Enrollment
183
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lincoln, IL
Central Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172298002537
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elem School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Illinois schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Lincoln · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 183
- students enrolled
Central Elem School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem School ranks #4 of 5 schools in Lincoln, IL.
School address
District: Lincoln Esd 27 · Illinois
NCES ID 172298002537 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elem School
Central Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lincoln, Illinois, enrolling 183 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 183 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 predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 732 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Lincoln's public schools, it stands alongside Chester-East Lincoln Elem School (288 students): Central Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 15.2:1).
Lincoln Esd 27 also operates Lincoln Jr High School (321 students) and Northwest Elem School (271 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elem School compares
Central 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 183 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
183
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 22% in Illinois - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$16,922
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 88.5%
Two or More 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
African American 2.2%
Largest group: White at 88.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.1, Central Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Esd 27, which includes Central Elem School.
$16,922
Per student
-1%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 52.8%
Federal 14.2%
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 Central Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Jr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwest Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington-Monroe Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Adams Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 57
- Students per teacher
- 7.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Lincoln
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Chester-East Lincoln Elem School
Standard public school
288 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Washington-Monroe Elem School
Standard public school
224 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
West Lincoln-Broadwell Elem Sch
Standard public school
217 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Adams Elem School
Standard public school
57 students 7.1:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~183 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln Esd 27'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 Central Elem School
How many students attend Central Elem School?
Central Elem School has 183 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lincoln, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elem School is 11.4:1, which is 19% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 27% 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 Central Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elem School is White at 88.5% of enrollment, in Lincoln, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elem School?
Central Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Central Elem School rank among schools in Lincoln?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem School ranks #4 of 5 schools in Lincoln, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lincoln on the city page.
Is Central Elem School a good school?
Central Elem School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Lincoln Esd 27?
Besides Central Elem School, Lincoln Esd 27 also operates Lincoln Jr High School (321 students), Northwest Elem School (271 students), and Washington-Monroe Elem School (224 students). See the Lincoln Esd 27 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.