James Otis Elementary School
CPS choice · PK,K-8
At a glance
On the 2026 IAR, 16% of students met or exceeded standards, placing the result in the lower quarter of CPS elementary schools with published results (ISBE Report Card 2026). ISBE did not publish math for 39 schools where fewer than 10 students met the standard, so they are not in this comparison. In 2025–26, 45 applications were recorded for 20 offers (GoCPS, 2025–26 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Cultural fit
- 40% of students were chronically absent in 2026 - about what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026).
- Academic fit
- 88% of teachers stayed from one year to the next - about what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026). Average class size is 20.2; about 9.2 students per teacher, computed from all-teacher staffing.
- Social-emotional fit
- 31% of students with IEPs spend most of the school day in general classrooms - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026).
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade.
Basics
CPS-published · verified Nov 2024
- Address
- 525 N ARMOUR ST
- Neighborhood
- West Town
- Phone
- (773)534-7665
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- https://otis.cps.edu
- Before and after care
After care until 6:00 PM. Run by Right At School. After care costs $513 a month for 5 days a week.
From the program’s own page. Checked Sep 2026. Hours, prices and space change, so confirm with the school.
- Arts and creative
- Unknown - the sources could not be checked. Ask on a tour.
- Sports
Basketball, Soccer
From the school’s CPS profile, for the 2026-27 school year. Checked Sep 2026. Offerings change each year, so confirm on a tour.
- Climate survey
- Unknown - no CPS school ID on record
5Essentials - the latest survey in detail
Instructional Leadership, Teacher-Principal Trust, and School Commitment are rated below it this year.
From the 2026 CPS 5Essentials survey (25-26). Scores are benchmarked 1–99 (not percentages) - higher is stronger, and each is shown against the CPS average that same year. This is a newer survey on a different benchmark than the component levels above, so the two aren’t directly comparable.
Show all measures ▸Hide measures ▾
Ambitious Instruction
43 ▼ below the CPS average (56)- Academic Press· students-reported34 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- English Instruction· students-reported56 ▬ about the CPS average (59)
- Math Instruction· students-reported48 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported34 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
Supportive Environment
42 ▼ below the CPS average (51)- Academic Personalism· students-reported43 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
- Peer Support for Academic Work· students-reported34 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Safety· students-reported49 ▬ about the CPS average (48)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported40 ▼ below the CPS average (50)
Collaborative Teachers
25 ▼ below the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported40 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported18 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported25 ▼ below the CPS average (56)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported11 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported29 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
Effective Leaders
19 ▼ below the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported12 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported25 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported33 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported5 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
23 ▼ below the CPS average (53)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported24 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported25 ▼ below the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported20 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported48 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported34 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported32 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Course Clarity· students-reported30 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported33 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported37 ▼ below the CPS average (47)
- Innovation· teachers-reported21 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported47 ▼ below the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported25 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported30 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- School Connectedness· students-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- School Safety· students-reported56 ▬ about the CPS average (54)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported19 ▼ below the CPS average (47)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported49 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported25 ▼ below the CPS average (47)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported30 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
UChicago Consortium — the 2026 cycle (school year 25-26) is re-benchmarked to spring 2024 (SY25+); it is NOT level-comparable to the spring-2013-benchmarked component levels shown elsewhere.
Pre-K
CPS-published· verified Sep 2026This school has Pre-K. Families apply for Pre-K through Chicago Early Learning, not GoCPS.
Half-day Pre-K · for children age 3 and age 4
Seats: full, with a waitlist, as of Sep 24, 2026.
Full-day Pre-K · for children age 4
Seats: full, with a waitlist, as of Sep 24, 2026.
- Quality rating
- ExceleRate Gold Circle of Quality
Apply through Chicago Early Learning · How Pre-K applications work
Programs (1)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
World Language & Personalized Learning Magnet cluster | K–8 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Oct 2026 |
Local School Council
CPS-published· verified Oct 2026The Local School Council is a group of parents, staff, and neighbors who help run this school. They vote on the budget and the school plan. Their meetings are open to the public, so you can go and listen.
Next meetings
- Friday, November 20, 2026 at 8:00 AM
- Friday, December 18, 2026 at 8:00 AM
- Friday, January 15, 2027 at 8:00 AM
CPS lists the date and time. Ask the school office where the meeting will be held.
Members for 2026 to 2028
- Rachel A Mann · Principal
- Zoraida Fuentes · Parent
- Mari Torres · Parent
- scarlys Altuve H · Parent
- Roxana Reyes · Parent
- Danielle Prude · Parent
- Rachel Graham · Community member
- Susana Salgado · Community member
- Melissa Hernandez · Teacher
- Bridget A Hickey · Teacher
- Kendra Horton · School staff (non-teaching)
- Katia N Prado · Student
CPS keeps the official list of council meetings and members. See the CPS council list.
Parent questions & conversation
What parents and people who know this school are asking, answering, and talking about - their own words, experiences and opinions rather than verified facts.
Parent notes on this school are visible to signed-in Chicago families. Sign in to read and ask.
SchoolNav is not affiliated with CPS. Details change - each fact above shows when it was last verified. Application decisions should always be confirmed in GoCPS.