Park Elementary School

As an intimate elementary campus in Riverdale, Illinois, Park Elementary School enrolls 197 students from grades K through 6, run under Dolton SD 148. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 48% below typical.

Across the 10 schools in Dolton SD 148 (2,077 students total), Park Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Park Elementary School records that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (90%). Beyond that, the school shows 6% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 22% Black, putting the school's mix visibly more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Park Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 95% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than Cook County's rate of about 66%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Park Elementary School is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 16.4%; this one delivers 30.4%, a residual of +14.0 points.

Around the school, Cook County reports 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 Park Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Riverdale School, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Park Elementary School. On composite proficiency, Park Elementary School comes 1st of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 18.8%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Looking at the recent track record. Park Elementary School's enrollment has edged down 12% since 2018, when it stood at 224 (now 197). Class-load math has loosened: from 9.9:1 in 2018 to 11.9:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.