Enrollment
1,263
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicago, IL
Dirksen Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Dirksen Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170993001174
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dirksen Elem School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Illinois schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Illinois.
- #305 of 394
- schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 1,263
- students enrolled
Dirksen Elem School has class sizes larger than 96% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dirksen Elem School ranks #305 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993001174 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dirksen Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dirksen Elem School
Dirksen Elem School is a large combined-grade school in Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 1,263 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.7:1 is larger than about 96% of Illinois schools and 48% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Illinois, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,263 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Asian (20%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1263 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $21,050 per pupil, 24% 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): Dirksen Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 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 Dirksen 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 Dirksen Elem School compares
Dirksen 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 48% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,263 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,263
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 48% above state mean
Top 96% in Illinois - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.0%
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
$21,050
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 1263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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
White 66.9%
Asian 20.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
African American 2.2%
Two or More 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.2, Dirksen Elem School is more 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 Dirksen Elem School.
$21,050
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
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 Dirksen Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dirksen Elem School'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 (~1,263 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dirksen Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Dirksen Elem School 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 Dirksen Elem School
How many students attend Dirksen Elem School?
Dirksen Elem School has 1,263 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dirksen Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dirksen Elem School is 20.7:1, which is 48% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dirksen Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Dirksen Elem School is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dirksen Elem School?
Dirksen Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Dirksen Elem School rank among schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Dirksen Elem School ranks #305 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.
Is Dirksen Elem School a good school?
Dirksen Elem School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Illinois schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Illinois. 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 City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Dirksen Elem School, 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.