Belding Elem School vs Pickard Elem School

Belding Elem School holds a 0.7-point overall rating advantage over Pickard Elem School — 9.3/10 versus 8.6/10 — a gap that translates into a meaningful difference in state standing. Belding ranks #55 of 3,813 Illinois schools, placing it in the top 1.5% statewide. Pickard ranks #216 of the same 3,813 schools, which is still a strong top-6% finish but trails Belding by 161 positions. Both schools sit 7.8 miles apart in Chicago and serve the same PK–08 grade span, making this a genuine apples-to-apples comparison for families with elementary-age children.

The academic and growth data widen the gap further. Belding posts a 9.0/10 academic score against Pickard's 7.9/10 — a 1.1-point delta that reflects meaningfully stronger proficiency outcomes. On growth, Belding scores a perfect 10.0/10 versus Pickard's 8.8/10, indicating that Belding students are gaining ground relative to academic peers at an exceptional rate. Together these two scores suggest Belding is both performing at a high level and accelerating students who start behind — a combination that is rare even among top-ranked Illinois schools.

The demographic and resource picture looks quite different between the two campuses. Belding enrolls 563 students at a 14.1:1 student-teacher ratio, while Pickard serves 293 students at a notably more intimate 10.9:1 ratio — roughly one fewer student per teacher. Pickard also serves a significantly higher-need population: 93% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch, compared to 50% at Belding. That 43-point free/reduced lunch gap signals that Pickard is doing its strong work — a top-6% state rank — with a student body that arrives with substantially greater economic challenges.

Both schools cover the full PK–08 span, so no grade-level gaps exist to force a transfer mid-elementary. Belding's larger enrollment suggests a wider range of elective offerings and extracurricular depth typical of bigger Chicago elementary campuses. Pickard's smaller size and lower student-teacher ratio mean each student gets more direct adult attention daily, which can matter particularly for learners who benefit from individualized instruction. Neither school is outright weak — the question is whether raw performance ceiling or personalized support and community context weighs more for a given family.