Holding on
Since the steel industry vanished from South Chicago in the 1990s, the blue-collar community has struggled to create jobs and affordable housing. More than one of every three children in the community lives below the poverty line, and 85 percent of students attend public schools.
| Neighborhood snapshot |
South Chicago
|
Chicago
|
| Students in private school |
12%
|
18%
|
| Population 25 and over w/ high school diploma |
66%
|
72%
|
| Median household income |
$28,600
|
$38,600
|
| Children below poverty level |
39%
|
29%
|
| Unemployment rate |
18%
|
10%
|
| Residents living in own homes |
45%
|
48%
|
| Average sale price (single family residence) |
$139,243
|
$329,908
|
| Median rent (per month) |
$512
|
$616
|
|
Source: Census 2000; Average sale price from Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, June 2005 to June 2006. |
||
School performance mixed
Poverty rates at each South Chicago school are above the district’s average of 85 percent. Yet 8th-graders posted good to average reading scores, although math scores are low; 3rd-graders posted better scores in math than in reading. As for high schools, Bowen’s small schools are outperforming its general program, which graduates its last class of seniors in June.
| Student population |
Enrollment
|
Poverty
|
Bilingual
|
Mobility
|
| ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS | ||||
| Coles |
781
|
94%
|
1%
|
29%
|
| Mann |
845
|
87%
|
0%
|
25%
|
| Mireles |
1,233
|
97%
|
20%
|
34%
|
| Ninos Heroes |
791
|
91%
|
8%
|
26%
|
| South Chicago Community |
185
|
98%
|
2%
|
51%
|
| Sullivan |
781
|
97%
|
11%
|
36%
|
| JN Thorp |
629
|
99%
|
9%
|
41%
|
| HIGH SCHOOLS | ||||
| B.E.S.T. |
331
|
99%
|
1%
|
37%
|
| Bowen High |
77
|
96%
|
8%
|
42%
|
| Chicago Discovery |
382
|
93%
|
9%
|
13%
|
| Global Visions |
306
|
93%
|
1%
|
44%
|
| Las Casas |
93
|
87%
|
.
|
.
|
| New Millennium |
254
|
93%
|
4%
|
36%
|
| _ | ||||
| Student ethnicity |
White
|
Black
|
Hispanic
|
Other
|
| ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS | ||||
| Coles |
0%
|
96%
|
2%
|
2%
|
| Mann |
0%
|
100%
|
0%
|
0%
|
| Mireles |
0%
|
53%
|
44%
|
3%
|
| Ninos Heroes |
0%
|
78%
|
22%
|
0%
|
| South Chicago Community |
1%
|
89%
|
10%
|
0%
|
| Sullivan |
1%
|
65%
|
32%
|
2%
|
| JN Thorp |
0%
|
81%
|
18%
|
1%
|
| HIGH SCHOOLS | ||||
| B.E.S.T. |
0%
|
83%
|
15%
|
2%
|
| Bowen High |
0%
|
80%
|
20%
|
0%
|
| Chicago Discovery |
0%
|
44%
|
55%
|
1%
|
| Global Visions |
0%
|
88%
|
11%
|
1%
|
| Las Casas |
3%
|
88%
|
7%
|
2%
|
| New Millennium |
0%
|
91%
|
7%
|
2%
|
| _ | ||||
| Elementary performance |
ISAT math-3 |
ISAT math-8 |
ISAT read-3 |
ISAT read-8 |
| Coles |
34%
|
19%
|
27%
|
63%
|
| Mann |
44%
|
12%
|
32%
|
53%
|
| Mireles |
32%
|
12%
|
19%
|
44%
|
| Ninos Heroes |
61%
|
23%
|
32%
|
60%
|
| South Chicago Community |
28%
|
0%
|
22%
|
38%
|
| Sullivan |
43%
|
14%
|
18%
|
41%
|
|
JN Thorp |
32%
|
11%
|
32%
|
36%
|
| _ | ||||
| High school performance* |
Graduation
|
Dropout
|
PSAE math
|
PSAE reading
|
| B.E.S.T. |
NA
|
3%
|
5%
|
34%
|
| Bowen High |
48%
|
37%
|
2%
|
13%
|
| Chicago Discovery |
NA
|
3%
|
19%
|
27%
|
| Global Visions |
NA
|
21%
|
NA
|
NA
|
| *Note: PSAE scores are not available for Global Visions Academy because this is the first year the school has had 11th-graders. New Millennium School of Health is not included because it opened in 2004-05 and no data is yet available. Las Casas Occupational High School is not included because it is a special education school. | ||||
| Source: CPS, Consortium on Chicago School Research | ||||