Smith W Elem School

Located at 744 E 103rd St, in Chicago, Illinois, Smith W Elem School is a mid-tier primary school that enrolls 340 students (grades pre-K through 8), overseen by Chicago Public Schools Dist 299.

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

On the student-mix side, Smith W Elem School records that 95% of students identify as Black, making the school strongly Black-majority; the rest reads as 4% Hispanic. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 22% Black, so the school skews visibly more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Smith W Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 95% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Smith W Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 16.5%; this one delivers 17.0%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Cook County put median household earnings sit near $83,498, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Smith W Elem School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

Noble St Chtr-Butler - Crimson is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Smith W Elem School. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Smith W Elem School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 31.0%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Smith W Elem School has edged down 5%, going from 357 students in 2018 to 340 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment declined from 100% to 95% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 10.9:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.