YCCS-ASPIRA Pantoja Alt HS

Charter School 176 Students

High School 9th - 12th

School Overview

YCCS-ASPIRA Pantoja Alternative High School, located in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago, is part of the Youth Connection Charter School (YCCS) network. It is specifically designed to serve students who have struggled in traditional school settings or have experienced interruptions in their education. By providing a personalized, supportive learning environment, the school focuses on re-engaging at-risk youth and helping them overcome academic and social barriers to earn their high school diplomas.

The school operates under the mission of the ASPIRA organization, which emphasizes leadership development, cultural pride, and community service alongside traditional academics. Pantoja Alt HS utilizes a smaller, more intimate setting that allows for closer student-teacher relationships, tailored instruction, and credit recovery programs. By integrating social-emotional support with flexible scheduling, the school strives to prepare its students for post-secondary success, whether that involves pursuing higher education, vocational training, or entering the workforce.

176

Total Students

9.0

Full-Time Teachers

19.6

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for YCCS-ASPIRA Pantoja Alt HS
Demographic	Student Count
White	5
Hispanic	156
Black	15

Hispanic
156 (88.6 %)
Black
15 (8.5 %)
White
5 (2.8 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	City of Chicago SD 299
Phone:	(773)252-0970
Website:	http://yccs.us/
Grade Range:	9th - 12th
Total Students:	176
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	9.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	19.6
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 8 1

Grade 10 88

Grade 11 54

Grade 12 33

Grades Taught Data Table

Grades Taught and Student Counts for YCCS-ASPIRA Pantoja Alt HS
Grade	Student Count
Grade 8	1
Grade 10	88
Grade 11	54
Grade 12	33

Gender Ratio

Student Gender Ratio Data Table

Student Gender Ratio for YCCS-ASPIRA Pantoja Alt HS
Gender	Student Count	Percentage
Female	69	39.2%
Male	107	60.8%

Nearby High Schools (Within 10 Miles)