Original Research by School Decision on Beard Elem School
Beard Elementary School is a small public school on the Northwest Side of Chicago serving students in pre-K through third grade. The school enrolls a small student body, with all current enrollment concentrated in pre-K; no students are presently in kindergarten through third grade, suggesting the school either serves only pre-K at present or is in a transition period.
The student population is diverse. The majority of students are Hispanic, with substantial representation of white students, and smaller enrollments of Asian students, Black students, and students of multiple races. One student each identifies as American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Demographic data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and special populations such as English learners and students with IEPs were not available.
State assessment data were not provided, so no direct picture of proficiency or academic growth is available. This is typical for schools serving only early grades; Illinois does not administer large-scale state tests to pre-K and early elementary students in the way it does for older grades. Without these metrics, parents cannot draw comparisons to other schools in Cook County on standardized academic measures through this data alone. A parent may want to ask the school directly about early literacy screening, classroom practices, and how the school approaches emergent literacy and numeracy in the pre-K and early-grade classroom.
The school is part of Chicago Public Schools, a large urban district undergoing significant structural change. The district has transitioned from a mayor-appointed board to an elected one; the first ten members were elected in November 2024, and a fully elected 21-member board will be in place after elections in November 2026. This shift gives parents direct input on governance and district policy. The district also adopted a strategic plan in 2024 centered on strengthening neighborhood schools rather than school-choice models, and replaced its longtime numeric school ratings with holistic accountability dashboards launched in December 2024. The district has also rolled out a universal PreK-12 curriculum called Skyline across all six content areas, available at no cost to school-managed campuses.
Beard sits in Chicago's Northwest Side in the 60656 zip code. The neighborhood is part of a city that, after a decade of decline, has resumed population growth. Housing values in the area have risen modestly year-over-year. Rents in the zip code have declined slightly. The housing market in Cook County overall shows moderate supply and relatively subdued demand. A mortgage on a home in the area would occupy a reasonable share of a household with median income; rental housing is generally more affordable relative to income than purchase, though both carry real cost. The broader Chicago economy is diverse, anchored by finance, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, and public employment, with substantial employment in schools and public agencies.
Parents should understand that state testing data are absent because the school serves only early grades, not because of any performance gap. To evaluate this school, families will need to visit, speak with staff and current families, and ask about the school's approach to early childhood education, classroom composition and routines, and how the school communicates with families about learning and development.
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