Edwards Elem School

Located at 4815 S Karlov Ave, in Chicago, Illinois, Edwards Elem School is a roomy elementary-level community that enrolls 1,209 students (grades pre-K through 8), run under Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. Enrollment runs roughly 217% larger than the state mean of about 381.

Within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which oversees 622 schools and 324,396 students, Edwards Elem School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Edwards Elem School shows that 96% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority; the rest reads as 2% White. That is noticeably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 27%.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 83 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.5:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 76% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Cook County (around 66%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Edwards Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 27.6%; this one delivers 21.8%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Cook County) reports that median household earnings sit near $83,498, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Cook County runs 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), of which Edwards Elem School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Curie Metropolitan High School, around 0.3 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Edwards Elem School at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 23.6%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Edwards Elem School has shrank 22%, going from 1,550 students in 2018 to 1,209 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 21.1:1 in 2018 to 14.5:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.