Enrollment
493
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waukegan, IL
Edith M Smith Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Edith M Smith Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 174125004124
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Edith M Smith Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Illinois schools.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Waukegan · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 493
- students enrolled
Edith M Smith Middle School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Edith M Smith Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Waukegan, IL.
School address
District: Waukegan Cusd 60 · Illinois
NCES ID 174125004124 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Edith M Smith Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Edith M Smith Middle School
Edith M Smith Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Waukegan, Illinois, enrolling 493 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Edith M Smith Middle School is leaner than roughly 86% of Illinois schools and 25% under the state's 14:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Enrollment of 493 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 493 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Waukegan's middle schools, it stands alongside John R Lewis Middle School (721 students): Edith M Smith Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 11.4:1).
Waukegan Cusd 60 also operates Waukegan High School (4,186 students) and John R Lewis Middle School (721 students) alongside Edith M Smith 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 Edith M Smith Middle School compares
Edith M Smith 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 | 10.5:1 | ▼ 25% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 493 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
493
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 14% in Illinois - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
49.9%
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
$20,269
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 493 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 81.7%
African American 10.8%
White 3.9%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 81.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.9, Edith M Smith Middle School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waukegan Cusd 60, which includes Edith M Smith Middle School.
$20,269
Per student
+19%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.4%
Federal 12.2%
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 Edith M Smith Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| John R Lewis Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Miguel Juarez Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert E Abbott Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Edith M Smith Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,186
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 651
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle schools in Waukegan
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
John R Lewis Middle School
Standard public school
721 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Miguel Juarez Middle School
Standard public school
651 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Robert E Abbott Middle School
Standard public school
585 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Jack Benny Middle School
Standard public school
475 students 14:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~493 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Edith M Smith Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Edith M Smith Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Waukegan Cusd 60'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 Edith M Smith Middle School
How many students attend Edith M Smith Middle School?
Edith M Smith Middle School has 493 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waukegan, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Edith M Smith Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Edith M Smith Middle School is 10.5:1, which is 25% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 33% 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 Edith M Smith Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Edith M Smith Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 81.7% of enrollment, in Waukegan, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Edith M Smith Middle School?
Edith M Smith Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 Edith M Smith Middle School rank among middle schools in Waukegan?
By Resource Investment Index, Edith M Smith Middle School ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Waukegan, 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 Waukegan on the city page.
Is Edith M Smith Middle School a good school?
Edith M Smith Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of 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 Waukegan Cusd 60?
Besides Edith M Smith Middle School, Waukegan Cusd 60 also operates Waukegan High School (4,186 students), John R Lewis Middle School (721 students), and Miguel Juarez Middle School (651 students). See the Waukegan Cusd 60 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.