The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Scarlet Oak Elementary School
Scarlet Oak Elementary School is a small, third- and fourth-grade school in Oak Forest, a south-suburban Cook County community where residential neighborhoods sit on tree-lined streets mixed with industrial and commercial corridors. The school enrolls students across two grades, with the vast majority identifying as White, Hispanic, or Asian, and serves a racially and ethnically diverse peer environment.
The school's academic standing shows room for growth. In the most recent state testing, third-grade proficiency in English language arts and math both fell below the midpoint when compared to districts across Cook County. Fourth-grade performance improved in English language arts, reaching near the midpoint, but math proficiency remained below it. A parent may want to look into with the school where the district is focusing instructional effort and what supports exist for students not yet meeting grade-level standards. Free-and-reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the economic profile of the student body is not fully clear from the data provided.
The school's operational context is shifting. The district sold its Morton Gingerwood building in 2021 and consolidated its elementary grades, moving first and second graders into the Arbor Park building and renaming it Arbor Elementary. More significantly, the district is planning to build a new elementary school on the Scarlet Oak campus itself, a project described as several years out. This will eventually house grades one through four, reshaping which building third and fourth graders will occupy and signaling longer-term capital investment in the school's physical plant. Families should clarify timing and whether Scarlet Oak will remain a dedicated third-fourth school or transition into a broader elementary configuration.
Oak Forest itself is pursuing transit-oriented redevelopment around the Metra station at Cicero and 159th Street, with mixed-use projects adding townhomes and commercial space and demolition underway on the former Cook County Oak Forest Hospital campus. The median home value in the 60452 zip code is moderate by regional standards, and rental costs are similarly accessible. The housing market shows modest supply pressure and weak demand relative to neighboring areas, with active listings and new supply both declining year-over-year. The community remains car-dependent in daily life, though tree-lined residential blocks and nearby forest preserves provide pedestrian texture, and the Metra station offers a commuting option for residents working elsewhere in the region.
Detailed information about class sizes, teacher qualifications, or specialized programs was not provided in the available data. A parent considering Scarlet Oak would benefit from direct conversation with the school and district about instructional approach, intervention systems, the timeline for the new building, and how the eventual consolidation of grades one through four will affect the school environment that currently exists.
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