What Waters Elementary School does

Waters Elementary School (legal name: Thomas J. Waters Elementary School) is a neighborhood public school operating within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district at 4540 N. Campbell Ave., Chicago, Illinois. It serves students from Pre-K through eighth grade under principal Peter Rutkowski, with guaranteed admission for families residing within its attendance boundary and lottery-based admission for out-of-area applicants through the GoCPS system. The school's educational program combines standard core curriculum (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) with a distinctive set of "specials" — Drama, Music, Physical Education/Health, Visual Art, and an NGSS-aligned Environmental Science & Technology class anchored by an on-site school garden. Supporting services include social-emotional learning and counseling, English Language Learner support through a Bilingual Advisory Committee, and fee-based before- and after-school care operated in partnership with Right at School.

The school's underlying technology stack is standard K-12 digital learning infrastructure rather than proprietary product: Google Classroom and a 1:1 Chromebook program for instruction, vendor-provided online textbooks (StoryTown for K-5 ELA, Trailblazers for grades 1-5 math, Connected Math for grades 6-8, FOSS science modules), Khan Academy for supplemental practice, and the CPS-wide Aspen parent portal for fee payment, grades, attendance, and family transactions. The school website and an Instagram account (@waterswildcats) handle top-of-funnel community engagement, while a weekly principal's newsletter ("This Week at Waters") and monthly Local School Council meetings sustain mid-funnel communication.

Waters' business model is that of a publicly funded institution, not a commercial enterprise. Core operating revenue comes from CPS per-pupil allocations, supplemented by limited fee-based revenue: a flat $100 per month per child for before-school care (billed monthly through Aspen, non-prorated) and minor student fees also processed through Aspen. No tuition is charged to neighborhood students. The Friends of Waters parent-run organization and in-kind donations from seed companies (Baker Creek, Burpee, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Territorial Seed) and conservation partners (Lincoln Park Zoo, Openlands) provide programmatic enrichment funding that supplements — but does not replace — district funding. Governance is exercised through the Local School Council under CPS policy, with the Chicago Board of Education and municipal government as ultimate authorities.

Name

Waters Elementary School

Legal name

Thomas J. Waters Elementary School

Website

https://waterselementary.org

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Waters Elementary School is a Chicago Public Schools neighborhood K-8 school serving Pre-K through eighth grade students with a curriculum emphasizing cultural, artistic, and ecological connectedness, including an NGSS-aligned environmental science program and on-site school garden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Public Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Head Start & Public Pre-K Programs (EDACABAK), Community Service & Service-Learning Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAI)

Keywords

• K-8 public education
• Neighborhood elementary school
• Arts integration curriculum
• Environmental science program
• Before and after school care

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Waters Elementary is a tuition-free neighborhood public school within Chicago Public Schools serving Pre-K through 8th grade. Its core offering combines standard CPS core academics (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) with a distinctive specials program covering Drama, Music, Visual Art, PE, and an Environmental Science & Technology class tied to an on-site school garden. It also delivers full-day Pre-K, fee-based before-school care ($100/month) and after-school care through Right at School, ELL support, social-emotional learning services, and extracurriculars such as sports, chess, rock band, and academic teams.

