St Luke Academy

1500 West Belmont Avenue

Chicago, IL 60657

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 08, 2022

The dedicated teaching staff inspires the students to thrive! This is a small school that focuses on each child and tailors lessons to their individual needs. The principal has advanced degrees in teaching reading and it shows - she helps with the younger grades to give in-depth readings lessons. My first grader is reading like a third grader, but more importantly she loves to read.Kindergarten has a wonderful and experienced teacher as well. She loves teaching, is wonderful at it, and it shows! The preschool staff is also loving and fun.Little ones love going every day. Parents love the variety of choices the pre-school offers from full- day to various part-time options.The upper grades are led by a very experienced teacher who engages the children, pushes them to try their hardest and encourages them to develop as scholars.The school will retain its exceptional low teacher:student ratio but is also looking to grow. They provided both a safe and caring environment during and before the pandemic. I can’t recommend this school enough. They are also very accommodative to dial-working families with before and after care on sight available. The school also has elective classes and clubs, including piano, chess and STEM.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2022

My children have gone here for several years and are exceeding all of my high expectations. The curriculum is advanced and the low teacher-student ratio allows for tailored learning plans. The administration is supportive, knowledgeable, and caring, especially over the pandemic. This is a great school with a great community.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2022

We have two children at this school. They are thriving! There is an emphasis on academic success and on good citizenship. The children develop close and incredibly strong friendships based on kindness and inclusivity. The teachers are able to teach to each child’s level, even within a classroom, and can push those that want to be challenged to be challenged, while also giving children who need more time, more time. The teachers are excellent. We are so thankful for this school.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2021

Pros: small classes, dedicated teachers, religious education, great flexibility, lovely family and community, uniforms, after school extended care program Cons: after 1st grade the enrollment dramatically drops off My kindergartner is reading and my first grader is doing third grade math! Amazing 1:1 teaching and learning style. Amazing parents, teachers, and kids alike. We love it and are grateful.
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2021

My son has been attending St. Luke's throughout preschool and is currently in 1st grade. We have had such a positive experience at St. Luke's. Donna and her staff our great and my son is testing at a high level. St. Luke's is the best kept secret when it comes to a private education for your kids.
Submitted by teacher on February 20, 2019

As a former teacher at Saint Luke Academy, I can only speak in superlatives. There is a real sense of community between school, home and church. Learning is paramount, but emphasis is placed on the the whole child.
Submitted by other on September 23, 2018

Terrible. Principal is awful. Never has time for anybody. Doesn't know what she's doing.
Submitted by teacher on May 30, 2017

I am a former teacher at Saint Luke. It was a wonderful school with a lot of emphasis placed on community and family. Teachers are expected to not only teach core subjects, but also core values through faith, hope, love, and justice. Students learn to respect themselves and one another. Small class sizes make it possible for students to get the attention they need. The administration and staff are caring and very hard working, especially the principal. You will never find a school principal who cares more for the students, teachers, and families she serves.
Submitted by other on May 26, 2017

I have 3 children currently attending St. Luke Academy. They really enjoy the school and seem to be thriving well, which is great. The staff is very friendly and teachers are wonderful. When my oldest child told me he was being bullied by girls in his class, I immediately addressed it with his teacher and the principal, Donna Beck. Donna assured me the issue would be addressed. The other day, my son came home and told me that a girl in his class was actually being nice to him. And it was such a relief to hear. I followed up everyday with my son to make sure the issue was being addressed appropriately. And I am pleased that Donna followed through on this. As a parent, we don't want our child(ren) to become a statistic. I try very hard to teach my kids kindness, empathy and compassion. I am glad these qualities are being taught at St. Luke as well.
Submitted by other on May 02, 2017

My daughter goes to preschool here and we could not love this school more. I am absolutely amazed with all they do and learn in this class. The education is top notch, the arts and crafts they do are impressive, and most importantly my daughter loves it. Not only is she learning beyond our expectations, but they focus on character building which is wonderful. I could not recommend St. Luke more!
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2017

Our 3 year old daughter is in the preschool program and absolutely loves it. All of the staff greet both myself, my daughter, and my son in a pleasant accommodating manner each morning during drop off. Everyone seems to go the extra mile to make our daughter enjoy and get the most out of school. They are also very flexible with enrollment to accommodate my scheduling needs (1/2 day vs full day, aftercare, etc.) She's learning a lot and its great to see pictures and comments each day posted on Homeroom (app). They also do a nice job with events (Xmas play, grandparent day, etc.). The principal, Mrs Beck, is also the head teacher for preschool and is always helpful with ideas to continue her education / development at home.Highly recommend the preschool program.
Submitted by other on August 30, 2015

Saint Luke Academy is where you send your children if you want to know that they are going to be loved, safe, and given a high quality education. I began my teaching career there, and enjoyed it immensely. From what I've seen in the past few years, it has made great advancements in academics and environment alike- lots of construction and added technology going on! Students at Saint Luke are part of a tight-knit family and learn values that they'll carry with them for life. I'd recommend this school to all parents, students and teachers. Go Knights!
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2015

