Elementary schools our clients can't stop raving about
Ten elementary schools near Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park and Bucktown, with what parents say about each one, how each school works, how to get in, the deadlines that matter, which blocks feed into each neighborhood school, and what homes have sold for nearby.
Deadlines you can't miss
- Sep 9, 2026GoCPS application openedFor the 2027–28 school year
- Oct 14, 2026CPS acceleration application opensSingle-subject and whole-grade acceleration; closes Dec 11, 2026
- Nov 13, 2026GoCPS application closes, 5:00 PMMagnet, lottery and gifted programs at Pritzker, Drummond, LaSalle II, Burr, Talcott, Mitchell and Pulaski
- Nov 30, 2026St. Helen early admissions deadlineRegular deadline Jan 31, 2027, then rolling admissions
- Dec 18, 2026Near North Montessori application deadlineSupplemental forms due Jan 11, 2027
- Feb 26, 2027Near North Montessori decisions
- Mar 12, 2027GoCPS elementary offers released
Three ways into a school
Live in the boundary
If your home is inside a neighborhood school's boundary, your child has a guaranteed seat in kindergarten through 8th grade in the school's general program. You enroll directly with the school, no GoCPS application. Pre-K is not guaranteed and often has a waitlist; apply through Chicago Early Learning.
Apply through GoCPS
Magnet schools and special programs, like dual language, gifted and IB, fill seats by lottery or testing, even for some families who live in the boundary. Siblings and families who live nearby often get priority.
Apply to a private school
Each school runs its own tours, applications and deadlines, usually from fall through winter.
Thinking about a move for school?
The right school and the right house are usually one decision. We're happy to talk through your timing, what homes cost near each school, and how to plan a move around the school calendar.
ikgrouprealestate.com · [email protected]
Boundary maps use the City of Chicago's official CPS elementary attendance boundaries for 2025–26, the most recent the city has published. Neighborhood high schools are based on the 2025–26 high school boundaries.
Home prices are median sale prices of single-family homes and of condos and townhomes that closed between October 6, 2025 and October 6, 2026 in MLS areas 8022 and 8024, matched to the 2025–26 boundaries. "Most" shows the middle half of sales. Based on information from MRED LLC for the period October 6, 2025 through October 6, 2026. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Student-teacher ratios for CPS schools are from federal NCES data for 2024–25. Ratios for private schools come from each school or from NCES private school data.
School details come from CPS school profiles, GoCPS, the City of Chicago Data Portal and each school's own website, as of October 2026. Enrollment, hours, programs and tuition change from year to year, so confirm details with each school before you apply.
"What parents say" summarizes reviews written by parents of each school. These are the parents' own opinions, not IKGroup's. This guide is not a ranking or recommendation of any school. We encourage you to visit schools and review official data from CPS and each school to decide what's right for your family.
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