Taft High School

www.cps.edu

4,487 Students

High School 7th - 12th

School Overview

William Howard Taft High School, located in the Norwood Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side of Chicago, is one of the largest public high schools in the city. As part of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system, the school serves a diverse student body and offers a comprehensive academic environment. Taft is widely recognized for its "Academic Center," a selective-enrollment program for seventh and eighth graders that serves as a bridge to the school's rigorous high school curriculum, which includes various honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Beyond its academic offerings, Taft High School is deeply integrated into the local community and is known for its robust extracurricular programs. Students have access to a wide array of activities, including competitive IHSA athletics, fine and performing arts programs, and numerous student-led clubs. The school’s campus underwent a significant expansion in recent years, including the construction of a new freshman academy building, designed to accommodate the growing student population and provide modern facilities for its diverse academic and social programming.

4,487

Total Students

275.0

Full-Time Teachers

16.3

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Taft High School
Demographic	Student Count
White	1,768
Hispanic	2,017
Black	134
Asian	335
Two or More	189
American Indian	15
Pacific Islander	27

Hispanic
2,017 (45.0%)
White
1,768 (39.4%)
Asian
335 (7.5%)
Two or More
189 (4.2%)
Black
134 (3.0%)
Pacific Islander
27 (0.6%)
American Indian
15 (0.3%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High 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)534-1000
Website:	http://www.cps.edu
Grade Range:	7th - 12th
Total Students:	4,487
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	275.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	16.3
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

Grade 7 85

Grade 8 88

Grade 9 1,071

Grade 10 1,071

Grade 11 1,082

Grade 12 1,090