Enrollment
295
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 171590001900
Empire Elem School — Freeport, IL
Federal NCES profile for Empire Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 18/100.
👥 Class size 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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
Empire Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (18/100), with class sizes larger than 95% of Illinois schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 18/100
- 19.1:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 295
- students enrolled
School address
District: Freeport Sd 145 · 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)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Empire 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
Empire Elem School reports 295 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 17.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 31% above the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 22% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 43.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Freeport Sd 145 spends $19,684 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $17,042 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 36.3% from local sources (property taxes), 48.2% from the state, and 15.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F), 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 Empire 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 | 19.1:1 | ▲ 31% | 14.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 295 | top 36% | — | — |
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)
19 smaller classes than 19% 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')
295 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
— 31% above state mean
Top 95% in Illinois — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,684
per pupil, district-wide
— above Illinois avg of $17,042
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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 295 Top 36% in Illinois — larger than 64% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 17.0
Students per teacher 19.1:1 +31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 171590001900
Student demographics
White 45.1%
African American 26.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
Two or More 13.2%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 45.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 43.1%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Freeport Sd 145, which includes Empire Elem School.
$19,684
Per student
+16%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 48.2%
Federal 15.5%
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
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
Similar other schools in Freeport
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Blackhawk Elem School
Standard public school
361 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Jones-Farrar Intl Baccalaureate
Standard public school
350 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School
Standard public school
325 students 13:1 students per teacher
Center Elem School
Standard public school
262 students 14.6:1 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.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Empire Elem School side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Empire Elem School
How many students attend Empire Elem School?
Empire Elem School has 295 students enrolled. It is a other school in Freeport, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Empire Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Empire Elem School is 19.1:1, which is 31% higher than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Empire Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Empire Elem School is White at 45.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Freeport, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Empire Elem School?
Empire Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (F) 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.
Is Empire Elem School a good school?
Empire Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (18/100), with class sizes larger than 95% of Illinois schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.