Jahn Elementary School District - Chicago

I live around the corner from Jahn, but never considered sending my daughter there. I did a lot of research before deciding which schools to apply to in the lottery. CPS has a convoluted system that categorizes schools into neighborhood, magnet, gifted, etc. The best approach is to research, research, research, then apply to as many as possible. I applied to 12 (I wish I'd applied to more), and my daughter was chosen at 3. I selected Burley over the other 2 since it seemed better, and is close: Burley is located at Barry and Ashland. I have been pleased with the school, and my daughter is happy there. As for the area, I have lived in five sections of Chicago since moving here 20 years ago, and Roscoe Village / West Lakeview is by far the best. Good luck.

Hi L.,

I don't have experience with Jahn, but I did spend the last year house hunting so I can relate.

A good school/district is so important. We eliminated a lot of the houses on our list just by that alone. If you come across a property that sparks your interest you might want to check what boundary it falls in first.

Log onto the website http://www.cps.k12.il.us/Schools/ and click on the yellow puzzle piece marked 'schools'. Next, click on school locator on the left-hand side. Agree to terms, etc. then enter your home address. This will tell you in what school you belong.

I hope this helps, and don't forget to check out the school's data on http://www.greatschools.net for additional information. Keep in mind that some parent's have bad experiences with some of them and leave poor reviews.

Take Care

That is my school district and as a CPS teacher myself, I would have to say that I feel the same way looking at the website and asking around. The test scores at that school are LOW. We will not be sending our daughter or sons there. It is unfortunate, as it is pretty much around our corner. There are other public schools in the area that have been revitalized/improved by the parents/community quite successfully. (Audobon is great and Burley Magnet School- check the neighborhood boundaries for those, which would be close, but not the same as Jahn's...without being in the "neighborhood", it has become VERY difficult to get kids in to those schools) I think the parents at Jahn are trying to do the same thing as these other schools, but have not gotten "there" yet. Hope this doesn't frustrate you too much away from the house you are considering, but wanted to tell you my experience.

L.- I am in the neighborhood as well and have a daughter who will attend next year pre-k. I have been to the school many times and am super-impressed with their programs and the accessibility of the Principal and the A.P who really want it to become a neighborhood school. A neighborhood parents group is starting and the school is gaining alot of momentum. i have a friend who has a pre-k and kindergarten student who loves it. If you haven't been to an Open House, it's a must. On dec 2nd there are tours at 10am and 5pm with free childcare at both if you have to bring along the kids.

L.,

You may have already seen this while googling Jahn, but check out greatschools.com for parent/student reviews and for the rating of the school based on the state tests. You can also compare it to the other neighborhood schools that may be an option such as Burley which is nearby and I think a magnet cluster school that may have a proximity lottery. Good luck to you in your search for a new home!