Get to know Peterson Elementary

Mary Gage Peterson Elementary School is a neighborhood Pre-K to 8th grade school located in the North Park neighborhood of Chicago. The vision at Peterson is to develop college graduates, community leaders, and cultural ambassadors.

Peterson is a linguistically and ethnically diverse Chicago Public School, serving students in preschool- 8th grade in the Hollywood and North Park neighborhoods.  Our zip code is one of the most diverse in the nation!

Student Body

  • PreK to 8th Grade Neighborhood Elementary School
  • Current Enrollment: 900 Students
  • Ethnicities Represented:
    • Asian:  27.8%
    • Black:  4.8%
    • Hispanic:  37.9%
    • Multiracial:  3.5%
    • White:  26.1%
  • 43 Different Home Languages
    • English
    • Spanish
    • Arabic
    • Gujarati
    • Urdu
    • Vietnamese
  • Approximately 74.9% Low Income
  • Approximately 13.0% Diverse Learners
  • Approximately 34.3% Second Language Learners

Awards, Accolades & Accomplishments:

  • Moved from “Not Yet Organized” to “Well Organized for Success” as Measured by the 5 Essentials W/In 2 Years
  • Reading Growth at 90th Percentile School Wide
  • Every Single Grade Growing at 70th Percentile or Above
  • Math Growth at about 60th Percentile School Wide
  • Reading and Math Attainment Well Above Average (76th and 68th)
  • Attendance at 95.3% (Continues to Increase)
  • Dramatic Decrease in Suspensions w/in 2 Years (4 to 1 per 100)
  • Two Time Recipient of TCLP Grant for Arabic Teacher
  • Multi-Year Recipient of OST Grant for After-School Programs
  • One (1) of 36 Schools Certified as Exemplary SEL School
  • Music Teacher Anand Sukumaran was selected as the winner of the 2014 Golden Apple Award for superior teaching
  • 2011 Boys Long Jump City Champions
  • 2014 Boys Basketball O’Hare Network Champions & Chicago Elite Eight
  • 2015 Boys Volleyball undefeated Conference Champions
  • Winner of a State Department Grant to have an Arabic Teacher from Egypt, Samar Abdelfatah, teach Peterson students for one year (2015-16)
  • All Choirs were invited to the Museum of Science & Industry to perform at their “Christmas Around the World” stage
  • Peterson was the only CPS school to participate in a statewide robotics competition
  • 2015-16 winner of a Roberts Foundation Grant to enhance our STEM Programming
  • More than $200,000 raised by the Friends of Peterson to support Peterson Elementary

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