Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy vs Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences

Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences ranks #47 of 3,813 Illinois schools, placing it in the top 2% statewide. Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy sits at #130 of 3,813 — top 4%, still elite — but trails Orozco by 0.5 overall rating points (8.9 vs. 9.4). Both schools clear most of Chicago's competition by a wide margin; the choice between them comes down to which strengths matter most to a given family.

Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy holds a decisive edge in raw academic achievement, scoring 9.9/10 vs. Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences' 8.8/10 — a 1.1-point gap that reflects measurably higher current proficiency levels. The growth picture reverses sharply: Orozco scores 9.6/10 on student growth versus Hawthorne's 8.4/10, a 1.2-point lead that signals Orozco is accelerating students' learning trajectories at an above-average rate relative to their starting points. Families weighing where kids enter versus how fast they progress will read these numbers differently.

The two schools serve very different populations. Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy enrolls 616 students with a 15.0:1 student-teacher ratio and a 14% free/reduced-lunch rate, indicating a predominantly higher-income student body. Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences enrolls 268 students — less than half the size — at an 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio, with 72% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. That smaller class footprint means more direct adult attention per child, and Orozco's growth score suggests that attention is translating into accelerated progress for a higher-need population.

Orozco Elem Fine Arts & Sciences begins at Pre-K, giving families an entry point a full year earlier than Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy, which starts at Kindergarten. Orozco's fine arts and sciences focus is embedded in the school's identity. Both schools run through 8th grade, so either choice covers the full elementary span through middle school without a transition, but only Orozco offers the Pre-K year for families planning that far ahead.