Photo courtesy: Bronzeville Academy Charter School
Bronzeville Academy Charter School, a South Side K-8 charter school that three years ago was suffering from low grades, according to state officials, has transformed itself into one of the city’s top charter schools.
The 2023 Illinois School Report Card recently released its rankings, identifying Bronzeville Academy Charter School (BACS) as “Commendable,” the highest ranking a school can achieve.
The school’s owner is Alvin Boutte, Jr., and he noted that the “Commendable” designation was given to only a tenth of Illinois schools.
The school is located at the former Hales Franciscan High School site at 4930 S. Cottage Grove. Boutte said enrollment has seen steady increases for the past six years and has grown in the past three years from 95 students to 320.
The school’s student body is comprised of 96 percent low-income students. It provides free uniforms, a full complement of athletic activities and free lunches. Exactly 99 percent of the students qualify for a free or reduced-rate lunch.
Boutte added that the school’s students come from three zip codes, 60653, 60615 and 60637, all in close proximity to BACS.
He also noted that of the 16 K-12 schools in those zip codes only seven achieved the “Commendable” rank. The rankings range from a low of intensive, with the next level as targeted, followed by comprehensive.
This is the third year that BACS has been designated as “Commendable.” Boutte attributes this to teachers receiving professional development training, parental involvement and an expansive curriculum.
According to State records, the highly ranked Bronzeville Charter Academy School, which has put scores of low-income students on the path to success over the last six years, is being threatened with takeover by a private school, possibly with funding from the State of Illinois.
Boutte said that of the current 320 students, nine eighth-graders have been accepted into CPS selective enrollment schools.
