Great Lakes Academy Charter ES

www.cps.edu

Charter School 538 Students

Elementary School K - 8th

School Overview

Great Lakes Academy Charter Elementary School (GLA), located in the South Chicago neighborhood, is a public charter school serving students in grades K–8. Founded on the mission of preparing students for success in college and beyond, the school focuses heavily on rigorous academic instruction coupled with a strong emphasis on character development. Their educational model is built on the belief that all students can achieve at high levels when provided with a structured, supportive, and data-driven environment.

The school is known for maintaining a highly disciplined culture, featuring smaller class sizes and an extended school day to provide students with more time for core subjects like literacy and mathematics. Beyond academics, Great Lakes Academy places significant value on social-emotional learning, aiming to cultivate habits of excellence and persistence in its student body. By partnering closely with families and the surrounding community, the school strives to provide a consistent pathway toward high school graduation and post-secondary success for children on the South Side of Chicago.

538

Total Students

34.0

Full-Time Teachers

15.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Great Lakes Academy Charter ES
Demographic	Student Count
Hispanic	43
Black	484
Two or More	9
American Indian	1

Black
484 (90.1%)
Hispanic
43 (8.0%)
Two or More
9 (1.7%)
American Indian
1 (0.2%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299
Phone:	(773)503-3040
Website:	http://www.cps.edu
Grade Range:	K - 8th
Total Students:	538
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	34.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	15.8
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

Kindergarten 49

Grade 1 63

Grade 2 60

Grade 3 63

Grade 4 61

Grade 5 61

Grade 6 61

Grade 7 60

Grade 8 60

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for Great Lakes Academy Charter ES
Grade	Student Count
Kindergarten	49
Grade 1	63
Grade 2	60
Grade 3	63
Grade 4	61
Grade 5	61
Grade 6	61
Grade 7	60
Grade 8	60

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for Great Lakes Academy Charter ES
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	256	47.6%
Male	281	52.2%
Not Specified	1	0.2%

Nearby Elementary Schools (Within 10 Miles)