Lewis Elem School

Lewis Elem School operates as an average-sized elementary campus in Chicago, Illinois, one of the schools within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. Current enrollment sits at 427 students spanning grades pre-K through 8.

Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 runs 622 schools in total, collectively educating 324,396 students. Lewis Elem School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Lewis Elem School lists that 53% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest breaks down as 46% Black. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 27%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Lewis Elem School has 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Lewis Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 97% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Lewis Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 15.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 12.0%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Cook County) shows that median household earnings sit near $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Lewis Elem School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

The closest other public school is YCCS West, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Lewis Elem School comes 7th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 17.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 12%: 483 students in 2018 compared to 427 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 28% to 53% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.9:1 in 2018 to 12.8:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.