Enrollment
371
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Joliet, IL
Carl Sandburg Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carl Sandburg Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 172058004928
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carl Sandburg Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #12 of 20
- elementary schools in Joliet · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 371
- students enrolled
Carl Sandburg Elementary has class sizes larger than 93% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Elementary ranks #12 of 20 elementary schools in Joliet, IL.
School address
District: Joliet Psd 86 · Illinois
NCES ID 172058004928 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carl Sandburg Elementary compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carl Sandburg Elementary
Carl Sandburg Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Joliet, Illinois, enrolling 371 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.6:1 is larger than about 93% of Illinois schools and 33% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 371 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 (45%) and African American (42%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Joliet's elementary schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson Elem Sch (646 students): Carl Sandburg Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.6:1 vs 15.8:1).
Joliet Psd 86 also operates Hufford Junior High School (1,072 students) and Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm (724 students) alongside Carl Sandburg Elementary.
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 Elementary compares
Carl Sandburg Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 33% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 371 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
371
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 93% in Illinois - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.3%
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
$17,920
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 44.5%
African American 42.3%
White 7.0%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Carl Sandburg Elementary is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joliet Psd 86, which includes Carl Sandburg Elementary.
$17,920
Per student
+5%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hufford Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dirksen Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sator Sanchez Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pershing Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carl Sandburg Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Joliet
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Elem Sch
Standard public school
646 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Sator Sanchez Elem School
Standard public school
635 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Pershing Elem School
Standard public school
621 students 20:1 students per teacher
Lynne Thigpen Elem School
Standard public school
620 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Farragut Elem School
Standard public school
568 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.4:1 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 (~371 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carl Sandburg Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carl Sandburg Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Joliet Psd 86'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 Elementary
How many students attend Carl Sandburg Elementary?
Carl Sandburg Elementary has 371 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Joliet, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Elementary is 18.6:1, which is 33% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carl Sandburg Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carl Sandburg Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 44.5% of enrollment, in Joliet, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carl Sandburg Elementary?
Carl Sandburg Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (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 Elementary rank among elementary schools in Joliet?
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Elementary ranks #12 of 20 elementary schools in Joliet, 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 Joliet on the city page.
Is Carl Sandburg Elementary a good school?
Carl Sandburg Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Illinois schools. 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 Joliet Psd 86?
Besides Carl Sandburg Elementary, Joliet Psd 86 also operates Hufford Junior High School (1,072 students), Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm (724 students), and Dirksen Junior High School (653 students). See the Joliet Psd 86 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.