School of Social Justice HS: Best High School in Chicago (2026 List)

About School of Social Justice HS

School of Social Justice High School is a public school in Chicago, Illinois. It is a dedicated school on the Little Village Lawndale High School campus and serves grades 9-12. It is one of the top schools in the Chicago Public Schools system with an enrollment of about 315 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 14:1. The school is known as a leading school for its social justice curriculum that incorporates civic engagement and advocacy into its core academic subjects. Students have the option to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and 22% of students take AP classes. The student body is culturally rich, with a total minority enrollment of 99%. Academics School of Social Justice High School has a 3% proficiency in Reading . School of Social Justice High School students take the SAT to prepare for college. The school has a good deal of money to spend on its economically disadvantaged students, roughly $18,500 per student. In the end, the school is acknowledged as one of the best schools to nurture academic resilience and offer a professional community-oriented environment that allows students to steer social change, and it is one of the best high schools in Illinois.

Academic Performance

Subject Proficiency

Mathematics 0%

Reading 3%

State average proficiency is 0% in Math and 3% in Reading.

28

Full-time Teachers

11 : 1

Student-Teacher Ratio

1

Teachers In First Or Second Year (yrs)

312

Total Students

$66456

Avg. Teacher Salary

Student Demographics

White 0.64%

Asian 0.32%

Hispanic 80.13%

Black 18.91%

Two+ Races 0%

Native Am. 0%

White

0.64%

Asian

0.32%

Hispanic

80.13%

Black

18.91%

Two+ Races

0%

Native Am.

0%

Gender Distribution

Total Students: 312

52.24%

163 Female

47.76%

149 Male

Student Population

312 Students

With a student-teacher ratio of 11 : 1

Minority Enrollment

25%

Percentage of minority students

Students per Counselor

156 : 1

Student to counselor ratio

School of Social Justice HS Contact Information

Address

3120 S Kostner Ave, Chicago, IL, 60623

View on Map

Phone

(773) 535-4300

Call Now

Website

http://www.cps.edu

Recent News & Updates

New Playground Name

We are so excited to announce the name of our new playground! Following a school-wide and Robinson community vote we narrowed a large list of names down to four. Since our students will be using the playground on a daily basis, we gave them the final vote! 476.....

School Timings

Regular School Hours

All Grades: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Early Dismissal Days

Dismissal Time: 12:15 PM

Note: Doors open at 8:15 AM for student arrival. Please refer to the school calendar for specific early dismissal dates.

After School Activities

Information coming soon

School Session Dates

September to June

School session starts in September 1st week and ends in June 3rd week. For exact dates, please contact the school.

Remarkable Alumni

Being Updated

Map

Latest News

Social Justice High School, or SOJO, continues its founding legacy of a college-bound curriculum that critically analyzes real world issues through the lenses of race, gender, culture and economic equity. At Principal Tinaya York’s Little Village campus, students engage with social justice through annual capstone projects, ranging from freshman identity portfolios to senior “fire projects” addressing community needs. The school offers opportunities in the arts, athletics and leadership that connect academics to activism, as well as Advanced Placement classes, SAT preparation and postsecondary counseling.

FAQ

Q1. Are there advanced classes available?

Ans. Honors and AP classes at School of Social Justice HS push students to think critically and do their best work.

Q2. Do students get help with standardized tests?

Ans. Yes. The school has resources to help students get ready for the SAT and ACT tests.

Q3. Are students able to look into more than one career path?

Ans. Yes, School of Social Justice HS has a lot of different programs that help students find out what they're good at and what they like.

Q4. Does School of Social Justice HS support professional growth?

Ans. Yes, students learn how to communicate, work as a team, and solve problems, which are all important skills for any job.

Q5. What does School of Social Justice HS do to help students get ready for life after graduation?

Ans. College planning, mentoring, and skill-building programs help students move on to higher education, vocational paths, or jobs.

Games & Extracurricular Activities

Sports

Soccer Club Grades 1-3 | Mon/Wed 3:30-4:30pm
Basketball Grades 2-4 | Tue/Thu 3:30-4:45pm
Track & Field Grades 3-5 | Fri 3:30-5:00pm

Arts

Art Club Grades K-2 | Mon 3:00-4:00pm
Drama Club Grades 3-5 | Wed 3:30-5:00pm
Choir Grades 2-5 | Thu 3:15-4:15pm

Clubs

Chess Club Grades 2-5 | Fri 3:15-4:15pm
Garden Club All Grades | Tue 3:15-4:00pm
Robotics Club Grades 3-5 | Thu 3:30-5:00pm

Note: Schedules may change during school holidays. Please contact School for exact Schedule.

Summer Suggested Reading

Horn Book Selections

Vocabulary.com +3 Horn Book +3 What to Read to Your Kids +3

ML

Maggie Lou, Firefox

by Arnolda Dufour Bowes

PS

The Puppets of Spelhorst

by Kate DiCamillo

MLV

The Mona Lisa Vanishes

by Nicholas Day

Vocabulary.com Top Picks

Penguin Random House +10 Vocabulary.com +10 Wikipedia +10

F

Frindle

by Andrew Clements

WR

The Wild Robot

by Peter Brown

JGP

James and the Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Penguin Random House Features

Horn Book +2 Penguin Random House +2 The Guardian +2

SLB

The Secret Language of Birds

by Lynne Kelly

S

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

by Beth Lincoln

Free Robotics and Stem In-person Workshop in Your Neighbourhood for 7-14 Years Tech Enthusiasts.

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What Parents Say