Enrollment
555
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charleston, IL
Carl Sandburg Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Carl Sandburg 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 170960000566
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carl Sandburg Elem School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 555
- students enrolled
Carl Sandburg Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Elem School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Charleston, IL.
School address
District: Charleston Cusd 1 · Illinois
NCES ID 170960000566 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carl Sandburg Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carl Sandburg Elem School
Carl Sandburg Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Charleston, Illinois, enrolling 555 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Illinois median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Enrollment of 555 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 (73%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 555 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Charleston Cusd 1 spends $12,259 per pupil, 28% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Charleston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jefferson Elem School (698 students): Carl Sandburg Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 19.9:1).
Charleston Cusd 1 also operates Charleston High School (795 students) and Jefferson Elem School (698 students) alongside Carl Sandburg 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 Carl Sandburg Elem School compares
Carl Sandburg 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
555
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 60% in Illinois - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.4%
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
$12,259
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 555 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 73.3%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 73.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.1, Carl Sandburg Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charleston Cusd 1, which includes Carl Sandburg Elem School.
$12,259
Per student
-28%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.9%
State 39.1%
Federal 14.0%
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 Carl Sandburg Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charleston Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mark Twain Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ashmore Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carl Sandburg Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 698
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
Similar elementary schools in Charleston
1 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 (~555 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carl Sandburg Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Carl Sandburg Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Charleston Cusd 1'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 Carl Sandburg Elem School
How many students attend Carl Sandburg Elem School?
Carl Sandburg Elem School has 555 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charleston, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Elem School is 14.2:1, which is 1% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carl Sandburg Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Carl Sandburg Elem School is White at 73.3% of enrollment, in Charleston, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carl Sandburg Elem School?
Carl Sandburg Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Carl Sandburg Elem School rank among public schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Elem School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Charleston, 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 Charleston on the city page.
Is Carl Sandburg Elem School a good school?
Carl Sandburg Elem School earns 28/100 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 Charleston Cusd 1?
Besides Carl Sandburg Elem School, Charleston Cusd 1 also operates Charleston High School (795 students), Jefferson Elem School (698 students), and Charleston Middle School (401 students). See the Charleston Cusd 1 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.