John W Garvy Elementary School
CPS choice · K-8
At a glance
The state's 2026 rating is Exemplary - the highest of its five ratings (ISBE Report Card 2026). 56% of students met or exceeded standards on the 2026 IAR - in the top 20% of CPS elementary schools with published results. 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, 57 applications were recorded for 5 offers (GoCPS, 2025–26 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Cultural fit
- 18% of students were chronically absent in 2026 - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026).
- Academic fit
- 92% of teachers stayed from one year to the next - above what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026).
- Social-emotional fit
- 68% of students with IEPs spend most of the school day in general classrooms - about what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2026). There is 1 school counselor per 430 students.
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade.
Basics
CPS-published · verified Nov 2024
- Address
- 5225 N OAK PARK AVE
- Neighborhood
- Norwood Park
- Phone
- (773)534-1185
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- https://garvyschool.org
- Before and after care
Before care from 7:00 AM. After care until 6:00 PM. Run by Right At School. After care costs $353 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
Drawing, Film and Video, Painting, Fundamentals/Theory of Music, Ceramics, Media and Production Workshops, Photography, Piano/Keyboard
From the school’s CPS profile, for the 2026-27 school year. Checked Sep 2026. Offerings change each year, so confirm on a tour.
- Sports
16” Softball, Football, Girls' Soccer, Aerobics, Chess, Girls' Softball, Boys' Basketball, Boys' Soccer, Boys' Volleyball, Conditioning and Fitness, Girls on the Run, Girls' Cross Country, Basketball, Soccer, Boys' Cross Country, Volleyball
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
Student Responsibility, Collaborative Practices, and Classroom Disruptions are rated above the CPS average; Teacher-Teacher Trust, Innovation, and Academic Press 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
56 ▬ about the CPS average (56)- Academic Press· students-reported45 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- English Instruction· students-reported58 ▬ about the CPS average (59)
- Math Instruction· students-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
Supportive Environment
55 ▲ above the CPS average (51)- Academic Personalism· students-reported45 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
- Peer Support for Academic Work· students-reported55 ▬ about the CPS average (53)
- Safety· students-reported60 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
Collaborative Teachers
58 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported78 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported49 ▬ about the CPS average (48)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported68 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported58 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported39 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
Effective Leaders
55 ▬ about the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported55 ▬ about the CPS average (53)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported64 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported43 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
60 ▲ above the CPS average (53)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported63 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported56 ▲ above the CPS average (52)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported56 ▬ about the CPS average (57)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported68 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- Course Clarity· students-reported55 ▬ about the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported70 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported61 ▲ above the CPS average (47)
- Innovation· teachers-reported42 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported67 ▲ above the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported62 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported67 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported56 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
- School Connectedness· students-reported59 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- School Safety· students-reported56 ▬ about the CPS average (54)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported53 ▲ above the CPS average (47)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported60 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported71 ▲ above the CPS average (47)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported54 ▬ about 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.
Programs (1)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Open Enrollment (general program, seats by lottery) Open enrollment | K–8 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Oct 2026 |
Local School Council
CPS-published· verified Nov 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
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM
- Wednesday, January 20, 2027 at 5:00 PM
- Wednesday, February 17, 2027 at 5:00 PM
CPS lists the date and time. Ask the school office where the meeting will be held.
Members for 2026 to 2028
- Stephanie Bester · Principal
- Bina Vayalil · Parent
- Leslie Pietruszka · Parent
- Javier Maisonet · Parent
- Krissy Estrada · Parent
- Mallory Ward · Parent
- Lori Orlinsky · Parent
- Trevor Dotson · Community member
- John Rizzo · Community member
- Victoria Dotson · Teacher
- Lilianne Smith · Teacher
- Ellen Topel · School staff (non-teaching)
- Haley E Orlinsky · 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.