Tilton Elem School

Tilton Elem School, a small elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, part of Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, works with 244 students, covering grades pre-K through 8. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so Tilton Elem School sits 36% leaner than that benchmark.

Within Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which oversees 622 schools and 324,396 students, Tilton Elem School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Tilton Elem School records that Black students make up the majority at 79%. The remainder is composed of 20% Hispanic. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 22%.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Tilton Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 83% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Tilton Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 23.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 11.3%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Cook County indicate the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Tilton Elem School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Legal Prep Academy Charter HS, around 0.2 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Tilton Elem School at 4th of 9; the average score across the group is 11.9%.

The campus sits in an inner-city setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 19%: 300 students in 2018 compared to 244 in 2025. Over the same period, the Black share shrank from 96% to 79%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 16.7:1 in 2018 to 12.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.