Sterling Public Schools

Listed by NCES as Sterling CUSD 5 (district ID 1742310)

Public school district · Whiteside County · Illinois · NCES district ID 1742310

Sterling Public Schools spent $14,348 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 81% of the other Illinois districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $18,127). Its 6 schools enrolled 3,253 students in 2024-25; 43.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,512 per student, up 8.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90% (Illinois: 87.6%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Illinois districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Sterling Public Schools in enrollment (3,222 to 3,333 students) and Sterling Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Sterling Public Schools, FY23Twp HSD 113 $36,038; Chsd 128 $32,694; Oak Park and River Forest High School $29,326; CCSD 93 $25,661; Wilmette Public Schools District 39 $24,599; Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215 $23,996; Burbank SD 111 $16,823; Jacksonville SD 117 $15,969; Sterling Public Schools $14,348; Morton School District 709 $14,122; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30k40kTwp HSD 113$36,038Chsd 128$32,694Oak Park and River Forest High…$29,326CCSD 93$25,661Wilmette Public Schools Distri…$24,599Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215$23,996Burbank SD 111$16,823Jacksonville SD 117$15,969Sterling Public Schools$14,348Morton School District 709$14,122State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Sterling Public Schools, FY23Twp HSD 113 $36,038; Chsd 128 $32,694; Oak Park and River Forest High School $29,326; CCSD 93 $25,661; Wilmette Public Schools District 39 $24,599; Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215 $23,996; Burbank SD 111 $16,823; Jacksonville SD 117 $15,969; Sterling Public Schools $14,348; Morton School District 709 $14,122; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30k40kTwp HSD 113$36,038Chsd 128$32,694Oak Park and River Forest High Scho…$29,326CCSD 93$25,661Wilmette Public Schools District 39$24,599Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215$23,996Burbank SD 111$16,823Jacksonville SD 117$15,969Sterling Public Schools$14,348Morton School District 709$14,122State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Sterling Public Schools, FY23Twp HSD 113 $36,038; Chsd 128 $32,694; Oak Park and River Forest High School $29,326; CCSD 93 $25,661; Wilmette Public Schools District 39 $24,599; Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215 $23,996; Burbank SD 111 $16,823; Jacksonville SD 117 $15,969; Sterling Public Schools $14,348; Morton School District 709 $14,122; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30k40kTwp HSD 113$36,038Chsd 128$32,694Oak Park and River Forest High School$29,326CCSD 93$25,661Wilmette Public Schools District 39$24,599Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215$23,996Burbank SD 111$16,823Jacksonville SD 117$15,969Sterling Public Schools$14,348Morton School District 709$14,122State median, 1,000+ students $18,127
Current spending per student, Illinois districts closest in size to Sterling Public Schools, FY23Twp HSD 113 $36,038; Chsd 128 $32,694; Oak Park and River Forest High School $29,326; CCSD 93 $25,661; Wilmette Public Schools District 39 $24,599; Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215 $23,996; Burbank SD 111 $16,823; Jacksonville SD 117 $15,969; Sterling Public Schools $14,348; Morton School District 709 $14,122; State median, 1,000+ students $18,127.10k20k30k40kTwp HSD 113$36,038Chsd 128$32,694Oak Park and River Forest High School$29,326CCSD 93$25,661Wilmette Public Schools District 39$24,599Thornton Fractional Twp HSD 215$23,996Burbank SD 111$16,823Jacksonville SD 117$15,969Sterling Public Schools$14,348Morton School District 709$14,122State median, 1,000+ students $18,127

Where the money came from

$64,825,000 in revenue: 43.8% state, 42.9% local and 13.2% federal. Total spending including $9,617,000 of capital outlay was $60,361,000, or $18,493 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Sterling Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $28,421,000; Local $27,833,000; Federal $8,571,000; total $64,825,000.
  • State$28,421,000 44%
  • Local$27,833,000 43%
  • Federal$8,571,000 13%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 377 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

3,264 students in 2022-23, 3,228 students in 2023-24, 3,253 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Sterling Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,264, 2023-24: 3,228, 2024-25: 3,25301k2k3k4k2022-233,2642023-243,2282024-253,253
Sterling Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,264, 2023-24: 3,228, 2024-25: 3,25301k2k3k4k2022-233,2642023-243,2282024-253,253
Sterling Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,264, 2023-24: 3,228, 2024-25: 3,25301k2k3k4k2022-233,2642023-243,2282024-253,253
Sterling Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,264, 2023-24: 3,228, 2024-25: 3,25301k2k3k4k2022-233,2642023-243,2282024-253,253

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-233,264207.615.7
2023-243,228202.216.0
2024-253,253215.215.1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Sterling Public Schools scored proficient or above: 18% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Illinois, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtIllinoisStudents tested
Reading and language arts18%29.9%1,647

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

90% of the 253 students in Sterling Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtIllinois
Four-year graduation rate90%87.6%
Students in the class253149,998

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

4 elementary schools, 1,528 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Jefferson Elementary School45014.9All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Franklin Elementary School40713.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Washington Elementary School39412.3All free (CEP)Schoolwide program
Lincoln Elementary School27712.6All free (CEP)Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 726 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Challand Middle School72616.5All free (CEP)Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 999 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Sterling High School99917.5All free (CEP)Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Sterling Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Sterling Public Schools

  1. Illinois districts by spending per studentSterling Public Schools ranks 304 of 377 Illinois districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,348).#304 of 377
  2. Every school district in IllinoisSterling Public Schools is the number 124 by size of 865 Illinois districts, with 3,264 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#124 of 865
  3. Oak Park and River Forest High SchoolThe next larger Illinois district: 3,304 students in fall 2022, $29,326 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$29,326
  4. Jacksonville SD 117The next smaller Illinois district: 3,253 students in fall 2022, $15,969 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,969
  5. Compare Sterling Public Schools with Oak Park and River Forest High SchoolEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Sterling High School, its largest high school999 students in 2024-25, 17.5 per teacher.999
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Sterling Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Sterling Public Schools?
    6 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 3,253 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Sterling Public Schools spend per student?
    $14,348 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Illinois median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,127 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,512 per student, up 8.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Sterling Public Schools' money come from?
    $64,825,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 43.8% state, 42.9% local and 13.2% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Sterling Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 460 of the 3,459 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 13.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How do students in Sterling Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Sterling Public Schools scored proficient or above: 18% in reading, against 29.9% in reading across Illinois. Illinois's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  6. What is the graduation rate in Sterling Public Schools?
    90% of the 253 students in Sterling Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.6% across Illinois. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  7. What is Sterling Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    1742310. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .