Jefferson Elem School vs Lincoln Elem School

Jefferson Elem School and Lincoln Elem School sit 0.6 miles apart in Chicago Heights, Illinois, yet their overall ratings tell a meaningful story: Lincoln Elem School scores 9.4/10 against Jefferson Elem School's 8.9/10 — a half-point gap that widens considerably when state rank context is applied. Lincoln Elem School ranks #33 of 3,813 Illinois elementary schools, placing it in the top 1% statewide. Jefferson Elem School ranks #104 of 3,813, which is still a strong top-3% finish — but the distance between these two schools is larger than their proximity on the street suggests.

The academic score gap is the sharpest difference between the two schools. Lincoln Elem School scores 9.2/10 in academics compared to Jefferson Elem School's 7.3/10 — a 1.9-point delta that points to meaningfully stronger tested proficiency outcomes at Lincoln. Jefferson Elem School counters with a growth score of 9.8/10 versus Lincoln Elem School's 9.5/10, a narrow 0.3-point edge suggesting Jefferson students are gaining ground academically at a slightly faster rate year over year. Families weighing current performance against trajectory will find genuine trade-offs between these two schools rather than a clear sweep.

Both schools serve a nearly identical, high-need demographic: Jefferson Elem School enrolls 98% free/reduced lunch students and Lincoln Elem School enrolls 96%, making them essentially peers in economic context. Where they differ sharply is size and staffing. Jefferson Elem School enrolls 155 students at a 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio; Lincoln Elem School enrolls just 86 students at an 8.6:1 ratio — one of the lowest ratios in the state. That means Lincoln students receive substantially more individualized adult attention on a daily basis.

Both schools serve grades PK through 05, so neither offers a grade-range advantage. The program-level distinction comes down to Lincoln Elem School's combination of elite statewide ranking and near-one-on-one staffing density at a small enrollment footprint, versus Jefferson Elem School's larger, still-intimate campus with exceptional growth momentum and a top-3% state rank in its own right.