Enrollment
732
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Buffalo Grove, IL
Cooper Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cooper Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 174221004230
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cooper Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Buffalo Grove · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 732
- students enrolled
Cooper Middle School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Buffalo Grove, IL.
School address
District: Wheeling Ccsd 21 · Illinois
NCES ID 174221004230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cooper Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cooper Middle School
Cooper Middle School is a large middle school in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, enrolling 732 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Illinois median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Enrollment of 732 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Wheeling Ccsd 21 spends $23,863 per pupil, 40% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Buffalo Grove's middle schools, it stands alongside Aptakisic Junior High School (940 students): Cooper Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 13.8:1).
Wheeling Ccsd 21 also operates Jack London Middle School (628 students) and Oliver W Holmes Middle School (615 students) alongside Cooper Middle 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 Cooper Middle School compares
Cooper Middle 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 732 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
732
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in Illinois - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,863
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 732 Top 13% in Illinois - larger than 87% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 49.0
Students per teacher 13.8:1 -1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 174221004230
Student demographics
White 60.1%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Asian 10.2%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 60.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.0, Cooper Middle School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 244:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.1%
In-school suspensions 14
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wheeling Ccsd 21, which includes Cooper Middle School.
$23,863
Per student
+40%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.2%
State 26.2%
Federal 9.6%
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 Cooper Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack London Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oliver W Holmes Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eugene Field Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joyce Kilmer Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Booth Tarkington Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cooper Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar middle schools in Buffalo Grove
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cooper Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cooper Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Wheeling Ccsd 21'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 Cooper Middle School
How many students attend Cooper Middle School?
Cooper Middle School has 732 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Buffalo Grove, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School is 13.8:1, which is 1% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 12% 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 Cooper Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cooper Middle School is White at 60.1% of enrollment, in Buffalo Grove, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cooper Middle School?
Cooper Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 Cooper Middle School rank among middle schools in Buffalo Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Buffalo Grove, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Buffalo Grove on the city page.
Is Cooper Middle School a good school?
Cooper Middle School earns 58/100 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 Wheeling Ccsd 21?
Besides Cooper Middle School, Wheeling Ccsd 21 also operates Jack London Middle School (628 students), Oliver W Holmes Middle School (615 students), and Eugene Field Elem School (613 students). See the Wheeling Ccsd 21 district page for the complete list.