Nettelhorst School

Louis B. Nettelhorst Elementary School is a public K-8 school in Lake View, Chicago. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) school district.

Nettelhorst School
Address
3252 North Broadway Ave. Chicago , Illinois 60657 United States
Coordinates	41°56′30″N 87°38′41″W
Information
School type	Public K-8
Opened	1892
School district	Chicago Public Schools
Principal	Yasmeen Muhammad
Grades	K-8
Gender	Coed
Campus type	Urban
Website	nettelhorst.org

Its namesake is Louis Nettelhorst Sr., a German immigrant who once headed the Chicago Board of Education from 1888 to 1892.^[1] An 1893 Chicago Tribune article described him as "one of the most popular German-American citizens of Chicago".^[2]

History

It first opened in 1892. For many decades Nettelhorst had a good reputation. In the 1950s its reputation began to decline.^[3] Around 2000, few Lake View parents enrolled their children in Nettelhorst and the school had low test scores.^[4] Children from other Chicago elementary schools that had too many students had been sent to Nettelhorst instead.^[3]

In 2001 parent Jacqueline Edelberg met with principal Susan Kurland.^[4] Edelberg desired to enroll her children in a neighborhood elementary school instead of doing so at a private school, going into a magnet school application process, and/or moving to the suburbs. Kurland asked Edelberg what it would take for her to place her children in Nettelhorst. After Kurland accepted Edelberg's demands, Edelberg established a parental group,^[5] "Roscoe Eight", for the purpose of improving Nettelhorst; it was named after a playlot on Roscoe Street.^[3] The parental group advertised Nettelhorst, beautified the campus, and organized committees to address specific aspects of the school. Parents personally painted corridors of the school.^[5]

By 2003 CPS chose Nettelhorst to become a "community school" in an effort to lure families back to CPS, and a community enrichment class program called Jane's Place, as part of a partnership with the Jane Addams Hull House Association, opened at Nettelhorst.^[6]

By 2009 families moved to Nettelhorst's attendance zone for the express purpose of enrolling their children there, and the school's academic performance had improved significantly.^[3] Edelberg and Kurland later wrote a book about her experiences, titled How to Walk to School. The authors argued that the manner of grassroot-style fundraising and activism for Nettelhorst may be used to improve other American schools.^[7]

Student body

In 2011 the school had 632 students.^[4] In 2010 31% of the students were classified as low income. In 2001 77% of the students were low income.^[8] In 2003 it had 380 students.^[6]

Academic performance

In 2010 86% of Nettelhorst students were at or above the Illinois academic standard level. In 2001 35% were at or above that level.^[8]

Campus

The school includes a cafeteria that uses a French bistro theme along with a kitchen designed by Nate Berkus; the kitchen had a cost of $130,000.^[8]

One classroom has a 1940 mural done by Ethel Spears and commissioned by the Works Progress Administration, Horses from Literature. The Chicago Board of Education had the mural restored in 1996.^[9]

Feeder pattern

Students zoned to Nettelhorst are also zoned to Lake View High School.^[10][11]