Morrill Elem Math & Sci School, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Morrill Elem Math & Sci School

Morrill Elementary Math & Science School is a small neighborhood elementary serving pre-K through 8th grade on the South Side of Chicago, in the 60629 zip code. The enrollment is modest, drawn entirely from the immediate area, with the student body predominantly Hispanic and Black. The school sits within Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third-largest district, and carries a math and science focus in its name, though the current academic data does not clearly distinguish its program offerings or pedagogy from other CPS schools.

The academic picture is substantially challenged. Across grades 3 through 8, state proficiency results in math are low across the board. In the earlier elementary grades, only a very small fraction of students meet the state standard; the 3rd grade cohort shows proficiency well below what the state expects. Math performance does rise in the older grades, with 7th and 8th graders performing modestly better than their younger peers, yet remain far below typical district or state reference points. English language arts performance follows a similar arc, starting very low in the primary grades and climbing notably by 6th and 7th grade. Science testing (offered in 5th and 8th grade) shows parallel results: early proficiency is low, and performance improves with age but remains in the low single digits to low double digits across both tested cohorts. When measured against districts within Cook County, Morrill's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile.

The school does maintain strong participation rates in state testing, regularly above 95 percent and often at or near 100 percent. Attendance data and discipline records were not available, so a parent would want to inquire directly with the school about those aspects of student support and school environment. No federal free-or-reduced-lunch eligibility rate was reported, and English learner and special education status counts were also not provided; these gaps leave unanswered questions about the specific composition of need and support services the school provides.

Morrill sits in a Chicago neighborhood with modest but stable housing values and rental rates comparable to surrounding areas. The broader city has resumed population growth after nearly a decade of decline, though neighborhoods vary widely in trajectory. The district itself is undergoing significant structural change. A transition from a mayor-appointed to a fully elected school board is now underway, with all 21 seats to be voted on in November 2026. CPS has also adopted a new strategic plan oriented toward strengthening neighborhood schools and moved away from numeric school ratings in favor of holistic profile dashboards launched in late 2024. The district has rolled out a universal PreK-12 curriculum, Skyline, that standardizes instructional materials across schools, including this one.

The combination of low proficiency across grades, despite solid test participation, suggests either that students are starting with significant academic gaps, that the school's instructional model is not yet closing them at the pace the state expects, or both. A parent considering enrollment should engage directly with school leadership about what academic interventions are in place, how the school's math and science focus is reflected in daily instruction, and what the school's growth trajectory has been in recent years. The data provided does not show year-to-year trend; state testing criteria changed recently, making earlier comparisons difficult. A parent may also want to ask about the school's student support services, specific approaches to early literacy and numeracy, and how the school partners with families on academic progress.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 38% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 29% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 56%

School 6% · District 24% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Grade 613%

School 13% · District 23% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 23% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 35%

School 5% · District 36% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 39% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 43% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 45% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 752%

School 52% · District 46% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 48% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 29% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 31% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below 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.