Ward L Elem School

www.cps.edu

279 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 8th

School Overview

Lester C. Ward Elementary School is a public school located in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. Serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the school operates within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district. Its location on North Lawndale Avenue places it at the heart of a historically significant community, where the school serves as a central hub for local families and neighborhood children.

Academically, Ward Elementary focuses on providing a foundational education in core subjects while striving to meet the diverse needs of its student population. Like many schools in the CPS system, it aims to foster an environment of growth and development, often integrating social-emotional learning alongside standard curriculum requirements. The school functions as a critical neighborhood institution, dedicated to supporting student achievement and community engagement within the challenges and opportunities of the urban educational landscape.

279

Total Students

25.0

Full-Time Teachers

11.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Ward L Elem School
Demographic	Student Count
White	3
Hispanic	92
Black	184

Black
184 (65.9%)
Hispanic
92 (33.0%)
White
3 (1.1%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299
Phone:	(773)534-6440
Website:	http://www.cps.edu
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 8th
Total Students:	279
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	25.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	11.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 44

Kindergarten 26

Grade 1 19

Grade 2 26

Grade 3 32

Grade 4 25

Grade 5 27

Grade 6 26

Grade 7 28

Grade 8 25

Grade 9 1

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for Ward L Elem School
Grade	Student Count
Pre-Kindergarten	44
Kindergarten	26
Grade 1	19
Grade 2	26
Grade 3	32
Grade 4	25
Grade 5	27
Grade 6	26
Grade 7	28
Grade 8	25
Grade 9	1

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for Ward L Elem School
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	121	43.4%
Male	158	56.6%

Nearby Elementary Schools (Within 10 Miles)