Enrollment
300
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 171254001506
El Sierra Elem School — Downers Grove, IL
Federal NCES profile for El Sierra Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 65/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 72
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
El Sierra Elem School earns a B- Resource Investment Index (65/100), with class sizes smaller than 73% of Illinois schools.
- B-
- Resource Index · 65/100
- 12:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 300
- students enrolled
School address
District: Downers Grove Gsd 58 · Illinois
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How El Sierra Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
El Sierra Elem School reports 300 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% below the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 11.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Downers Grove Gsd 58 spends $20,348 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $20,099 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 69.0% from local sources (property taxes), 26.6% from the state, and 4.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How El Sierra Elem School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 18% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 37% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
12 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 78% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
300 larger than 32% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
— 18% below state mean
Top 27% in Illinois — lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
11.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$20,348
per pupil, district-wide
— above Illinois avg of $20,099
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
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 300 Top 37% in Illinois — larger than 63% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 12:1 -18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 171254001506
Student demographics
White 61.3%
Hispanic or Latino 21.3%
African American 6.7%
Asian 6.0%
Two or More 4.7%
Largest group: White at 61.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 11.3%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Downers Grove Gsd 58, which includes El Sierra Elem School.
$20,348
Per student
+1%
vs Illinois
Avg $20,099
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 69.0%
State 26.6%
Federal 4.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
Similar other schools in Downers Grove
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Lester Elem School
Standard public school
531 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elem School
Standard public school
382 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Kingsley Elem School
Standard public school
359 students 13:1 students per teacher
Highland Elem School
Standard public school
352 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Fairmount Elem School
Standard public school
342 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Pierce Downer Elem School
Standard public school
337 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about El Sierra Elem School
How many students attend El Sierra Elem School?
El Sierra Elem School has 300 students enrolled. It is a other school in Downers Grove, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at El Sierra Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at El Sierra Elem School is 12:1, which is 18% lower than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of El Sierra Elem School?
The largest demographic group at El Sierra Elem School is White at 61.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Downers Grove, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for El Sierra Elem School?
El Sierra Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.