Enrollment
540
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wheeling, IL
Booth Tarkington Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Booth Tarkington Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 174221004234
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Booth Tarkington Elem School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Wheeling · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 540
- students enrolled
Booth Tarkington Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Booth Tarkington Elem School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Wheeling, IL.
School address
District: Wheeling Ccsd 21 · Illinois
NCES ID 174221004234 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Booth Tarkington Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Booth Tarkington Elem School
Booth Tarkington Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Wheeling, Illinois, enrolling 540 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 540 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (33%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Wheeling Ccsd 21 spends $23,863 per pupil, 40% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Wheeling's public schools, it stands alongside Eugene Field Elem School (613 students): Booth Tarkington Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 15.6:1).
Wheeling Ccsd 21 also operates Cooper Middle School (732 students) and Jack London Middle School (628 students) alongside Booth Tarkington 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 Booth Tarkington Elem School compares
Booth Tarkington 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 6% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 540 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
540
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Illinois - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$23,863
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 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
Enrollment 540 Top 26% in Illinois - larger than 74% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 37.0
Students per teacher 14.9:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 174221004234
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 33.0%
White 30.0%
Asian 26.5%
Two or More 6.7%
African American 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 33.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Booth Tarkington Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 270:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.6%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wheeling Ccsd 21, which includes Booth Tarkington Elem School.
$23,863
Per student
+40%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.2%
State 26.2%
Federal 9.6%
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 Booth Tarkington Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jack London Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oliver W Holmes Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eugene Field Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Joyce Kilmer Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Booth Tarkington Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Wheeling
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Booth Tarkington Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Booth Tarkington Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Wheeling Ccsd 21'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 Booth Tarkington Elem School
How many students attend Booth Tarkington Elem School?
Booth Tarkington Elem School has 540 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wheeling, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Booth Tarkington Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Booth Tarkington Elem School is 14.9:1, which is 6% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Booth Tarkington Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Booth Tarkington Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 33.0% of enrollment, in Wheeling, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Booth Tarkington Elem School?
Booth Tarkington Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Booth Tarkington Elem School rank among schools in Wheeling?
By Resource Investment Index, Booth Tarkington Elem School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Wheeling, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wheeling on the city page.
Is Booth Tarkington Elem School a good school?
Booth Tarkington Elem School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Wheeling Ccsd 21?
Besides Booth Tarkington Elem School, Wheeling Ccsd 21 also operates Cooper Middle School (732 students), Jack London Middle School (628 students), and Oliver W Holmes Middle School (615 students). See the Wheeling Ccsd 21 district page for the complete list.