Enrollment
711
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Beardstown, IL
Gard Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gard Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170531000217
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gard Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Beardstown · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 711
- students enrolled
Gard Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gard Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Beardstown, IL.
School address
District: Beardstown Cusd 15 · Illinois
NCES ID 170531000217 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gard Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gard Elementary School
Gard Elementary School is a large elementary school in Beardstown, Illinois, enrolling 711 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 92% of Illinois schools and 30% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 711 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (38%) and Two or More (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Beardstown Cusd 15 spends $12,115 per pupil, 29% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Beardstown Cusd 15 also operates Beardstown Jr/Sr High School (820 students) and Grand Ave Sch (184 students) alongside Gard Elementary 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 Gard Elementary School compares
Gard 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 30% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 711 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
711
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 92% in Illinois - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,115
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 37.7%
Two or More 21.1%
African American 20.3%
White 20.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 37.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.2, Gard Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beardstown Cusd 15, which includes Gard Elementary School.
$12,115
Per student
-29%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.2%
State 67.6%
Federal 10.2%
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 Gard Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beardstown Jr/Sr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grand Ave Sch | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gard Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 46:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary 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 (~711 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gard Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gard Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Beardstown Cusd 15'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 Gard Elementary School
How many students attend Gard Elementary School?
Gard Elementary School has 711 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Beardstown, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gard Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gard Elementary School is 18.2:1, which is 30% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gard Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gard Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 37.7% of enrollment, in Beardstown, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gard Elementary School?
Gard Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gard Elementary School rank among public schools in Beardstown?
By Resource Investment Index, Gard Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Beardstown, 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 Beardstown on the city page.
Is Gard Elementary School a good school?
Gard Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Beardstown Cusd 15?
Besides Gard Elementary School, Beardstown Cusd 15 also operates Beardstown Jr/Sr High School (820 students) and Grand Ave Sch (184 students). See the Beardstown Cusd 15 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.