Catalyst Charter - Maria Es, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Catalyst Charter - Maria Es

Catalyst Charter - Maria ES is a charter school operated within Chicago Public Schools, spanning kindergarten through grade 12 and located in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. The school enrolls slightly over a thousand students, with enrollment distributed across all grades from early childhood through senior year.

The school is predominantly Latino and Black, each group representing a substantial share of the enrollment. Demographic data on students qualifying for free or reduced lunch and on English learners was not available in the records provided.

On state assessments in 2024-25, Catalyst Charter shows broad but uneven academic performance. In mathematics, third grade performed most strongly, with about half the students meeting proficiency. By sixth grade, proficiency dropped to around a tenth, rebounding slightly in grades seven and eight. In English language arts, the pattern differs: third grade was notably weak at around fifteen percent proficient, but performance improved at higher grades, with seventh grade reaching about fifty-six percent proficient and eighth grade around forty-four percent. In science, tested grades five and eight both showed proficiency in the low twenties. Overall, the school's proficiency rate across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among Cook County school districts.

The school participates in Illinois's state assessment system with full participation rates. Because Illinois recently changed its proficiency cut scores, trend comparisons to prior years are not yet reliable, so it is not possible to determine whether results represent recent movement or are new to this assessment design.

The housing market immediately surrounding the school reflects Chicago's broader South Side context. Home values in the zip code are below the state and national benchmarks, with modest annual appreciation. Rents are similarly below state and national levels. The local real-estate market shows adequate supply and lower relative demand compared to other parts of the region.

The school is part of Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is currently in transition. The district has moved away from its decades-long school-choice model toward an emphasis on neighborhood schools, a shift formalized in its "Together We Rise" strategic plan adopted in 2024. The district replaced its longtime numeric school ratings with new holistic accountability dashboards rolled out in December 2024, changing how families can compare and evaluate schools. Additionally, CPS has begun rolling out Skyline, a district-developed PreK-12 universal curriculum in six content areas. Finally, Chicago is transitioning from a fully mayor-appointed school board to a fully elected 21-member Board of Education; all seats will be elected in November 2026 for the first time, giving parents direct electoral voice in district governance.

A parent considering this school would be choosing a large, integrated school with a mixed track record on state assessments. Strengths show in seventh and eighth grade ELA and in third grade math. Mathematics proficiency drops significantly in the middle grades, a pattern a parent may want to explore further with the school directly. The school serves a neighborhood where housing is affordable and where families are building roots, not a high-demand market. The broader district context is one of policy change, with new governance structures, a new accountability framework, and a new curriculum all in motion, which may bring either stability or transition costs as the school implements them.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 38% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 29% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 24% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 610%

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

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

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 27% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 23%

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

English language arts

Grade 315%

School 15% · District 36% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 427%

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

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

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 43% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 45% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 46% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 48% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 29% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 31% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 6 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.