Sterling CUSD 5 operates 6 public schools serving 3,264 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Illinois. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,253 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Whiteside County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,378 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 44.5% local, 42.1% state, and 13.3% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $67,630 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 27/100, ranked #600 of 763 in Illinois against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 356.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 14.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 55.8% White, 34.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% African American across the district's schools.
Sterling High School accounts for 30.7% of all Sterling CUSD 5 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Sterling CUSD 5-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.
Sterling CUSD 5 school enrollment varies 3.6× across entities
Sterling CUSD 5 school enrollment ranges from 277 students (lowest) to 999 students (highest), a spread of 722 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Sterling CUSD 5 student-counselor ratio is 357:1 — 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.
Sterling CUSD 5 chronic absenteeism rate is 14.3% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Sterling CUSD 5 has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 2 other, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,264 students.
How much does Sterling CUSD 5 spend per student?
Sterling CUSD 5 spends $15,378 per student. The district has an equity score of 27/100, ranking #600 in Illinois.
What is the average teacher salary in Sterling CUSD 5?
The average teacher salary in Sterling CUSD 5 is $67,630 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Sterling CUSD 5?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Whiteside County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Sterling CUSD 5?
Sterling CUSD 5 students are 55.8% White, 34.6% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Sterling CUSD 5?
Sterling CUSD 5 has an equity score of 27/100, ranking #600 out of 763 districts in Illinois. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.