Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in City of Chicago SD 299

This page covers 11 middle schools in City of Chicago SD 299, including 2 charter schools. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

11
Schools Ranked
Illinois
State
2
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 11
1
rank
Madero Middle School
Grades 06–08253 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.8:1) · above-average investment ($25,647/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
10.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
87%
High economic need
2
rank
Albany Park Multicultural Elem
Grades 07–08222 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
13.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
90%
High economic need
3
rank
Evergreen Academy Elem School
Grades 06–08204 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.0:1) · above-average investment ($25,647/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
11.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
89%
High economic need
4
rank
Shields Middle School
Grades 05–08443 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
13.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
97%
High economic need
5
rank
Hernandez Middle School
Grades 06–08856 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
53
/100
Student:Teacher
15.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
94%
High economic need
6
rank
Field Elem School
Grades 05–08155 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
50
/100
Student:Teacher
13.8:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
86%
High economic need
7
rank
Gary Elem School
Grades 03–08766 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
15.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
94%
High economic need
8
rank
Northwest Middle School
Grades 06–08486 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
14.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
31/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
86%
High economic need
9
rank
Richardson Middle School
Grades 05–08934 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
44
/100
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
29/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
96%
High economic need
10
rank
ASPIRA Charter - Haugan Campus
Grades 06–08103 studentsCharter
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,647/student)
32
/100
Student:Teacher
103.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,647
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
95%
High economic need
1 more middle schools in City of Chicago SD 299 not shown here.
View all schools in City of Chicago SD 299
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
11
Middle Schools
644
Total Schools
54
#1 Score
47
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Other School Levels
Compare City of Chicago SD 299 with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.