Charles J Sahs Elem School, Chicago IL

Original Research by School Decision on Charles J Sahs Elem School

Charles J Sahs Elementary School serves about three hundred students in grades pre-K through eighth in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago's South Side. The school is part of Central Stickney School District 110, a small district within Cook County.

The school's academic profile shows strength in the early elementary grades and a declining trajectory through the middle grades. In third-grade math, students perform at a rate above the midpoint among Cook County's districts. By eighth grade, that performance drops significantly, with fewer students reaching proficiency in both math and science. In English language arts, the pattern is less steep; the school shows solid gains in grades six through eight, with eighth-grade ELA proficiency notably stronger than eighth-grade math. Science proficiency at both tested levels—fifth and eighth grades—is below the median for the county, particularly in eighth grade. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint for Cook County districts, but the grade-to-grade decline, especially in math, is the defining characteristic of academic performance here.

The student body is predominantly Latino, reflecting the neighborhood's composition. The school draws from the immediate area and serves families in what is a dense, working-class part of the city with modest housing costs relative to Chicago's broader housing market. Enrollment is stable at a size typical for elementary and middle schools in older urban neighborhoods. The school operates on a traditional calendar and grade structure, serving both the early grades and middle school years in a single building.

The housing market in the surrounding zip code shows moderate price levels and rental costs, with home values and rents rising modestly year over year. The area remains more affordable than many Chicago neighborhoods and is accessible by Chicago's public transit system. The broader Cook County real estate market has stabilized after a period of higher activity, with supply and demand roughly balanced.

A parent considering this school should understand that it appears to be a traditional neighborhood school with conventional grade progression. The early elementary years show relative strength, making it a reasonable choice for younger students. The widening gap in math achievement in the middle grades is worth examining further with the school—whether this reflects changes in curriculum, student composition as students progress, or other factors would be important to clarify. The school's ELA profile suggests that reading and writing instruction may be more consistent across grade levels than math instruction. English learner enrollment status and special education services are not available in the publicly reported data; parents should ask the school directly about these supports and any intervention programs for students below grade level.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 69%

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

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 50%

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

Grade 838%

School 38% · District 38%

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

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42%

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

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 671%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 76%

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

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

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

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 28%

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

This schoolCentral Stickney SD 110, 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.