Emerson Elem School

Emerson Elem School is a primary school of close-knit scale in Berwyn, Illinois, run under Berwyn South SD 100, teacheing 260 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 32% leaner than typical.

Across the 8 schools in Berwyn South SD 100 (3,050 students total), Emerson Elem School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Emerson Elem School shows that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 77% of enrollment. The remainder breaks down as 14% White, 7% Black. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 27% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Emerson Elem School has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.9:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 65% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Emerson Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 33.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 34.5%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Cook County put the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, 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), Emerson Elem School is one campus in the mix.

Heritage Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Emerson Elem School. On composite proficiency, Emerson Elem School comes 7th of 9 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 43.4%.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Looking at the recent track record. Emerson Elem School's enrollment has edged down 29% since 2018, when it stood at 365 (now 260). Black enrollment moved from 3% to 7% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 14.0:1 in 2018 to 12.9:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.