Mitchell Elem School, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Mitchell Elem School

Mitchell Elementary sits in Chicago's West Loop, a dense residential neighborhood where rents and home values have risen modestly in recent years. The school serves pre-K through grade 8, drawing an enrollment of roughly four hundred students from a neighborhood that skews about half white, a third Hispanic, and a smaller portion Black and Asian. Most grade levels run at small to moderate size, with upper grades notably smaller than the primary grades.

State testing data from the most recent school year shows mixed performance. In English language arts, the school's strength shows in grades 6 and 7, where proficiency climbs notably; performance is solid in grades 3 and 4 as well, though it dips in grade 5 and again in grade 8. Math proficiency is more uneven. Grade 3 performs reasonably well, but grade 4 and 5 show notably lower results, grade 6 and 7 recover somewhat, and grade 8 trails. Science proficiency in the grades tested (5 and 8) sits at moderate levels. Across tested subjects and grades, Mitchell's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Cook County districts.

The school does not report enrollment of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, nor does it report counts of students in special education or identified as English learners. These gaps may reflect how the district collects or reports such data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the composition of support services it offers. The school does report full or near-full participation in state assessments, suggesting testing is largely complete.

Mitchell is a regular public school, not a charter, and it sits in the neighborhood rather than on a separate campus. The building's address on Ohio Street places it in a mixed-use area with transit access and proximity to Chicago Park District facilities. Families in the neighborhood tend to own rather than rent, with housing values and rents both trending upward moderately over the past year.

The school is part of Chicago Public Schools, a district in transition. CPS has moved from a mayor-appointed board to a hybrid model with its first elected members seated in 2025 and a full election coming in 2026, giving families direct input on district governance. The district adopted a strategic plan in 2024 that emphasizes neighborhood schools over choice-based enrollment, a shift that aligns Mitchell's position as a community elementary and middle school. Curriculum across CPS is increasingly standardized through the Skyline curriculum, and the district has replaced its old numeric school ratings with more comprehensive dashboards, changing how parents evaluate performance.

For families in or near the West Loop, Mitchell offers neighborhood continuity from pre-K through 8th grade with solidly proficient English language arts in the upper middle grades and adequate math and science results. State test performance is not exceptional, but it is reasonably consistent with Cook County peers at similar school types. The school's scale, demographic makeup, and community setting are matters of family preference rather than strength or weakness; a parent in the neighborhood should visit, talk with current families, and ask the school about its academic supports, its approach to students with learning differences, and its connection to the Park District and local life.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 38% · ▲ 21 pts above district

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

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 29% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 24% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 655%

School 55% · District 23% · ▲ 32 pts above district

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

Grade 770%

School 70% · District 27% · ▲ 43 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 23% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 36% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 39% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 43% · ▲ 26 pts above district

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

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 45% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

Grade 773%

School 73% · District 46% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 48% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 29% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 30 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.