Chicago City Day School

Chicago City Day School, founded in 1981, is an independent, coeducational day school on Chicago's North Side. It serves students from junior kindergarten through eighth grade, with enrollment between 101 and 200. At that size, teachers know every student by name — not as a goal, but as a daily fact.

That scale shapes what teaching looks like. The school's mission names five development areas: intellectual, social, physical, emotional, and aesthetic. Faculty address all five rather than handing them off to specialists. Teachers also draw on Chicago itself as a resource, connecting classroom work to the city around them.

Both French and Spanish language programs run through the grades, creating steady openings for language faculty alongside elementary classroom positions. In a school this small, one strong curriculum unit reaches every student. Individual teachers carry more sway over course design and culture than they would in a larger institution.

The school's finances support stable faculty hiring. With roughly $7.7 million in annual revenue and net assets near $33 million as of 2023, Chicago City Day School avoids the budget swings common at similarly sized independents. Fundraising has grown steadily — a signal that investment in staff compensation and benefits is ongoing. Day school faculty return home each evening, a lifestyle factor worth weighing alongside salary when comparing Illinois independent school positions.

Open roles typically include elementary classroom teaching, French and Spanish instruction, and periodic administrative and support positions. Staff turnover is low, so each hire carries real weight. Candidates seeking an urban Illinois independent school role with broad daily responsibility — and the financial backing to support it — will find this school worth a close look.