Enrollment
197
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mendota, IL
Blackstone Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Blackstone 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 172562004735
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blackstone Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 76% of Illinois schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Mendota · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 197
- students enrolled
Blackstone Elem School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blackstone Elem School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Mendota, IL.
School address
District: Mendota Ccsd 289 · Illinois
NCES ID 172562004735 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blackstone Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blackstone Elem School
Blackstone Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Mendota, Illinois, enrolling 197 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 197 puts it in the smaller 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 (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (44%) (diversity index 57/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Mendota Ccsd 289 spends $13,069 per pupil, 23% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Mendota's elementary schools, it stands alongside Northbrook School (526 students): Blackstone Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.6:1 vs 14.6:1).
Mendota Ccsd 289 also operates Northbrook School (526 students) and Lincoln Elem School (319 students) alongside Blackstone 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 Blackstone Elem School compares
Blackstone 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 197 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
197
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 24% in Illinois - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.7%
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
$13,069
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
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
White 48.7%
Hispanic or Latino 44.2%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Blackstone Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mendota Ccsd 289, which includes Blackstone Elem School.
$13,069
Per student
-23%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.9%
State 39.8%
Federal 14.3%
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 Blackstone Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northbrook School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blackstone Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Mendota
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~197 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blackstone Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Blackstone Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Mendota Ccsd 289'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 Blackstone Elem School
How many students attend Blackstone Elem School?
Blackstone Elem School has 197 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mendota, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blackstone Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Blackstone Elem School is 11.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 26% 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 Blackstone Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Blackstone Elem School is White at 48.7% of enrollment, in Mendota, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blackstone Elem School?
Blackstone 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 Blackstone Elem School rank among elementary schools in Mendota?
By Resource Investment Index, Blackstone Elem School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Mendota, 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 Mendota on the city page.
Is Blackstone Elem School a good school?
Blackstone Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Mendota Ccsd 289?
Besides Blackstone Elem School, Mendota Ccsd 289 also operates Northbrook School (526 students) and Lincoln Elem School (319 students). See the Mendota Ccsd 289 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.