St. James Lutheran School

Only two questions need to be asked: 1. Tell me about the Board of Education... how is the school governed? 2. How many families choose to move their students each spring? That will tell you all you need to know. There is a small hard-core group that offers unquestioning support there, but many many people come and go dissatisfied.
—Submitted by a parent

St. James is a sweet little school but there is no consistency year to year in the curriculum. They have trouble retaining students which means the budget isn't stable so so years you may have a language program and an art teacher when other years these programs seem to disappear. My child gets a loving environment every year (which we highly value) but that is the only constant they seem to offer.
—Submitted by a parent

My Family and I have had a wonderful and positive experience with St. James. We have always received the love and care of a true family from the community. I'm thankful to have been and continue to be a part of this Christian family.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had nothing but great experiences with St. James. With the welcoming community of parents, teachers, and staff it has made our time with them the best we could ask for. The teachers are very caring and they still offer challenging work for the students. The class sizes are small. They offer gym everyday, music, world languages. The extracurricular activities are fun for the kids and all of the events are fun for the kids and the adults. I'm so glad we found St. James.
—Submitted by a parent

My family and I have had a great experience at St. James. The community of people are wonderful. We feel the academics have been wonderful for our childlen. They are taught well, loved and respected, which in turns teaches, them the to treat others the same. We enjoy the smaller class size, the teachers, and the assistance which is provdied to us and our kids.
—Submitted by a parent

St James puts forth an environment of love, respect, learning, and safety. Each and every teacher, aide, administrator, and employee shows the love of God in everything they do, every day. Whether it is special attention to the student who seeks a challenge, or to the student with which the lesson hasn't quite "clicked", these top-shelf educators give us confident, trustworthy, loving children who will become leaders in the real world. St James is truly an oasis in the city!
—Submitted by a parent

Parochial schools cannot offer the same salaries as CPS, and yet St. James still manages to recruit top-notch teachers. To me this says that the teachers are here for the right reasons: to educate and to nurture the whole child. My daughter is entering first grade this fall. Her preschool years and kindergarten experiences were amazing. She is growing academically and because of the small class sizes, her self-confidence is also strong. She loves going to school every day and cannot wait for the new year to begin.
—Submitted by a parent

Middle school years can be frightening for both students AND parents! The experienced middle school teachers at St. James are patient and encouraging as we make our way through the pre-teen years! They challenge the students academically, but they also know their students so well that they support without coddling.
—Submitted by a parent

Horrible school. The year after we left, the class my son was in went from over 20 kids to 6. So draw your own conclusions on why there was such a mass exodus. I've since heard the previous principal was demoted and maybe there is some hope for the school but with the continual leadership by a megalomaniac disguised as a pastor, I highly doubt it.

I have had two children at this school since 2004. It is an incredible place of learning and community. My oldest is currently in the middle school and I could not be more impressed with the education. They just finished reading The Odyssey! Enrollment is purposefully kept small to facilitate a personalized learning experience. The preschool is sweet, the elementary is wonderful and I'm blown away by the middle school. I can't imagine a better learning environment for my children.
—Submitted by a parent

St. James offers an intimate, nurturing environment for children to thrive in. My kids have had many excellent, dedicated teachers at St. James. Here, my kids are not just a number, but are tended to individually. This has been a boon to their learning and self-confidence. This school is a hidden treasure in our city.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two kids currently at St. James and I cannot be happier. The school feels like a family. The kids' needs are first and formost...The principal is the most amazing principal I have ever met...was just telling my kids that I have never seen him upset and they concured. The small class size and christian teaching is a big plus. My 4th grader has 10 kids in her class. The staff are just great...I recommend this school to anyone looking for great safe environment for their children. I am sad we will be leaving the school...moving out of state due to new job.
—Submitted by a parent

I disagree. My child has been attending St james for about 3 years and my husband and I felt the tension of racially and socioeconomically being pulled since the moment we started. I do mean the students or staff but the parents. They have gone out of their way to treat us as if we do not exist. Apart from that my child is receiving a great education that's why we stay.
—Submitted by a parent

I currently have one child at this school. She is now in her 3rd year. St james is a good school...principal and staff are friendly and cooperative on any issues. Qualifications of staff seem to be there and academicially it also seems very good. Lincoln Park private schools can be somewhat pretentious and I do not get this vibe at all at St James.
—Submitted by a parent

I have 4 children currently enrolled at St. James. After touring many other schools, most with more impressive technology, I was overwhelmed by the genuine love and care St. James has for their students. This is our second year here, and I love the fact that the school feels like family. The education is impeccable , and my children are happy.
—Submitted by kim hayden, a parent

Our two children attended PK through 8. Emphasis on reading, writing and math enabled them to thrive at top-notch selective enrollment high school. Warm, community atmosphere set by principal hard to duplicate. Christian teachings a big plus for us. Excellent early childhood program is well-known -- middle/Jr high often underrated. EVERY child has opportunity to participate in EVERY sport -- ours played them all & loved it. New gym and several classrooms. Enrollment now (2005) closer to 200.
—Submitted by a parent

2003-2004 school year is my daughter first school year. She is really enjoying her self. The students are friendly everone knows each other. The ciriculum is awesome. Most importantly the staff cares about the success of the child.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have been attending since 1992. I have had 2 sons that graduated from St. James and are attending St. Patrick High School and doing exceptionally well. The small class size is so important to me. The classes are dual grades and the children benefit from the class size. This year St. James opened a new addition which included a new gym that the kids (and parents) love.
—Submitted by Sally Arevalo, a parent