McDowell Elem School

Set in Chicago, Illinois, McDowell Elem School is a minimally staffed K-5 school, run under Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. It enrolls 112 students across grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 71% below the state mean of about 381.

McDowell Elem School is one of 622 schools operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, a district that teaches 324,396 students overall.

On demographics, McDowell Elem School shows that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (96%). The remainder is composed of 3% multiracial. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 22%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.0:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 79% 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.

After controlling for student poverty, McDowell Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 25.6%; this one delivers 31.6%.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Cook County) records that median household income runs about $83,498, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. In all, Cook County runs 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), of which McDowell Elem School is one.

The closest other public school is Washington H Elem School, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, McDowell Elem School comes 4th of 9 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 27.8%.

The campus sits in an inner-city setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at McDowell Elem School has fell 28%, going from 155 students in 2018 to 112 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 17.2:1 in 2018 to 14.0:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.