Enrollment
363
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bolingbrook, IL
Bernard J Ward Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Bernard J Ward Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174007005751
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bernard J Ward Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% of Illinois schools.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Bolingbrook · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 363
- students enrolled
Bernard J Ward Elem School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bernard J Ward Elem School ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Bolingbrook, IL.
School address
District: Valley View Cusd 365u · Illinois
NCES ID 174007005751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bernard J Ward Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bernard J Ward Elem School
Bernard J Ward Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Bolingbrook, Illinois, enrolling 363 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 363 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 Hispanic or Latino (63%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 55/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Valley View Cusd 365u spends $20,866 per pupil, 22% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Bolingbrook's elementary schools, it stands alongside Oak View Elem School (636 students): Bernard J Ward Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 14.5:1).
Valley View Cusd 365u also operates Bolingbrook High School (3,298 students) and Romeoville High School (1,848 students) alongside Bernard J Ward Elem 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 Bernard J Ward Elem School compares
Bernard J Ward Elem 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 363 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
363
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 25% in Illinois - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.1%
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
$20,866
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
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.4%
African American 20.4%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 5.2%
White 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, Bernard J Ward Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley View Cusd 365u, which includes Bernard J Ward Elem School.
$20,866
Per student
+22%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.3%
State 31.8%
Federal 8.0%
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 Bernard J Ward Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolingbrook High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Romeoville High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brooks Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak View Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Independence Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bernard J Ward Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,298
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 850
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 636
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 617
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Bolingbrook
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Oak View Elem School
Standard public school
636 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Independence Elem School
Standard public school
617 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Pioneer Elementary School
Standard public school
561 students 13:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Standard public school
522 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Wood View Elem School
Standard public school
443 students 13:1 students per teacher
Jonas E Salk Elem School
Standard public school
391 students 9.5:1 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 (~363 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bernard J Ward Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Bernard J Ward Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Valley View Cusd 365u'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 Bernard J Ward Elem School
How many students attend Bernard J Ward Elem School?
Bernard J Ward Elem School has 363 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bolingbrook, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bernard J Ward Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bernard J Ward Elem School is 11.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 25% 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 Bernard J Ward Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Bernard J Ward Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment, in Bolingbrook, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bernard J Ward Elem School?
Bernard J Ward Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Bernard J Ward Elem School rank among elementary schools in Bolingbrook?
By Resource Investment Index, Bernard J Ward Elem School ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Bolingbrook, 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 Bolingbrook on the city page.
Is Bernard J Ward Elem School a good school?
Bernard J Ward Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Valley View Cusd 365u?
Besides Bernard J Ward Elem School, Valley View Cusd 365u also operates Bolingbrook High School (3,298 students), Romeoville High School (1,848 students), and Brooks Middle School (850 students). See the Valley View Cusd 365u 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.