Decatur Classical Elem School, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Decatur Classical Elem School

Decatur Classical Elementary serves kindergarten through eighth grade on the North Side of Chicago in the 60645 zip code. The school is a regular public school within Chicago Public Schools District 299, with a solid reputation built on strong academic proficiency across tested grades and subjects.

The most striking feature of Decatur Classical is its academic performance. State assessment data from 2024-25 shows proficiency rates well above the district baseline. In mathematics, the school achieved proficiency across all tested grades, with third-graders at near-perfect rates, fifth graders at perfect proficiency, and all other grades ranging from the high 80s to low 90s percentile. English language arts proficiency was similarly robust, with sixth grade reaching perfect proficiency and other grades ranging from 90 to 97 percent. In the science grades tested, fifth and eighth graders showed strong proficiency in the 92 to 96 percent range. When all proficiency rates are averaged together, Decatur Classical sits in the top quartile of Cook County school districts on overall proficiency, a meaningful distinction that reflects consistent strength across subjects and grade bands.

The student body numbers about three hundred thirty students across nine grades, making it a small school for its grade span. The enrollment is diverse in composition. White students make up about four in ten of the school population, Asian students represent nearly three in ten, and Hispanic and students identifying as two or more races each account for roughly one in ten. The school serves small but notable numbers of Black students and American Indian students. Free or reduced price lunch data was not available in the district's public reporting, so a parent may want to reach out to the school directly to understand the economic profile of enrolled families.

A parent choosing this school should know that it operates within Chicago Public Schools at a moment of significant structural change. The district moved in 2024 to replace its long-standing numeric school ratings with new holistic dashboards, and the newly elected school board is steering the system toward a neighborhood-schools emphasis rather than the school-choice model that has historically defined CPS. These are meaningful shifts in how the district allocates resources and sets priorities. The district also rolled out a standardized curriculum, Skyline, across all subject areas, so instructional materials and scope are now consistent across CPS schools rather than school-selected.

The school is situated in a residential Chicago neighborhood where median home values are moderate relative to national benchmarks and rents are moderately affordable. The area is part of Cook County's housing market, which has seen modest inventory and a measured shift toward buyers' leverage in the past year. Chicago itself continues a multi-year rebound in population growth and housing approvals, with development concentrated in downtown and North Lakefront areas, though Decatur Classical's neighborhood is embedded in the broader city fabric with access to the transit system, parks, and the Chicago Public Library.

Data on students with disabilities, English learners, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not available in the school's public profile. A parent may want to inquire directly about how the school serves these populations and what supports are in place. The school offers no specialized or magnet programs reported here, so the academic experience is rooted in grade-level instruction and the district's standards-based curriculum. It is a straightforward neighborhood school with demonstrable academic strength in the tested subjects, serving a diverse student body in a stable, transit-accessible part of Chicago.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 398%

School 98% · District 38% · ▲ 60 pts above district

▲ 52 pts above state median · ▲ 59 pts above county median

Grade 497%

School 97% · District 29% · ▲ 68 pts above district

▲ 60 pts above state median · ▲ 68 pts above county median

Grade 5100%

School 100% · District 24% · ▲ 76 pts above district

▲ 70 pts above state median · ▲ 79 pts above county median

Grade 698%

School 98% · District 23% · ▲ 75 pts above district

▲ 74 pts above state median · ▲ 81 pts above county median

Grade 790%

School 90% · District 27% · ▲ 63 pts above district

▲ 61 pts above state median · ▲ 69 pts above county median

Grade 893%

School 93% · District 23% · ▲ 70 pts above district

▲ 70 pts above state median · ▲ 76 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 391%

School 91% · District 36% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

Grade 493%

School 93% · District 39% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 53 pts above county median

Grade 596%

School 96% · District 43% · ▲ 54 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

Grade 6100%

School 100% · District 45% · ▲ 55 pts above district

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 57 pts above county median

Grade 797%

School 97% · District 46% · ▲ 51 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 52 pts above county median

Grade 897%

School 97% · District 48% · ▲ 49 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

Science

Grade 593%

School 93% · District 29% · ▲ 64 pts above district

▲ 56 pts above state median · ▲ 66 pts above county median

Grade 896%

School 96% · District 31% · ▲ 65 pts above district

▲ 57 pts above state median · ▲ 70 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.