Burroughs Elem School, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Burroughs Elem School

Burroughs Elementary is a small, pre-K through 8th-grade public school in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, serving a population that is overwhelmingly Hispanic. The school reflects the neighborhood composition and operates within Chicago Public Schools' broader shift toward strengthening neighborhood-based education rather than student choice.

Academic performance on the Illinois Assessment of Reading (IAR) and science (ISA) reveals an uneven profile across grades. English language arts shows notable strength in the upper grades: 7th graders reach solid proficiency, and 8th graders notably exceed this, marking the school's clearest strength. Math presents a more modest picture. Across grades 3 through 5, roughly two out of five students meet proficiency; by 6th and 7th grade, that drops to around one in four. Eighth-grade math recovers somewhat to nearly one in two students proficient. Science proficiency in 5th grade sits at around one in three, while 8th grade reaches one in two. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places Burroughs above the midpoint among Cook County district schools, a meaningful benchmark given the county's size and diversity.

The enrollment is small for its grade span, with roughly 300 students distributed across pre-K through 8th grade. The school serves almost all Hispanic students, with the remainder divided among white, Black, and Asian students in small numbers. A substantial share of students enter the building below grade level in literacy and numeracy; the 8th-grade ELA gains suggest that targeted work in the middle grades may be taking root, though parents would want to understand what instructional shifts account for those gains. Limited data are available on the school's special education population, English learner services, and free- or reduced-price lunch participation, details a parent should request directly.

The housing market in Chicago's 60632 zip code, where Burroughs sits, reflects the broader affordable rental and ownership environment that characterizes much of the city outside downtown and premium neighborhoods. Rents and home values here are moderate by city standards and remain accessible for working families. The area is stable, with schools embedded in neighborhood fabric rather than isolated; transit, parks, and local commercial streets are nearby.

CPS is in transition. The district is moving away from the school-choice and selective-enrollment model that shaped it for decades and is now emphasizing neighborhood schools. The district has replaced numeric school ratings with holistic dashboards launched in late 2024 and rolled out its first comprehensive system-wide curriculum, Skyline, across all schools at no cost. The Board of Education, historically mayor-appointed, is becoming elected; the first partial board election occurred in November 2024, with full elections in November 2026. These changes reshape how the district allocates resources and who holds power. For a family choosing Burroughs, the school itself is steady, but the broader district context is genuinely changing.

The school appears to be a neighborhood anchor without gloss. Families choosing it should expect a small, community-rooted setting with a predominantly Spanish-language-background student body, modest but measurable academic gains, and the stability that comes from being embedded in a residential neighborhood. Upper-grade English instruction is a bright spot. Math attainment across the middle grades warrants direct conversation with school staff about instructional priorities and support structures. The school has the ingredients of a solid neighborhood school in a city moving deliberately back toward neighborhood-centered education.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 38% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 29% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 24% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 23% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 23% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 36% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 39% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 43% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 45% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 776%

School 76% · District 46% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 883%

School 83% · District 48% · ▲ 36 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 29% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 31% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

This schoolChicago Public Schools Dist 299, 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.