Bennett Elem School

Bennett Elem School is a small elementary campus in Chicago, Illinois, part of Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. The school serves 312 students in grades pre-K through 8.

Across the 622 schools in Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 (324,396 students total), Bennett Elem School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Bennett Elem School lists that nearly all students (93%) are Black; the rest is composed of 6% Hispanic. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 22% Black, so the school skews meaningfully more Black than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, The school employs 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.9:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Roughly 80% of students at Bennett Elem School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Bennett Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 25.1%; this one delivers 23.0%.

Across the wider county, census data for Cook County shows the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Bennett Elem School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

Nearest neighbor: Smith W Elem School, around 0.6 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Bennett Elem School at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 22.8%.

Bennett Elem School operates from a city-core location.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Bennett Elem School has remained close to its prior level, going from 309 students in 2018 to 312 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 0% to 6% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 22.9:1 in 2018 to 14.9:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.