- Enrollment
- 2,134
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dekalb, IL
Founders Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Founders Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171200006172
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Founders Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Dekalb · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 565
- students enrolled
Founders Elementary School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Founders Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Dekalb, IL.
School address
District: Dekalb Cusd 428 · Illinois
NCES ID 171200006172 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 171200006172 · Dekalb, IL Elementary · MID · TRAD
565 enr · 14.5:1 · RII 30
Nearest enrollment peer: Dekalb High School (2,134 students)
Resource Investment Index #2 of 3 elementary schools in Dekalb. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Founders Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Dekalb High Sc
Dekalb High School
2,134 students
- Huntley Middle
Huntley Middle School
865 students
- Clinton Rosett 575
Clinton Rosette Middle School
575 students
- This school 565
Founders Elementary School
565 students
- Cortland Eleme 523
Cortland Elementary School
523 students
- Littlejohn Ele 362
Littlejohn Elem School
362 students
What this shows Founders Elementary School reports 565 students on the CCD universe file.
How Founders Elementary School compares
Founders Elementary 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 565 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
565
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 63% in Illinois - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.6%
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
$18,665
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat 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
120
in-school suspensions + 119 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 236 expulsions.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 43.9%
African American 29.6%
White 18.2%
Two or More 7.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Founders Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb Cusd 428, which includes Founders Elementary School.
$18,665
Per student
+3%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 41.5%
State 46.9%
Federal 11.6%
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 Founders Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dekalb High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntley Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clinton Rosette Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cortland Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Littlejohn Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Founders Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 362
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Dekalb
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Nationwide elementary 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 (~565 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Frequently asked questions about Founders Elementary School
How many students attend Founders Elementary School?
Founders Elementary School has 565 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dekalb, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Founders Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Founders Elementary School is 14.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Founders Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Founders Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment, in Dekalb, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Founders Elementary School?
Founders Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Founders Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Dekalb?
By Resource Investment Index, Founders Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Dekalb, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Dekalb on the city page.
What other schools are in Dekalb Cusd 428?
Besides Founders Elementary School, Dekalb Cusd 428 also operates Dekalb High School (2,134 students), Huntley Middle School (865 students), and Clinton Rosette Middle School (575 students). See the Dekalb Cusd 428 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.