- Enrollment
- 2,134
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
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
- 14.1:1
- 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 →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 171200000468 · Cortland, IL Elementary · MID · TRAD
523 enr · 14.1:1 · RII 38
Nearest enrollment peer: Dekalb High School (2,134 students)
Cortland Elementary School CCD stamps from the federal school universe. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Cortland Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Dekalb High Sc
Dekalb High School
2,134 students
- Huntley Middle
Huntley Middle School
865 students
- Clinton Rosett 575
Clinton Rosette Middle School
575 students
- Founders Eleme 565
Founders Elementary School
565 students
- This school 523
Cortland Elementary School
523 students
- Littlejohn Ele 362
Littlejohn Elem School
362 students
What this shows Cortland Elementary School reports 523 students on the CCD universe file.
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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 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
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Illinois - lower ratio than 42% 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
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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.
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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb Cusd 428, which includes Cortland Elementary School.
$18,665
Per student
+3%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 41.5%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.6%
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 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
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 362
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~523 students)
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 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 10% 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, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
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.
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.