Palmer Elem School

Located at 5051 N Kenneth Ave, in Chicago, Illinois, Palmer Elem School is a roomy elementary-level community that enrolls 746 students (grades pre-K through 8), overseen by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299. That puts it 96% bigger than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which oversees 622 schools and 324,396 students, Palmer Elem School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Palmer Elem School records that the largest single group is Hispanic at 40%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school logs 37% White, 16% Asian, 4% multiracial, 2% Black. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 27% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Palmer Elem School reports 53 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.1:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 65% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Palmer Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 34.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 36.6%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Cook County put the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Palmer Elem School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

Nearest neighbor: Volta Elem School, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Palmer Elem School at 5th of 9; the average score across the group is 40.0%.

Palmer Elem School operates from an inner-city location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 7%: 804 students in 2018 compared to 746 in 2025. The White share of enrollment edged up from 30% to 37% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 18.8:1 in 2018 to 14.1:1 today.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.