Enrollment
523
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cortland, IL
Cortland Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cortland Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171200000468
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cortland Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 523
- students enrolled
Cortland Elementary School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Dekalb Cusd 428 · Illinois
NCES ID 171200000468 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cortland Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cortland Elementary School
Cortland Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Cortland, Illinois, enrolling 523 students.
At 14:1, 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 523 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 198 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 523 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 196 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Dekalb Cusd 428 also operates Dekalb High School (2,134 students) and Huntley Middle School (865 students) alongside Cortland Elementary 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 Cortland Elementary School compares
Cortland Elementary 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 0% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 523 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
523
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 56% in Illinois - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$16,840
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 99 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 196 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 523 Top 27% in Illinois - larger than 73% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 37.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 171200000468
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 42.3%
White 37.3%
African American 11.7%
Two or More 8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Cortland Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.1%
In-school suspensions 99
Out-of-school suspensions 99
Expulsions 196
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb Cusd 428, which includes Cortland Elementary School.
$16,840
Per student
-1%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.5%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.6%
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 Cortland Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dekalb High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntley Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clinton Rosette Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Founders Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Littlejohn Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cortland Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,134
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 362
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cortland Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cortland Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb Cusd 428'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 Cortland Elementary School
How many students attend Cortland Elementary School?
Cortland Elementary School has 523 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cortland, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cortland Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cortland Elementary School is 14:1, which is 0% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cortland Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cortland Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 42.3% of enrollment, in Cortland, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cortland Elementary School?
Cortland Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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).
Is Cortland Elementary School a good school?
Cortland Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more 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 Dekalb Cusd 428?
Besides Cortland Elementary School, Dekalb Cusd 428 also operates Dekalb High School (2,134 students), Huntley Middle School (865 students), and Clinton Rosette Middle School (575 students). See the Dekalb Cusd 428 district page for the complete list.