Henry Clay Elementary School
CPS choice · PK,K-8
At a glance
25% of students with IEPs spend most of the school day in general classrooms - below what's typical for CPS elementary schools (ISBE Report Card 2025).
- Cultural fit
- Family involvement was rated ‘Weak’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
- Academic performance
- Adjusted for low-income share, results sit in the middle 50% of CPS schools with published IAR results (adjusted view, disclosed method - ISBE Report Card 2025). 23% of students met or exceeded standards on the 2025 IAR - in the middle 50% of CPS elementary schools with published results (ISBE Report Card 2025).
- Academic fit
- On the 5Essentials survey, school leadership was rated ‘Weak’ and teacher collaboration was rated ‘Weak’ (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade. How the adjusted view works
Basics
CPS-published · verified Nov 2024
- Address
- 13231 S BURLEY AVE
- Neighborhood
- Hegewisch
- Phone
- (773)535-5600
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- http://clay.cps.edu
- Before and after care
- Unknown - SchoolNav found no before or after care listed for this school. Ask on a tour.
- Arts and creative
- Unknown - the sources could not be checked. Ask on a tour.
- Sports
16” Softball
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
- Involved families
- Weak
- Supportive environment
- Weak
- Ambitious instruction
- Neutral
- Effective leaders
- Weak
- Collaborative teachers
- Weak
- Safety (student-reported)
- Very Weak
- Overall organization
- Not Yet Organized
UChicago 5Essentials levels from the spring 2024 survey (CPS Progress Reports SY2425, verified 2026-09-25) - benchmarked categories relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages. A school can answer mostly positively and still rate below the benchmark typical.
5Essentials - the latest survey in detail
Innovation, Collective Responsibility, and Reflective Dialogue 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
47 ▼ below the CPS average (56)- Academic Press· students-reported41 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- English Instruction· students-reported48 ▼ below the CPS average (59)
- Math Instruction· students-reported43 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported54 ▬ about the CPS average (53)
Supportive Environment
40 ▼ below the CPS average (51)- Academic Personalism· students-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
- Peer Support for Academic Work· students-reported47 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Safety· students-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (50)
Collaborative Teachers
41 ▼ below the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported27 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported55 ▬ about the CPS average (56)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported46 ▬ about the CPS average (48)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported37 ▼ below the CPS average (51)
Effective Leaders
46 ▼ below the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported52 ▬ about the CPS average (55)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported44 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported41 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported47 ▬ about the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
45 ▼ below the CPS average (53)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported53 ▼ below the CPS average (57)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported36 ▼ below the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported45 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported59 ▬ about the CPS average (57)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported30 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported38 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- Course Clarity· students-reported42 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported51 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported37 ▼ below the CPS average (47)
- Innovation· teachers-reported30 ▼ below the CPS average (52)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported50 ▼ below the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported34 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported33 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported40 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
- School Connectedness· students-reported44 ▼ below the CPS average (53)
- School Safety· students-reported33 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported28 ▼ below the CPS average (47)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported39 ▼ below the CPS average (54)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported44 ▬ about the CPS average (47)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported35 ▼ 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: limited availability, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Open Enrollment (general program, seats by lottery) Open enrollment | 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
CPS has not posted any upcoming meetings for this council yet.
CPS lists the date and time. Ask the school office where the meeting will be held.
Members for 2026 to 2028
- Jennifer L Laurincik · Principal
- Debora Carabez · Parent
- Martha fabian Verduzco · Parent
- Anier Juarez · Parent
- Denise Palafox · Parent
- Elza Carabez · Parent
- Garcia Margarita · Parent
- Maria Reynoso de Cortez · Community member
- Bertha Alicia Diego · Community member
- Suzanne Stepek · Teacher
- Aldo Flores · Teacher
- Marta Juarez · School staff (non-teaching)
- Fatima Marquez · 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.
