Catalyst Charter - Maria ES

Catalyst Charter - Maria ES, a sizable combined-grade school in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, hosts 1,107 students, covering grades K through 12. Compared to the state average of about 737 students per school, that is 50% larger than typical.

Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 comprises 622 schools with combined enrollment of 324,396 students; Catalyst Charter - Maria ES is among them.

In terms of who attends, Catalyst Charter - Maria ES reports that 55% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 43% Black. The wider county runs roughly 27% Hispanic, putting the school's mix meaningfully more Hispanic than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Catalyst Charter - Maria ES records 78 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.0:1, putting Catalyst Charter - Maria ES higher than the state norm the norm. Around 96% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is above Cook County's rate of about 66%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Catalyst Charter - Maria ES performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 15.8%, the actual is 25.4%, a residual of +9.6 points.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Cook County) records that median household earnings sit near $83,498, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Catalyst Charter - Maria ES is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is ACE Amandla Charter School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Catalyst Charter - Maria ES. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Catalyst Charter - Maria ES at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 19.1%.

The school occupies a downtown site. Catalyst Charter - Maria ES is a charter school, which puts it inside the public-school system but outside the standard district-managed model.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Catalyst Charter - Maria ES has increased 3%, going from 1,071 students in 2018 to 1,107 in 2025.

On this page, the feed for Catalyst Charter - Maria ES typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.