Enrollment
411
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cicero, IL
Columbus East Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Columbus East Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171020001237
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbus East Elem School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 7
- elementary schools in Cicero · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 411
- students enrolled
Columbus East Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus East Elem School ranks #1 of 7 elementary schools in Cicero, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbus East Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbus East Elem School
Columbus East Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Cicero, Illinois, enrolling 411 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 411 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Cicero Sd 99 spends $20,733 per pupil, 22% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Cicero's elementary schools, it stands alongside Woodrow Wilson Elem School (622 students): Columbus East Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 16.4:1).
Cicero Sd 99 also operates Unity Jr High School (1,919 students) and Abe Lincoln Elem School (717 students) alongside Columbus East 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 Columbus East Elem School compares
Columbus East 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 | 411 | top 44% | - | - |
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.
411
Bigger than 49% 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
40.4%
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
$20,733
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
15
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 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 97.8%
White 1.2%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 97.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.3, Columbus East Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cicero Sd 99, which includes Columbus East Elem School.
$20,733
Per student
+22%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 68.1%
Federal 13.3%
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 Columbus East Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unity Jr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Abe Lincoln Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Warren Park School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sherlock Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbus East Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,919
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Cicero
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Woodrow Wilson Elem School
Standard public school
622 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elem School
Standard public school
453 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
T Roosevelt Elem School
Standard public school
450 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Cicero East Elem School
Standard public school
408 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Drexel Elem School
Standard public school
396 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Daniel Burnham Elem School
Standard public school
185 students 18.5:1 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 (~411 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbus East Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Columbus East Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Cicero Sd 99'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 Columbus East Elem School
How many students attend Columbus East Elem School?
Columbus East Elem School has 411 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cicero, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbus East Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbus East 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 Columbus East Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Columbus East Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 97.8% of enrollment, in Cicero, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbus East Elem School?
Columbus East Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Columbus East Elem School rank among elementary schools in Cicero?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbus East Elem School ranks #1 of 7 elementary schools in Cicero, 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 Cicero on the city page.
Is Columbus East Elem School a good school?
Columbus East Elem School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also less 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 Cicero Sd 99?
Besides Columbus East Elem School, Cicero Sd 99 also operates Unity Jr High School (1,919 students), Abe Lincoln Elem School (717 students), and Warren Park School (695 students). See the Cicero Sd 99 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.