The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maya Angelou Elem Sch
Maya Angelou Elementary School is a regular public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Harvey, a dense, predominantly Black suburban city about twenty miles south of downtown Chicago. The school sits within Harvey SD 152, a district navigating significant fiscal strain tied to property tax levy volatility and chronic under-collection of revenue.
The school's academic profile is very weak across all tested subjects. In math, proficiency among students in grades three, four, and five is substantially below the level the field recognizes as healthy, with only a small fraction of students meeting state proficiency standards in each grade. In English language arts, the pattern repeats: third- and fourth-grade proficiency is very low, though fifth-grade results show a noticeably higher share of students meeting standards. In science, proficiency at grade five is also low. The school had full participation in testing where data was reported, indicating that absences did not skew these numbers. The tested enrollment is small—roughly forty to forty-two students per grade—which means these are students from a fairly tight cohort.
When placed against the other districts in Cook County, Maya Angelou's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. No data on chronic absenteeism or attendance patterns was provided, so a parent may want to look into whether the school has specific barriers around daily attendance. Graduation rate data does not apply because the school serves only elementary grades.
The broader school environment presents limited visibility. State assessment data is available for only the grades and subjects shown here; no information about special education enrollment, English learner services, discipline, or staffing was provided. The school's website location is not listed in the data. A parent exploring this school would benefit from directly contacting the administration to learn about classroom size, intervention supports, teacher background, and any specialty programs.
Harvey itself is a community in transition. Once a blue-collar manufacturing powerhouse, the city now carries a struggling economy, median household income well below state and national benchmarks, and a high poverty rate. The housing stock is mixed, with intact neighborhoods alongside abandoned and dilapidated properties, and values in the city are relatively low compared to the county. However, the city is in an active reinvestment phase centered on its downtown transit-oriented development, with new residential projects and a rebuilt Metra station creating anchors of forward momentum. The district, meanwhile, faces chronic property tax collection shortfalls and has sought state-approved levy increases above the normal cap, signals of ongoing financial pressure that may constrain school resources and operations.
For families considering Harvey and this school, the academic data presents a clear challenge: proficiency is very low, and the district's fiscal stress is documented and persistent. Whether this school is the right fit depends heavily on whether a family has access to tutoring or supplemental academic support outside school, and whether they can evaluate the specific classroom and teaching quality in person. The city's demographic character—predominantly Black with a large Hispanic population—and its affordable housing stock may make relocation attractive on economic grounds, but the school's academic performance and the district's budget constraints warrant careful investigation before enrolling a child.
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