What Chicago City Day School does

Chicago City Day School is an independent, coeducational, non-profit elementary school founded in 1981 in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood (541 W. Hawthorne Place). It serves children from junior kindergarten through grade 8 on a single 2-acre urban campus, operating as a 501(c)(3) organization accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). The school employs approximately 28 staff and is led by Head of School Chris Dow, with senior administrators Aimee Iwersen (Assistant Head of School / Director of Students) and Mrs. Clarahan (Assistant Head of School / Director of Faculty).

The school's core product is a JK-8 academic program combining core classes (math, science, social studies, language arts) with specialized programs in technology and design, the arts, world languages (Spanish and French), physical education, and library research. The curriculum is differentiated by signature programs: a public speaking curriculum starting in kindergarten, an environmental service learning program along the Chicago River, a structured science fair, and an annual coral reef research expedition in Bimini, Bahamas conducted in partnership with Shedd Aquarium. The campus includes two computer laboratories (the Haffner Library lab and the Gates Computer Lab with Mac stations and 3D printers), the Shorey Shop Makerspace, a 4,000-square-foot ice rink, an 8,000-gallon koi pond, and a certified wildlife habitat. Design-oriented technology education enables students to build electric circuitry, Rube Goldberg machines, solar-powered vehicles, and model homes.

The school operates a direct-to-consumer admissions model with prospective families submitting applications through an online portal at a $75 fee. Tuition for 2026-2027 ranges from $39,000 (junior kindergarten) to $40,800 (grade 8). Tuition covers approximately 80% of educational program costs, with Annual Fund donations, stock gifts, and Qualified Charitable Distributions covering the remainder. After-school enrichment programs (ice skating, music lessons, French baking, Lego building) and interscholastic sports (volleyball, soccer, basketball) operate as add-on offerings. The school maintains a dedicated Advancement function under Development Director Alexa Hand, an annual 5K Fun Run & Walk, and need-based financial aid to broaden access.

Name

Chicago City Day School

Legal name

Chicago City Day School

Website

https://chicagocitydayschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Chicago City Day School is a non-profit independent JK-8 elementary school in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood, serving children ages 4-14 through a tuition-based academic program with signature offerings in public speaking, environmental service learning, and coral reef research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: The school generates revenue primarily through tuition payments for students in junior kindergarten through grade 8. Tuition for 2026-2027 ranges from $39,000 to $40,800 depending on grade level. The school also relies on Annual Fund donations to bridge the gap between tuition income and actual cost of education.
2. Annual Fund Donations: Tax-deductible donations to the Annual Fund support tuition assistance, technology, faculty compensation, athletics, service learning trips, facilities, arts, and professional development. Tuition dollars cover 80% of educational programs, with Annual Fund covering the remainder.
3. Stock and QCD Donations: The school accepts stock donations and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRA accounts as alternative giving methods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chicago City Day School delivers a JK-8 independent elementary education program that combines rigorous core academics with signature offerings such as public speaking, service learning, technology and design, world languages, arts, and athletic programs. Students attend classes at the school's 2-acre urban campus in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood, with tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year ranging from $39,000 to $40,800 by grade level. Supplementary offerings include after-school programs, athletics, high school placement services, an annual coral reef research expedition to the Bahamas, and international immersion trips.

Product overview

Chicago City Day School is an independent private elementary school offering a unified JK-8 educational program. The core academic offering is the JK-8 Academic Program, which combines core classes (math, science, social studies, language arts) with specialized programs including Technology & Design, The Arts, World Languages, Physical Education, and the Haffner Library. Unique signature programs include Service Learning along the Chicago River, the Coral Reef Research Expedition in the Bahamas, Public Speaking curriculum, and Immersion Trips. The school also offers supplementary programs including After School Programs, Athletics, and High School Placement services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JK-8 Academic Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Class of 2026 admitted to first or second choice high schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Wildlife FederationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Two City Day teachers led a schoolwide effort to ensure the 2-acre campus provides food, water, cover, and places to raise young for wildlife. The campus was designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat in 2019.
• Shedd AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity Day students collaborate with Shedd Aquarium marine scientists during annual coral reef research expeditions in Bimini, Bahamas. Students spend one week aboard the Shedd research vessel working on coral reef and habitat assessment. This partnership provides unparalleled hands-on scientific research experience for elementary school students.
• Friends of the Chicago RivercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents work along the North Branch of the Chicago River each fall and spring. Eighth-graders present their research findings at the annual Friends of the Chicago River Student Congress, presenting to peers, parents, teachers, and environmental professionals.
• North Branch Restoration ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with City Day students on prairie restoration and environmental work along the Chicago River ecosystem. Students collect beneficial plant seeds and remove invasive buckthorn species.
• Reef CheckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerData collected by City Day students during coral reef expeditions is shared with Reef Check, a global organization that advocates for and protects reef communities. City Day is the only elementary school monitoring these coral reefs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School: Private JK-8 Jewish day school on Chicago's North Side serving a similar Lakeview-area family demographic. Operates a comparable rigorous elementary model with experiential programs and Jewish studies integration, competing directly with Chicago City Day for the same families seeking premium independent K-8 education in the city.
• Catherine Cook School: Independent JK-8 school in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood with similar enrollment scale, tuition band, and academic profile. Emphasizes small class sizes, public speaking, and project-based learning—directly overlapping with Chicago City Day's value proposition for the same Chicago parent demographic.
• Avery Coonley School: Independent JK-8 school in Downers Grove, Illinois, with a parallel full-day academic model, small class sizes, and emphasis on arts and experiential learning. Serves families seeking premium elementary education in the greater Chicago metropolitan area, comparable in mission and program design.
• Lake Forest Country Day School: Independent K-8 school on Chicago's affluent North Shore serving similar high-income commuter families. Operates with comparable small-class-size pedagogy, signature experiential programs, and feeder-school outcomes to elite prep schools, directly competing for North Shore families who might otherwise consider Chicago City Day.
• The Lab School: Chicago private school serving students with learning differences and a broader student body interested in progressive education. Operates a comparable small-class elementary model in the city with strong individualized instruction, drawing from a partially overlapping family demographic seeking alternative pedagogical approaches.

Broad incumbents

• Francis W. Parker School: Premier Chicago private K-12 institution with a long-established JK-8 lower school. While broader in grade range, its lower school division competes directly with Chicago City Day for the same Lincoln Park and Gold Coast families seeking premium progressive education with strong high school placement outcomes.
• Latin School of Chicago: Independent K-12 school in Chicago's Gold Coast with a JK-5 lower school division targeting the same urban professional family demographic. Strong reputation for academic rigor and high school placement, often appearing on the same family shortlist as Chicago City Day during the elementary school search process.
• University of Chicago Laboratory Schools: University-affiliated private K-12 school in Hyde Park with a strong JK-8 elementary program. Attracts academically oriented Chicago families—including University of Chicago faculty—competing with Chicago City Day for the same outcome-driven elementary segment, though with a much larger institutional footprint.
• Sacred Heart Schools: Independent Catholic K-12 school on Chicago's North Side with a JK-8 lower school division. Competes for the same high-achieving Catholic and non-Catholic Chicago families, with similar rigorous academics, public speaking emphasis, and high school placement outcomes to elite prep and selective-enrollment schools.

Regional players

• North Shore Country Day School: Independent K-9 school in Winnetka, Illinois, serving North Shore families with a progressive pedagogy, signature experiential programs, and strong feeder outcomes. Operates a comparable model to Chicago City Day but is geographically anchored on the North Shore rather than in the city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagocitydayschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-city-day-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagocitydayschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago City Day School