- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Joliet, IL
Dirksen Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Dirksen Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 172058002326
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dirksen Junior High School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #5 of 5
- middle schools in Joliet · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 653
- students enrolled
Dirksen Junior High School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dirksen Junior High School ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Joliet, IL.
School address
District: Joliet Psd 86 · Illinois
NCES ID 172058002326 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 172058002326 · Joliet, IL Middle · MID · TRAD
653 enr · 13.9:1 · RII 19
Nearest enrollment peer: Hufford Junior High School (1,072 students)
Resource Investment Index #5 of 5 middle schools in Joliet. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Dirksen Junior High School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Hufford Junior
Hufford Junior High School
1,072 students
- Washington Jr
Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm
724 students
- This school
Dirksen Junior High School
653 students
- Sator Sanchez
Sator Sanchez Elem School
635 students
- Pershing Elem
Pershing Elem School
621 students
- Lynne Thigpen
Lynne Thigpen Elem School
620 students
What this shows Dirksen Junior High School reports 653 students on the CCD universe file.
How Dirksen Junior High School compares
Dirksen Junior High 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 653 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
653
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Illinois - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.8%
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
$22,414
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 653 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 114 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 27 expulsions.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 65.2%
African American 22.2%
White 8.4%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.7, Dirksen Junior High School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joliet Psd 86, which includes Dirksen Junior High School.
$22,414
Per student
+23%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 Dirksen Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hufford Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sator Sanchez Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pershing Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lynne Thigpen Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dirksen Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
Similar middle schools in Joliet
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Hufford Junior High School
Standard public school
1,072 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Aux Sable Middle Sch
Standard public school
844 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm
Standard public school
724 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Gompers Junior High School
Standard public school
615 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Nationwide middle 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 (~653 students)
Frequently asked questions about Dirksen Junior High School
How many students attend Dirksen Junior High School?
Dirksen Junior High School has 653 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Joliet, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dirksen Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dirksen Junior High School is 13.9:1, which is 1% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 11% 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 Dirksen Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Dirksen Junior High School is Hispanic or Latino at 65.2% of enrollment, in Joliet, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dirksen Junior High School?
Dirksen Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dirksen Junior High School rank among middle schools in Joliet?
By Resource Investment Index, Dirksen Junior High School ranks #5 of 5 middle schools in Joliet, 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 Joliet on the city page.
What other schools are in Joliet Psd 86?
Besides Dirksen Junior High School, Joliet Psd 86 also operates Hufford Junior High School (1,072 students), Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm (724 students), and Sator Sanchez Elem School (635 students). See the Joliet Psd 86 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.