Johnson STEAM Elementary

Johnson STEAM Elementary is a tight-knit elementary-level community in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. The school works with 209 students in grades pre-K through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so Johnson STEAM Elementary sits 45% smaller than that benchmark.

Johnson STEAM Elementary is one of 622 schools operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, a district that caters to 324,396 students overall.

Demographically, Johnson STEAM Elementary records that nearly all students (89%) are Black. The remainder consists of 10% Hispanic. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 22%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.4:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Johnson STEAM Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 100% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Cook County (around 66%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Johnson STEAM Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 14.0%, the actual is 13.5%, a residual of -0.5 points.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Cook County) reports that median household income runs about $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Johnson STEAM Elementary is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

The closest other public school is Collins Academy STEAM High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Johnson STEAM Elementary at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 14.3%.

Geographically, the school is in an urban area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 51%: 425 students in 2018 compared to 209 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share edged up from 3% to 10%. Class-load math has fell: from 15.5:1 in 2018 to 10.4:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the Johnson STEAM Elementary community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.