Enrollment
552
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chatham, IL
Ball Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ball Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170492000182
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ball Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Chatham · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 552
- students enrolled
Ball Elementary School has class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ball Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Chatham, IL.
School address
District: Ball Chatham Cusd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 170492000182 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ball Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ball Elementary School
Ball Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chatham, Illinois, enrolling 552 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 87% of Illinois schools and 21% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 552 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Two or More (7%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 552 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Ball Chatham Cusd 5 spends $9,944 per pupil, 42% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Ball Chatham Cusd 5 also operates Glenwood High School (1,484 students) and Glenwood Middle School (735 students) alongside Ball Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ball Elementary School compares
Ball Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 21% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 552 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
552
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in Illinois - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,944
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 552 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 552 Top 24% in Illinois - larger than 76% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 36.0
Students per teacher 16.9:1 +21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 170492000182
Student demographics
White 79.7%
Two or More 6.5%
African American 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.3, Ball Elementary School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 552:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.3%
In-school suspensions 7
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ball Chatham Cusd 5, which includes Ball Elementary School.
$9,944
Per student
-42%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 71.4%
State 19.7%
Federal 9.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ball Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Intermediate Sch | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chatham Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ball Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,484
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 672
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 500
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ball Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ball Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ball Chatham Cusd 5's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ball Elementary School
How many students attend Ball Elementary School?
Ball Elementary School has 552 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chatham, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ball Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ball Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 21% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ball Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ball Elementary School is White at 79.7% of enrollment, in Chatham, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ball Elementary School?
Ball Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ball Elementary School rank among public schools in Chatham?
By Resource Investment Index, Ball Elementary School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Chatham, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chatham on the city page.
Is Ball Elementary School a good school?
Ball Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Ball Chatham Cusd 5?
Besides Ball Elementary School, Ball Chatham Cusd 5 also operates Glenwood High School (1,484 students), Glenwood Middle School (735 students), and Glenwood Intermediate Sch (672 students). See the Ball Chatham Cusd 5 district page for the complete list.