Product overview

Waters Elementary School is a neighborhood public school serving Pre-K through Eighth Grade students, specializing in fine and performing arts, ecology, and technology. The school provides a comprehensive educational program including core curriculum (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies), specials (Drama, Music, Phys Ed/Health, Visual Art, Environmental Science & Technology), before and after school care programs, extracurricular activities (sports teams, rock band, chess team, recycling captains, yearbook club, leadership ambassadors), and a school garden program. The school operates within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system and uses various educational technology platforms including Google Classroom, Khan Academy, and Aspen parent portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Day PreK Program (4-year-olds) CPS full-day preschool program for 4-year-old children, applied to through the Chicago Early Learning website with assistance available from Family Resource Centers.
• K-8 Core Academic Program Tuition-free K-8 neighborhood public school instruction in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, using StoryTown, Trailblazers Math, Connected Math (6-8), FOSS science modules, and Khan Academy, delivered via Google Classroom and 1:1 Chromebooks.
• Specials Program (Drama, Music, Visual Art, PE, Environmental Science & Technology) Distinctive K-8 specials program covering Drama, Music, Phys Ed/Health, Visual Art, and an Environmental Science & Technology class aligned to NGSS and tied to the school garden.
• School Garden and Environmental Science Program Hands-on garden-based environmental science program with composting, recycling, pollinator monitoring (Lincoln Park Zoo partnership), and tree-campus mapping (Openlands collaboration) using heirloom seeds from Baker Creek, Territorial Seed, Burpee, and Johnny's Selected Seeds.
• Before-School Care Program Fee-based before-school care at a flat rate of $100 per child per month, billed on the first of each month and not prorated regardless of attendance, supporting working families needing supervision prior to the school day.
• After-School Care (Right at School) Fee-based after-school care delivered on-site by Right at School, providing supervised programming for Waters students after regular school hours.
• Social-Emotional Learning and Counseling Services Counseling, social work, case management, and SEL support for students, including diverse learners and students needing behavioral intervention.
• English Language Learner (ELL) Program Bilingual education and ELL support with bilingual staff and Spanish-language services coordinated through the Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC).
• Extracurricular Programs (Sports, Academic Teams, Clubs) Student extracurriculars including Northside Basketball League teams, Girls on the Run, chess team, rock band, yearbook club, leadership ambassadors, recycling captains, and academic teams.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of WaterscoreOthersParent-run organization created to raise money to supplement CPS funding for Thomas J. Waters Elementary School. Works collaboratively with administration and faculty to enrich educational experience and foster supportive school community.
• Lincoln Park ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 2025 Pollinator Reports program where students participate in pollinator monitoring and documentation as part of environmental science curriculum.
• Baker Creek Heirloom SeedsminorOthersSeed company that has contributed to Waters' school garden program, helping support environmental science curriculum with heirloom seed donations.
• Territorial Seed CompanyminorOthersSeed company contributing to Waters' school garden program with seed donations supporting hands-on environmental education.
• Burpee SeedsminorOthersSeed company donor supporting Waters' school garden with seed donations for student garden beds and environmental science curriculum.
• Johnny's Selected SeedsminorOthersSeed company contributor to Waters' school garden program supporting agricultural education and student garden beds.
• Northside Basketball League (NBL)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWaters teams participate in NBL club sports league with volunteer coaches for grades 3-6 in basketball.
• Girls on the RunminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRunning program for girls in grades 3-5 run by parent volunteers at Waters Elementary school.
• Right at SchoolcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAfter-school care provider offering fee-based programming at Waters Elementary for families needing supervised care after school hours.
• Chicago Public Schools (CPS)coreOthersParent district providing funding, curriculum guidelines, enrollment systems (GoCPS, Aspen portal), and governance through Local School Council requirements.
• OpenlandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization collaborated with Waters to create a Google Map of trees on campus as part of environmental education.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Chicago Public Schools (district): CPS is the parent district that funds, governs, and sets policy for Waters and every other CPS school. It is the upstream entity that controls curriculum mandates, enrollment systems (GoCPS, Aspen), and funding — relevant as an enabling/constraining stakeholder rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Nettelhorst Elementary School: Nettelhorst is a CPS neighborhood K-8 school on Chicago's North Side with a comparable profile: arts/inclusion emphasis, active parent council, garden and sustainability programming, and community-driven fundraising. It competes with Waters for similar North Side families in the GoCPS lottery.
• Coonley Elementary School: Coonley is a CPS neighborhood elementary in North Center that serves families in an adjacent catchment area to Waters. It is a directly comparable CPS neighborhood school competing for the same North Side families via neighborhood rules and GoCPS lottery.
• Burley Elementary School: Burley is a CPS neighborhood elementary school in Lakeview serving a similar North Side population. Comparable grade band, neighborhood catchment model, parent organization structure, and programming mix make it a directly competing attendance-area and lottery alternative to Waters.
• Bronson Elementary School: Bronson is a CPS neighborhood elementary school in Logan Square serving a comparable urban Chicago demographic. As a CPS public school with the same funding model and enrollment mechanics, it directly competes for similar families within CPS.
• Hawthorne Elementary School: Hawthorne is a CPS neighborhood elementary in Lakeview with overlapping attendance area and similar programming emphasis. It is a directly comparable CPS school competing for neighborhood and lottery families on the North Side.
• Bell Elementary School: Bell is a CPS neighborhood elementary school in Avondale/Logan Square serving a comparable North Side demographic. As a public CPS school with similar grade band and parent-engagement model, it competes with Waters for in-district families.

Emerging players

• KIPP Chicago: KIPP Chicago is a charter school network operating tuition-free public schools across Chicago. While it operates under a different governance structure, it competes for the same pool of Chicago families seeking strong public K-8 options and serves as an alternative to neighborhood schools like Waters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/waterswildcats/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waters-elementary-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Waters Elementary School