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Public high school · Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 · Chicago, Illinois

Taft High School

Taft High School rates 6.6, above the middle of Chicago Public Schools Dist 299's high schools, whose rated median is 4.6.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.6this school

6.6 on a one-to-ten scale; the Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 median is 4.6.

#1,754 of 3,814 schools in Illinois · Chicago Public Schools Dist 299: 146 high schools rated, median 4.6

The brief

A Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 high school where students score 45 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,754 of 3,814 schools in Illinois and 268 of 621 in Chicago Public Schools Dist 299.

Taft High School is listed in Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math69%32 points above the Illinois average of 37%2025 IAR
Reading82%28 points above the Illinois average of 54%2025 IAR
In 2025, 69% of students were proficient in math and 82% in reading, against Illinois averages of 37% and 54%.2025 IAR; 55 test records from IL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.9
25% of the rating
Academics
10.0
25% of the rating
College Readiness
7.9
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.6
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 51% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 IAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 IAR. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 IAR · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 IAR. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 60631; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Taft High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$117,688
Median home value
$431,400
Median rent
$1,604/mo
College educated
50.1%
Homeownership
74.2%
Poverty rate
6.2%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 60631; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
64
Somewhat Walkable
Transit Score
50
Good Transit
Bike Score
55
Bikeable
City reported crime
3,376/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Chicago. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Chicago), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
4 AP courses · IB Programme
33.3% participation · state average 2.7 AP courses · 699 IB enrolled · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
23 sports
11 boys' · 12 girls' · 41 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
54.5%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 7.3Compare →
  2. 7.1Compare →
  3. 6.9Compare →
  4. Taft High Schoolthis school
    6.6
  5. 6.5Compare →
  6. Cics - Northtown Campus3.3 mi · charter
    5.8Compare →
  7. 5.1Compare →
  8. 3.3Compare →
  9. 2.8Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Taft High School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Taft High School serve?

Taft High School serves students in grades 7th through 12th.

How many students attend Taft High School?

Taft High School has an enrollment of approximately 4,416 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Taft High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Taft High School is 16.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Taft High School rank in IL?

Taft High School ranks #1,754 of 3,814 schools in IL.

What is Taft High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Taft High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Taft High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Taft High School has 51% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Taft High School a charter school?

No, Taft High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Taft High School a Title I school?

No, Taft High School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Taft High School?

54.5% of students at Taft High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
7th – 12th
Enrollment
4,416
Student-teacher ratio
16.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
274
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Cook County
4-year graduation
89.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#268 of 621
Schools in district
643
District spending per student
$22,699
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
20.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 60631)
30,308
Area average commute
29.9 min
Area median age
42.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Illinois Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.