Enrollment
407
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sterling, IL
Franklin Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Franklin Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 174231004252
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Franklin Elem School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Illinois schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 407
- students enrolled
Franklin Elem School has class sizes larger than 70% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Franklin Elem School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL.
School address
District: Sterling Cusd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 174231004252 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Franklin Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Franklin Elem School
Franklin Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sterling, Illinois, enrolling 407 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 407 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 407 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sterling Cusd 5 spends $13,182 per pupil, 23% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Sterling's public schools, it stands alongside Jefferson Elem School (450 students): Franklin Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 16.1:1).
Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Sterling High School (999 students) and Challand Middle School (726 students) alongside Franklin Elem 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 Franklin Elem School compares
Franklin Elem 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 407 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
407
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Illinois - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,182
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 407 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
White 57.4%
Hispanic or Latino 33.0%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 2.5%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.7, Franklin Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sterling Cusd 5, which includes Franklin Elem School.
$13,182
Per student
-23%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 42.1%
Federal 13.3%
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 Franklin Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Challand Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Franklin Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 277
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Sterling
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~407 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Franklin Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Franklin Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Sterling Cusd 5'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 Franklin Elem School
How many students attend Franklin Elem School?
Franklin Elem School has 407 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sterling, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Franklin Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Franklin Elem School is 15.1:1, which is 8% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Franklin Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Franklin Elem School is White at 57.4% of enrollment, in Sterling, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Franklin Elem School?
Franklin Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Franklin Elem School rank among public schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Franklin Elem School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sterling on the city page.
Is Franklin Elem School a good school?
Franklin Elem School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Sterling Cusd 5?
Besides Franklin Elem School, Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Sterling High School (999 students), Challand Middle School (726 students), and Jefferson Elem School (450 students). See the Sterling Cusd 5 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.