Columbus West Elementary School

Columbus West Elementary School, a medium-sized elementary-level community in Cicero, Illinois, operated by Cicero SD 99, caters to 534 students, covering grades pre-K through 3. That puts it 40% bigger than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Within Cicero SD 99, which oversees 15 schools and 8,664 students, Columbus West Elementary School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Columbus West Elementary School reports that 96% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority; the rest looks like 2% White. That is visibly more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 27%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Columbus West Elementary School has 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.3:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 90% of students at Columbus West Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Columbus West Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 19.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 28.1%.

Around the school, Cook County reports that the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Columbus West Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Columbus East Elem School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Columbus West Elementary School. On composite proficiency, Columbus West Elementary School comes 4th of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 27.3%.

Geographically, the school is in a suburban area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 24%: 702 students in 2018 compared to 534 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share rose from 87% to 96%.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Columbus West Elementary School community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.