Hernandez Middle School

Hernandez Middle School is a middle school of sprawling scale in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, teacheing 720 students in grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 462 students each, so Hernandez Middle School sits 56% larger than that benchmark.

Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 comprises 622 schools with combined enrollment of 324,396 students; Hernandez Middle School is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Hernandez Middle School reports that nearly all students (98%) are Hispanic. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 27% Hispanic, so the school skews noticeably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 50 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.4:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 95% of students at Hernandez Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Hernandez Middle School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 16.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 23.9%.

In the broader community, census data for Cook County shows median household earnings sit near $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Hernandez Middle School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

The closest other public school is Sandoval Elem School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Hernandez Middle School at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 32.5%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 28%: 999 students in 2018 compared to 720 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 19.8:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Hernandez Middle School community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.