Orrington Elem School vs Dewey Elem School

Orrington Elem School edges Dewey Elem School by 0.1 points in overall rating — 9.1 versus 9.0 out of 10 — a margin narrow enough to call these schools near-equals in quality. The state rank difference is more telling: Orrington sits at #90 of 3,813 Illinois schools, while Dewey ranks #112 of 3,813, placing both comfortably in the top 3% statewide but confirming Orrington's consistent edge across the rating system.

Academically, Orrington Elem School scores 9.8 out of 10 versus Dewey Elem School's 9.5 — a 0.3-point gap that reflects a meaningful proficiency advantage even at this high performance tier. Growth scores are nearly identical: Orrington at 8.4 and Dewey at 8.3, meaning both schools push students forward at comparable rates regardless of where they enter. Parents should not expect a materially different learning trajectory between the two; the academic gap is primarily a proficiency-at-entry or proficiency-at-exit story, not a question of instructional momentum.

Dewey Elem School enrolls 333 students versus Orrington Elem School's 244, making Dewey a notably larger campus. Despite the size difference, Dewey's student-teacher ratio is actually tighter — 10.7:1 versus Orrington's 11.1:1 — so classroom access to teachers is slightly better at Dewey. On free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, Dewey serves 28% of students compared to Orrington's 22%, indicating Dewey supports a modestly broader socioeconomic range within Evanston's elementary population.

Both schools serve grades KG–05 and sit just 1.5 miles apart in Evanston, so program structure and grade span are identical. The choice reduces to nuance: Orrington's higher academic proficiency score and superior state rank versus Dewey's larger enrollment base, slightly lower student-teacher ratio, and greater income diversity among its families.