Richards Career Academy HS

Richards Career Academy HS is a 9-12 campus of close-knit scale in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, serveing 348 students in grades 9 through 12. That puts it 58% smaller than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 834 students.

Within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which oversees 622 schools and 324,396 students, Richards Career Academy HS is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Richards Career Academy HS lists that 68% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. Beyond that, the school logs 26% Black, 5% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 27% Hispanic, putting the school's mix visibly more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the resource side, Richards Career Academy HS shows 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Richards Career Academy HS tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 97% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is north of Cook County's rate of about 66%.

After controlling for student poverty, Richards Career Academy HS tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 15.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 3.1%.

Around the school, Cook County reports that median household earnings sit near $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, 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 Richards Career Academy HS is one.

The closest other public school is Hamline Elem School, roughly 0.3 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Richards Career Academy HS. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Richards Career Academy HS at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 20.1%.

Richards Career Academy HS operates from a downtown location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged up 60%: 217 students in 2018 compared to 348 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 39% to 26% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 13.9:1 in 2018 to 11.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for Richards Career Academy HS typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.