Charleston Cusd 1

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Charleston, Illinois - 6 schools

An equity score of 24/100 ranks Charleston Cusd 1 #655 of 763 districts in Illinois (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,259 per pupil, Charleston Cusd 1 ranks #763 of 848 Illinois districts by per-pupil spending (Illinois districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,622
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$12,259
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Charleston Cusd 1 operates 6 public schools serving 2,622 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Illinois. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Coles County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,259 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 85 of 848 Illinois districts by per-pupil spending. See how Illinois compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 46.9% local, 39.1% state, and 14.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 24/100, ranked #655 of 763 in Illinois against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 462.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.5% White, 7.7% African American, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mark Twain Elem School, with a diversity index of 45.2/100.

Its largest campus is Charleston High School, enrolling 795 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ashmore Elem School, at 74 students, a 11x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Charleston High School accounts for 29.0% of all Charleston Cusd 1 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Charleston Cusd 1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Charleston Cusd 1 school enrollment varies 11× across entities

Charleston Cusd 1 school enrollment ranges from 74 students (lowest) to 795 students (highest), a spread of 721 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Charleston Cusd 1 student-counselor ratio is 463:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Charleston Cusd 1 chronic absenteeism rate is 33.1% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.0%
Federal
39.1%
State
46.9%
Local

Funding Equity

24
Equity Score
655 / 763
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Charleston Cusd 1.

White 76.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
African American 7.7%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 8.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 39.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Charleston Cusd 1's schools, about the same as the Illinois average of 38.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Mark Twain Elem School 45.2
  2. 2 Carl Sandburg Elem School 44.1
  3. 3 Jefferson Elem School 42.0
  4. 4 Charleston Middle School 40.1
  5. 5 Charleston High School 37.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
462.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Charleston Cusd 1

School Enrollment
Charleston High School
795
Jefferson Elem School
698
Carl Sandburg Elem School
555
Charleston Middle School
401
Mark Twain Elem School
221
Ashmore Elem School
74

How Charleston Cusd 1 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Illinois districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Chsd 117 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
East Moline Sd 37 Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Frankfort Ccsd 157c Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Antioch Ccsd 34 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Grayslake Chsd 127 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Charleston Cusd 1's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Illinois

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

City of Chicago Sd 299
321,666 students · 644 schools · $21,050/pupil
Compare vs Charleston Cusd 1 →
Sd U-46
35,082 students · 58 schools · $17,947/pupil
Compare vs Charleston Cusd 1 →
Rockford Sd 205
27,442 students · 45 schools · $17,721/pupil
Compare vs Charleston Cusd 1 →
Indian Prairie Cusd 204
25,687 students · 33 schools · $17,239/pupil
Compare vs Charleston Cusd 1 →
Plainfield Sd 202
24,856 students · 31 schools · $15,235/pupil
Compare vs Charleston Cusd 1 →

Compare Charleston Cusd 1

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs City of Chicago Sd 299 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Charleston Cusd 1?

Charleston Cusd 1 has 6 schools, including 1 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 2,622 students.

How much does Charleston Cusd 1 spend per student?

Charleston Cusd 1 spends $12,259 per student. The district has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #655 in Illinois.

What is the demographic composition of Charleston Cusd 1?

Charleston Cusd 1 students are 76.5% White, 7.7% African American, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Charleston Cusd 1?

Charleston Cusd 1 has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #655 out of 763 districts in Illinois.