Las Casas Occupational High School has an enrollment of 145 students all listed as cognitively delayed, Autistic, and Behavior Disordered. Las Casas was designed to develop those academic skills that are prerequisites to job placement. The primary goal of the high school is to provide occupational orientation, job training experience, and to assist students in gaining part-time and full-time placement.
Students are selected for this program based on individual need. The criterion has always been one of the least restrictive placement and transition into the mainstream of society. Individual students that are or have been identified for this program have in addition to cognitive deficit, social and emotional needs that warrant additional support. Additionally, students placed in this facility have demonstrated a history a regression during separation from the instructional continuum. Student with an amalgam of educational deficits and needs of this occupational high school has been utilized to address an individual's educational requirements and provide training and work experience leading to gainful employment.
The vision of Las Casas Occupational High School is to provide an individual education appropriate to each student's unique needs. Our programmatic focus is a tailored therapeutic one that provides individual and group counseling with academic and occupational experiences.

Las Casas serves students whose emotional needs cannot be met in a regular public school setting. This includes students who are being transitioned from a therapeutic hospital back to the Chicago Public Schools, as well as students from other Chicago Public Schools who are in a therapeutically structured settings.

Through the individualized provision of counseling ,academic, and occupational experiences, our students develop self-confidence, internal controls and pro-social behaviors that strengthen their emotional framework. The goal of these efforts is a return to normalcy that enables students to return to their home high school and/or to the adult work force. Through the combined efforts of auxiliary staff and outside agencies, it is our hope that the services offered will be handled speedily and efficiently. Our first and primary goal is to the students and their families. Enrichment of their lives through education is our foremost concern.

Las Casas Occupational High Schools has been telling a story of success from over 25 years. This programs has had continued graduation rates of over 95% with all students leaving with actual work experience and over 75% with occupational successes in a private sector. Attendance rate 82%, Truancy is 12%, 24% mobility trained, retention-since we are 100% special ed., all students can be retained until 21 years of age , expulsion 2% and drop our rates are 3%.
The majority of our school population is bussed from as far north as Roosevelt Road, South to 120th street and west to Pulaski Road. Many of our students are either Wards of the State (DCFS); live with family who is on public aid, or live in foster or group homes. The racial makeup of Las Casas is 90% black, 7% Hispanic, and 3% White.