Enrollment
367
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chicago Heights, IL
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership
Federal NCES profile for Barack Obama Sch of Ldership, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 173081003202
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Chicago Heights · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 367
- students enrolled
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barack Obama Sch of Ldership ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Chicago Heights, IL.
School address
District: Park Forest Sd 163 · Illinois
NCES ID 173081003202 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Barack Obama Sch of Ldership compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barack Obama Sch of Ldership
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership is a mid-sized elementary school in Chicago Heights, Illinois, enrolling 367 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 367 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by African American (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 38/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Park Forest Sd 163 spends $22,969 per pupil, 35% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicago Heights's elementary schools, it stands alongside Serena Hills Elem School (305 students): Barack Obama Sch of Ldership is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.7:1 vs 11.3:1).
Park Forest Sd 163 also operates Michelle Obama Sch of Technology (428 students) and Mohawk Primary Center (283 students) alongside Barack Obama Sch of Ldership.
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 Barack Obama Sch of Ldership compares
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
367
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 38% in Illinois - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,969
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 77.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
Two or More 5.7%
White 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 77.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.9, Barack Obama Sch of Ldership is about as mixed as the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Park Forest Sd 163, which includes Barack Obama Sch of Ldership.
$22,969
Per student
+35%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 58.3%
Federal 15.2%
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 Barack Obama Sch of Ldership Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Obama Sch of Technology | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mohawk Primary Center | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blackhawk Primary Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| 21st Century Primary Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Algonquin Primary Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Barack Obama Sch of Ldership's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 167
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 152
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 127
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools in Chicago Heights
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Serena Hills Elem School
Standard public school
305 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Garfield Elem School
Standard public school
248 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Wilson Elem School
Standard public school
160 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elem School
Standard public school
84 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~367 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barack Obama Sch of Ldership's federal record.
- Compare Barack Obama Sch of Ldership against another school. Compare schools
- Park Forest Sd 163'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 Barack Obama Sch of Ldership
How many students attend Barack Obama Sch of Ldership?
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership has 367 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chicago Heights, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barack Obama Sch of Ldership?
The student-teacher ratio at Barack Obama Sch of Ldership is 12.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barack Obama Sch of Ldership?
The largest demographic group at Barack Obama Sch of Ldership is African American at 77.1% of enrollment, in Chicago Heights, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barack Obama Sch of Ldership?
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Barack Obama Sch of Ldership rank among elementary schools in Chicago Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Barack Obama Sch of Ldership ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Chicago Heights, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Chicago Heights on the city page.
Is Barack Obama Sch of Ldership a good school?
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Park Forest Sd 163?
Besides Barack Obama Sch of Ldership, Park Forest Sd 163 also operates Michelle Obama Sch of Technology (428 students), Mohawk Primary Center (283 students), and Blackhawk Primary Center (167 students). See the Park Forest Sd 163 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.