Enrollment
485
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wilmette, IL
Central Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174260004275
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elem School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Wilmette · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 485
- students enrolled
Central Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Wilmette, IL.
School address
District: Wilmette Sd 39 · Illinois
NCES ID 174260004275 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+5% 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 elementary school in Wilmette, Illinois, enrolling 485 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 485 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 predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Wilmette Sd 39 spends $23,544 per pupil, 38% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Wilmette's elementary schools, it stands alongside Highcrest Middle School (748 students): Central Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 10.7:1).
Wilmette Sd 39 also operates Wilmette Junior High School (766 students) and Highcrest Middle School (748 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 66% in Illinois - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$23,544
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
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 81.2%
Two or More 10.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Asian 3.3%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 81.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.7, Central Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilmette Sd 39, which includes Central Elem School.
$23,544
Per student
+38%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.7%
State 24.4%
Federal 1.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmette Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highcrest Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Romona Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mckenzie Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harper Elem School | Similar size | 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
- 766
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Wilmette
3 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 (~485 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Wilmette Sd 39'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 485 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wilmette, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elem School is 14.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elem School is White at 81.2% of enrollment, in Wilmette, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elem School?
Central Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Central Elem School rank among elementary schools in Wilmette?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Wilmette, 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 Wilmette on the city page.
Is Central Elem School a good school?
Central Elem School earns 54/100 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 Wilmette Sd 39?
Besides Central Elem School, Wilmette Sd 39 also operates Wilmette Junior High School (766 students), Highcrest Middle School (748 students), and Romona Elem School (462 students). See the Wilmette Sd 39 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.