Rowe Elementary

Rowe Elementary, a well-populated elementary campus in Chicago, Illinois, operated by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, caters to 617 students, covering grades K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 62% above typical.

Across the 622 schools in Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 (324,396 students total), Rowe Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Rowe Elementary shows that Hispanic students make up the majority at 65%. Other groups include 24% Black, 9% multiracial. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 27% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Rowe Elementary has 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.8:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. About 68% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

With demographic context factored in, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Rowe Elementary sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 32.0%; actual is 13.8%, a gap of -18.2 points.

In the area at large, census data for Cook County shows median household income runs about $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Rowe Elementary is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

Nearest neighbor: Lozano Elem Bilingual & Intl Ctr, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Rowe Elementary at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 40.3%.

Geographically, the school is in an inner-city area. As a public charter, Rowe Elementary runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count fell 39%: 1,012 students in 2018 compared to 617 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 80% to 65% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Rowe Elementary community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.