Morton Elem Career Academy

Morton Elem Career Academy, a low-enrollment primary school in Chicago, Illinois, run under Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, hosts 268 students, covering grades pre-K through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so Morton Elem Career Academy sits 30% leaner than that benchmark.

Across the 622 schools in Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 (324,396 students total), Morton Elem Career Academy accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Morton Elem Career Academy lists that Black students make up the majority at 59%. Other groups include 25% Hispanic, 13% White. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 22%.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 8.7:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Morton Elem Career Academy tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 76% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is north of Cook County's rate of about 66%.

After controlling for student poverty, Morton Elem Career Academy tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 27.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 21.8%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Cook County) logs that median household earnings sit near $83,498, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Morton Elem Career Academy is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Westinghouse High School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Morton Elem Career Academy ranks 4th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 22.2%.

Morton Elem Career Academy operates from a downtown location.

Looking at the recent track record. Morton Elem Career Academy's enrollment has ticked down 14% since 2018, when it stood at 310 (now 268). The Black share of enrollment ticked down from 91% to 59% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 16.3:1 in 2018 to 8.7:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.