Enrollment
578
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicago, IL
Clay Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Clay Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170993000661
👥 Class size 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clay Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (19/100), with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- F
- Resource Index · 19/100
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 578
- students enrolled
Clay Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clay Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Clay Elem School reports 578 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 15% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 578 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 46.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $21,050 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $17,042 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 52.8% from local sources (property taxes), 29.9% from the state, and 17.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Clay Elem School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 78% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
13 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 66% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
578 larger than 71% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 46% in Illinois — lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
46.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,050
per pupil, district-wide
— above Illinois avg of $17,042
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 578 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 578 Top 78% in Illinois — larger than 22% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 13.3:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 170993000661
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 67.6%
African American 23.5%
White 5.5%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 67.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 578:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 46.5%
In-school suspensions 17
Out-of-school suspensions 21
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Clay Elem School.
$21,050
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
Similar other schools in Chicago
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Lane Technical High School
Standard public school
4,604 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Taft High School
Standard public school
4,487 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Kenwood Academy High School
Standard public school
2,268 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Young Magnet High School
Standard public school
2,223 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Disney Elem Magnet School
Standard public school
1,384 students 16:1 students per teacher
Morgan Park High School
Standard public school
1,349 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Clay Elem School side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Clay Elem School
How many students attend Clay Elem School?
Clay Elem School has 578 students enrolled. It is a other school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clay Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clay Elem School is 13.3:1, which is 9% lower than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 15% 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 Clay Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Clay Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 67.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clay Elem School?
Clay Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Clay Elem School a good school?
Clay Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (19/100), with class sizes near the Illinois median. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.