Saint Luke Academy is a wonderful school. This past Labor Day my son was rushed to Luries Childrens hospital in Chicago where he battled for his life. We, as a family, had to pick up and move into the hopital which was a challenge since we lived in Arlington Heights and our 5 year old daughter was attending school there. Saint Lukes welcomed us with open arms and took a huge weight off of our shoulders while her father and I took care of our son. They covered her tuition as well as provided a uniform and hot lunch. They never asked for a penny of it back and that alone showed me the compassion of the staff and school. She entered the school writing her name backwards, not being able to recognize her numbers in order and not being able to even sound out letters. When she graduated kindergarten, she could not only reconize all her letters and numbers but she was sounding out words, reading books, and the math was certainly on a level I did not expect until first or second grade! The communication between her teacher and us parents was fantastic! We loved reading the blog (which all the teachers do) when we weren't able to see her when she got home. We are forever thankful for Saint Lukes. They have set the tone in our daughters life and since we have moved back home, her new school definitely has some high standards to meet thanks to Saint Luke's setting the bar high for our daughters education
Submitted by parent on August 06, 2015

My biggest concern about Saint Luke is the high turnover rate of teachers. I have noticed that there are new teachers every single year. This leads me to question what the administration is doing behind closed doors. Also, a recent appointment of a VP position to a 5th/6th grade teacher has me questioning whether some of these teachers are fully qualified for their positions. I think this school needs a lot of work for it to be successful. Unfortunately, I think this change begins with the administration and from the looks of it they are not supporters of changing their ways. Many of the employees of this school graduated from this St luke therefore they have not witnessed what a successful school looks like/operates. Unless you're planning on donating a lot of money here then don't expect to get a hello or a smile from the principal or administration. With this being said, my child will be attending another school this year.
Submitted by parent on August 04, 2015

This school is amazing and kept a secret in the Lakeview area. The teachers are so caring and engaged with the children one on one unlike a CPS school where there are too many kids in one class. My kids have been at this school for the past 4 years and their development has been exceptional. Saint Luke has one of the best preschool program in the city. I would absolutely recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on July 24, 2015

My child attended PreSchool at Saint Luke Academy, and was required to participate in activities that were too much for a young child. For example, my child performed in the all school play where the student body had to be there late into the evening and then show up to school the next day. This was too much for my child and I wondered how much academic work was being done at this time not only for my child but the other grades as well. The PreSchool program overall was FANTASTIC. All the teachers were wonderful and cared for each and every child. I was disappointed to hear that many of the PreSchool teachers would not be returning for the following school year. This information is what determined my choice to withdrawal my child from the school. This school has so much potential to be great. However, due to poor administration, the emphasis is put on fundraising rather than providing an excellent curriculum for the students.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2015

My child had attended Saint Luke for many years and I noticed that there was a high turnover rate for teachers, a new staff every year. I always wondered why. As an involved parent volunteer I was able to see first hand as to why this year. Staff here is profoundly mistreated. Teachers are forced to attend mandatory church services and school overnights all unpaid. It seemed the teachers were working every single weekend. As well as on multiple occasions I witnessed administration verbally mistreating staff first hand. As well as not even offering staff a break for lunch. This treatment also trickles down to parents. I was highly involved in the classroom and volunteering yet administration never said hi to me nor could even remember my first name. However parents that donated a lot of money to the school were treated as royalty. I guess volunteering your free time doesn't mean as much as a hefty check. After witnessing this all I have decided to not return to Saint Luke next year. I want my child to learn Christian values and citizenship. This school is a do as I say not as I do. While the curriculum is heavy in theology, the way staff and parents are treated completely negates the love and compassion of Christ. I feel this is not setting a good example for my child as what it means to be Christ like. Besides the lack of positive morals, the school is highly unorganized and students are treated as performers. Often asked to sing at multiple events on the weekend and some on week nights. It seems as the years have gone on the school has gotten progressively worse. I would not recommend parents to send their children there nor teachers to work there.
Submitted by parent on June 15, 2015

The teachers are fantastic but, administration is terrible. Administration is careless, forgetful, uncooperative, and at times down right rude. We are going elsewhere for next year.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2015

After living in the Lakeview/Roscoe area for most of my life, and attending private school in a similar setting as St. Luke, I assumed that not only the caliber of education, but the integrity of the staff would be synonymous to my previous school and my community. I was unfortunately mistaken. After enrolling my child, I witnessed senior staff members commenting inappropriately on two separate occasions about the financial aspects of the school, actually taking student payments from parents and alluding that they would use them for private usage in a astoundingly derogatory manner. Even if this was in jest, I immediately pulled my child from the school. Although my child adored their teacher and I felt they had sound schooling, I couldn't rightfully put them in an institution that's value base was so skewed as to arbitrarily be comedic about something so dire. Private schooling should stand above all for integrity and the greater good. If administration would go so far as to do this, who is to say that they are ethically operating behind the scene as a sound institution? Would you expose your child to this as a Christian? Of course not. I have chosen to keep myself anonymous in this post, but I encourage anyone that reads this to pay close attention to the administration of this institution before you pay for your child to attend this school. Their motives, from my standpoint, are obviously impure and unethical, and it is not a healthy or appropriate environment for your child.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2014

St. Luke is an unknown gem in the Lakeview/Roscoe Village neighborhood! It's excellent for preschool and is one of the few programs that will allow 3 year olds to attend school for 5 day (M-F) for either half or full day (8:30 to 3:30 pm) with sibling discounts if you have multiple children. The staff is warm, friendly and knowledgeable. We receive daily email updates from our teacher as well as blog posts and pictures. I feel well informed on what's happening in the classroom. They offer a balanced curriculum and it's a small community so you know the teachers and the parents. It's a great program! Highly recommend for preschool.