Oliver W Holmes Elem School

Oliver W Holmes Elem School is an elementary campus of moderately sized scale in Oak Park, Illinois, part of Oak Park ESD 97, enrolling 513 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 35% larger than typical.

Across the 10 schools in Oak Park ESD 97 (5,560 students total), Oliver W Holmes Elem School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Oliver W Holmes Elem School lists that the most-represented group is White (45%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder reads as 18% Black, 15% multiracial, 14% Hispanic, 6% Asian. That composition is broadly in line with Cook County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Oliver W Holmes Elem School lists 42 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Oliver W Holmes Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 26% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is south of Cook County's rate of about 66%.

After controlling for student poverty, Oliver W Holmes Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 56.5%; this one delivers 65.1%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Cook County) shows that median household income runs about $83,498, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Cook County runs 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), of which Oliver W Holmes Elem School is one.

The closest other public school is Horace Mann Elem School, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Oliver W Holmes Elem School. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Oliver W Holmes Elem School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 66.2%.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 13%: 593 students in 2018 compared to 513 in 2025. Asian enrollment moved from 10% to 6% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 14.8:1 in 2018 to 12.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.