Belding Elem School vs Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences

Belding Elem School and Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences sit just 7.6 miles apart in Chicago yet land nearly identical positions in the Illinois rankings — Belding Elem School at #39 of 3813 schools statewide and Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences at #40 of 3813. Both carry an overall rating of 9.3/10, placing them in the top 1% of Illinois elementary schools. Parents choosing between these two can set aside any concern about one being a "better" school at the macro level; the meaningful differences emerge in the details.

On academic and growth measures, Belding holds a slight edge. Belding Elem School scores 9.0/10 on academics versus Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences at 8.8/10 — a modest gap. The growth difference is more notable: Belding Elem School earns a 10.0/10 growth score versus Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences at 9.6/10, meaning Belding is outpacing Orozco in year-over-year student progress relative to peers statewide, even though both starting points are exceptional.

The schools diverge more sharply in size and demographics. Belding Elem School enrolls 563 students — more than double Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences at 268. The smaller enrollment at Orozco translates directly into classroom experience: Orozco's student-teacher ratio is 11.2:1 versus Belding's 14.1:1, a meaningful difference in daily adult attention per child. Orozco also serves a higher-need population, with 72% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 50% at Belding — a signal that Orozco is delivering its near-identical outcomes with a significantly higher concentration of economically disadvantaged students.

Both schools serve grades PK through 08, so families with children across elementary and middle years won't face a transition difference. Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences carries a dedicated fine arts and sciences focus embedded in its name and mission, distinguishing its instructional approach from the general-program model at Belding Elem School. Families prioritizing an arts-integrated or STEM-arts curriculum will find that specialization only at Orozco.