Jefferson Elem School

Set in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Jefferson Elem School is a tight-knit elementary-level community, overseen by Chicago Heights SD 170. It enrolls 157 students across grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so Jefferson Elem School sits 59% smaller than that benchmark.

Jefferson Elem School is one of 10 schools operated by Chicago Heights SD 170, a district that hosts 2,674 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Jefferson Elem School logs that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 65% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school logs 33% Black. The wider county runs roughly 27% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Jefferson Elem School shows 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.1:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 92% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Jefferson Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 18.2%; this one delivers 27.5%.

In the surrounding community, the surrounding county (Cook County) records that median household earnings sit near $83,498, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Jefferson Elem School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

The closest other public school is Lincoln Elem School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Jefferson Elem School comes 7th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 32.8%.

Jefferson Elem School operates from a suburban location.

Over the past 7-year window. Jefferson Elem School's enrollment has decreased 45% since 2018, when it stood at 288 (now 157). Over the same period, the Hispanic share expanded from 49% to 65%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 13.1:1 in 2018 to 12.1:1 in 2025.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.