Union Ridge Elem School

Union Ridge Elem School is an elementary-level community of expansive scale in Harwood Heights, Illinois, run under Union Ridge SD 86, instructing 664 students in grades pre-K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 74% above typical.

Union Ridge Elem School sits inside Union Ridge SD 86, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

On the student-mix side, Union Ridge Elem School lists that the largest single group is White, at 61% of enrollment. The remainder reads as 25% Hispanic, 12% Asian. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 44% White, so the school skews considerably more White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, On paper, Union Ridge Elem School has 50 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Union Ridge Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 51% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Cook County (around 66%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Union Ridge Elem School is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 42.3%; this one delivers 59.0%, a residual of +16.7 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 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 Union Ridge Elem School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Beard Elem School, around 0.5 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Union Ridge Elem School. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Union Ridge Elem School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 46.1%.

The school occupies an outer-ring site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count changed only slightly: 662 students in 2018 compared to 664 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 68% to 61% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 14.2:1 in 2018 to 13.2:1 today.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.