it intends to address the particularly soft mathematics outcomes in the upper elementary grades.

Compared to districts across Cook County, the school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint, indicating performance lagging the countywide median. State testing data on graduation rates was not available because the school does not serve high school grades; the entity that serves grades seven through twelve is a separate high school campus.

The school had consistent enrollment across its grade bands in recent years, with each grade holding roughly similar numbers of students. Housing values in the 60639 zip code where the school is located are close to Illinois state medians, and monthly rents have shown modest year-over-year growth. The Belmont area sits on Chicago's Northwest Side, within a dense, mixed-use city characterized by distinct neighborhoods and extensive public transit. Chicago has returned to population growth in recent years after prolonged decline, and housing development has accelerated, though completions remain concentrated in downtown and lakefront areas rather than neighborhood residential zones.

The school operates as a non-selective, tuition-free public charter. A publicly reported expansion saw the network open a dedicated high school campus serving grades seven through twelve, allowing students to remain within the Horizon Science system for the full K-12 arc rather than requiring a separate high school placement. This change affects enrollment pathways for families considering the elementary school, since continuity through secondary grades is now available within the same network.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 12%

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 29%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 42%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 68%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 746%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 53%

even with state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 22%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolHorizon Science Acad-Belmont, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.