Public schools in Park Forest, IL
Park Forest has 8 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 2,068 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Park Forest SD 163 runs 5 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Park Forest's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Park Forest | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Forest SD 163 | 5 | 1,537 | $23,572 |
| Matteson ESD 162 | 2 | 2,401 | $19,449 |
| Crete-Monee School District 201-U | 1 | 4,415 | $22,610 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 middle schools in Park Forest, 643 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Obama Sch of Technology | 428 | 11.3 | All free (CEP) | Park Forest SD 163 |
| Indiana Elementary School | 215 | 12.3 | All free (CEP) | Matteson ESD 162 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 elementary schools in Park Forest, 1,298 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois School | 391 | 10.4 | All free (CEP) | Matteson ESD 162 |
| Talala Elementary School | 305 | 15.8 | All free (CEP) | Crete-Monee |
| Mohawk Primary Center | 283 | 14.4 | All free (CEP) | Park Forest SD 163 |
| Blackhawk Primary Center | 167 | 13.4 | All free (CEP) | Park Forest SD 163 |
| 21st Century Primary Center | 152 | 10.7 | All free (CEP) | Park Forest SD 163 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Park Forest, 127 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Primary Center | 127 | 25.4 | All free (CEP) | Park Forest SD 163 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Park Forest's public schools compare with Illinois's
The median Park Forest school has 12.9 students per full-time teacher, about the same as the Illinois median of 13.1. 38% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 54% across the state. Its median school enrolls 249 students (state 374).
| Park Forest | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.9 | 13.1 |
| Median school size (students) | 249 | 374 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 38% | 54% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 100% | 53% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 3.4% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 8 Park Forest schools and the 3,817 Illinois schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Park Forest
- Park Forest SD 163Runs 5 of Park Forest's 8 public schools and spent $23,572 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$23,572
- Compare Park Forest SD 163 with Matteson ESD 162Park Forest's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in IllinoisIllinois's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Park Forest addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Illinois
- Chicago629 schools
- Aurora47 schools
- Rockford44 schools
- Naperville41 schools
- Peoria33 schools
- Joliet31 schools
- Springfield31 schools
- Plainfield29 schools
Questions about schools in Park Forest
How many public schools are in Park Forest, IL?
8 public schools with an address in Park Forest were open in 2024-25: 2 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 2,068 students.Which districts run Park Forest's schools?
Park Forest SD 163 (5 schools), Matteson ESD 162 (2 schools), Crete-Monee School District 201-U (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25