Aftershock
In the 1970s, white flight and disinvestment took a toll on Austin. Yet, today, the area is a beehive of activism focused on affordable housing, job opportunity and helping those released from prison reconnect with the community. One in three children in Austin live in poverty; 84 percent attend public schools.
| Neighborhood snapshot |
Austin
|
Chicago
|
| Students in private school |
14%
|
18%
|
| Population 25 and over w/ high school diploma |
68%
|
72%
|
| Median household income |
$33,975
|
$38,600
|
| Children below poverty level |
32%
|
29%
|
| Unemployment rate |
17%
|
10%
|
| Residents living in own homes |
47%
|
48%
|
| Average sale price (single family residence) |
$213,699
|
$331,715
|
| Median rent (per month) |
$588
|
$616
|
|
Source: Census 2000; Average sale price from Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, Oct. 1, 2005 to Sept. 30 2006. |
||
Who schools serve
Public schools in Austin are overwhelmingly poor and African-American. Only one school, Sayre Elementary, serves a sizable population of children from middle-income families; and only G. Clark reports more than 10 percent of students are English language learners. May Elementary posts a shocking mobility rate: Nearly half of its student body left or transferred in mid-year in the 2004-05 school year.
|
Student population
|
Enrollment
|
Poverty
|
Bilingual
|
Mobility
|
|
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
|
||||
| Armstrong, L. |
196
|
96%
|
0%
|
41%
|
| Brunson |
813
|
88%
|
0%
|
35%
|
| Clark, G. |
385
|
92%
|
12%
|
14%
|
| DePriest |
613
|
97%
|
1%
|
35%
|
| Douglass Middle |
902
|
99%
|
0%
|
31%
|
| Ellington |
474
|
98%
|
0%
|
27%
|
| Emmet |
688
|
97%
|
0%
|
37%
|
| Hay |
649
|
96%
|
1%
|
23%
|
| Howe |
798
|
98%
|
0%
|
30%
|
| Leland |
270
|
96%
|
0%
|
20%
|
| Lewis |
1059
|
89%
|
3%
|
26%
|
| Lovett |
669
|
79%
|
3%
|
17%
|
| Key |
461
|
96%
|
0%
|
22%
|
| May |
894
|
97%
|
0%
|
48%
|
| McNair |
667
|
92%
|
1%
|
33%
|
| Nash |
851
|
98%
|
0%
|
41%
|
| Sayre |
534
|
58%
|
7%
|
10%
|
| Spencer |
1128
|
91%
|
0%
|
38%
|
| Young |
1539
|
95%
|
3%
|
19%
|
| HIGH SCHOOLS | ||||
| Michele Clark |
774
|
94%
|
0%
|
8%
|
| Austin * |
1032
|
91%
|
0%
|
31%
|
|
Note: Austin high school is being phased out; currently only seniors are enrolled. |
||||
How schools are doing
In 2005, 3rd-graders at G. Clark posted the highest math scores; L. Armstrong’s did best in reading. By 8th grade, reading scores had improved, but pass rates in math had declined at nearly every school. Emmet Elementary was the exception.
|
Elementary Performance |
ISAT math-3 |
ISAT math-8 |
ISAT read-3 |
ISAT read-8 |
| Armstrong, L |
67%
|
NA
|
67%
|
NA
|
| Brunson |
40%
|
NA
|
26%
|
NA
|
| Clark, G. |
81%
|
43%
|
65%
|
73%
|
| DePriest |
38
|
NA
|
23%
|
NA
|
| Douglass Middle |
NA
|
6%
|
NA
|
40%
|
| Ellington |
61
|
NA
|
39%
|
NA
|
| Emmet |
22
|
37%
|
31%
|
71%
|
| Hay |
29.5
|
NA
|
25%
|
NA
|
| Howe |
25
|
13%
|
21%
|
26%
|
| Leland |
74
|
NA
|
50%
|
NA
|
| Lewis |
30
|
18%
|
21%
|
59%
|
| Lovett |
33
|
21%
|
25%
|
44%
|
| Key |
33
|
NA
|
26%
|
NA
|
| May |
38
|
5%
|
29%
|
43%
|
| McNair |
22
|
NA
|
22%
|
NA
|
| Nash |
33%
|
12%
|
29%
|
40%
|
| Sayre |
51
|
45%
|
46%
|
71%
|
| Spencer |
35
|
18%
|
21%
|
33%
|
| Young |
51
|
10%
|
36%
|
46%
|
|
High school performance* |
Graduation |
Dropout |
PSAE math |
PSAE reading |
| Michele Clark |
N/A
|
4%
|
14%
|
42%
|
| Austin |
65%
|
15%
|
3%
|
12%
|
|
*Note: Michele Clark, formerly a middle school, did not have a graduating class in 2005. The school added its first 9 th-grade class in 2002 and now serves grades 6-12. Austin high school is being phased out; currently only seniors are enrolled. |
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