John J Pershing Magnet Elementary

As an average-sized elementary-level community in Chicago, Illinois, John J Pershing Magnet Elementary instructs 439 students from grades pre-K through 8, overseen by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299.

Within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which oversees 622 schools and 324,396 students, John J Pershing Magnet Elementary is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, John J Pershing Magnet Elementary reports that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (89%). The remainder reads as 5% Hispanic, 2% White. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 22%.

In terms of school funding signals, John J Pershing Magnet Elementary reports 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.7:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 83% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is noticeably above Cook County's rate of about 66%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, John J Pershing Magnet Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 23.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 18.6%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Cook County indicate median household income runs about $83,498, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), John J Pershing Magnet Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Dunbar Vocational Career Acad HS is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around John J Pershing Magnet Elementary. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), John J Pershing Magnet Elementary ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 12.6%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Looking at the recent track record. John J Pershing Magnet Elementary's enrollment has edged down 25% since 2018, when it stood at 587 (now 439). Over the same period, the Black share decreased from 94% to 89%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 17.0:1 in 2018 to 13.7:1 in 2025.

On allk12, members of the John J Pershing Magnet Elementary community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.