Enrollment
166
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicago, IL
Colemon J Elem Academy
Federal NCES profile for Colemon J Elem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170993004016
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Colemon J Elem Academy earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #18 of 394
- schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.2:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 166
- students enrolled
Colemon J Elem Academy has class sizes smaller than 94% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Colemon J Elem Academy ranks #18 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993004016 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Colemon J Elem Academy compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Colemon J Elem Academy
Small campus with unusually lean teacher staffing
Colemon J Elem Academy sits near the smaller end of the Illinois enrollment distribution while also reporting a lower student-teacher ratio than most state schools. That pairing is consistent with a compact, teacher-dense setting, though small scale can limit the number of specialized courses or support roles a campus can sustain. The program and staffing sections below show whether the lean ratio extends beyond classroom teachers into broader student services.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
Colemon J Elem Academy's 30.1% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
Colemon J Elem Academy is a small combined-grade school in Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 166 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Colemon J Elem Academy is leaner than roughly 94% of Illinois schools and 34% under the state's 14:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Enrollment of 166 puts it in the smaller 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 African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 166 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $22,699 per pupil, 25% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicago's public schools, it stands alongside Lane Technical High School (4,604 students): Colemon J Elem Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.2:1 vs 17.8:1).
City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students) and Taft High School (4,487 students) alongside Colemon J Elem Academy.
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 Colemon J Elem Academy compares
Colemon J Elem Academy on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 34% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 166 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
166
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 6% in Illinois - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.1%
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
$22,699
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 166 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
African American 94.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Largest group: African American at 94.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.2, Colemon J Elem Academy is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Colemon J Elem Academy.
$22,699
Per student
+25%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Colemon J Elem Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Colemon J Elem Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 17.8:1 students per teacher
Taft High School
Standard public school
4,487 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Kenwood Academy High School
Standard public school
2,268 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Young Magnet High School
Standard public school
2,223 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Disney Elem Magnet School
Standard public school
1,384 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Morgan Park High School
Standard public school
1,349 students 19:1 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 (~166 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Colemon J Elem Academy's federal record.
- Compare Colemon J Elem Academy against another school. Compare schools
- City of Chicago Sd 299'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 Colemon J Elem Academy
How many students attend Colemon J Elem Academy?
Colemon J Elem Academy has 166 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Colemon J Elem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Colemon J Elem Academy is 9.2:1, which is 34% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 41% 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 Colemon J Elem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Colemon J Elem Academy is African American at 94.6% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Colemon J Elem Academy?
Colemon J Elem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Colemon J Elem Academy rank among schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Colemon J Elem Academy ranks #18 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chicago on the city page.
What other schools are in City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Colemon J Elem Academy, City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students), Taft High School (4,487 students), and Curie Metropolitan High School (3,099 students). See the City of Chicago Sd 299 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.