2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 171626001942
Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S — Gardner, IL
Federal NCES profile for Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
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
Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S earns a D Resource Investment Index (41/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 98% of Illinois schools.
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.
Enrollment
154
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.7:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
▲-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
Smaller classes than state median
14.6:1 Illinois median15.7:1 U.S. median
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
Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S reports 154 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 47% 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 15.7:1, it is 51% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 154 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Gardner S Wilmington Twp Hsd 73 spends $22,442 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $17,042 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 60.0% from local sources (property taxes), 35.8% from the state, and 4.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
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
7.7:1
▼ 47%
14.6:1
15.7:1
Enrollment
154
top 11%
—
—
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)
8Among the smallest classessmaller classes than 96% 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')
154larger than 15% 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
7.7:1
students per teacher
— 47% below state mean
Top 2% in Illinois — lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$22,442
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 154 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
Enrollment154 Top 11% in Illinois — larger than 89% of 3,845 state schools
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.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Frequently asked questions about Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S
How many students attend Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S?
Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S has 154 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gardner, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S is 7.7:1, which is 47% lower than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 51% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S?
The largest demographic group at Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S is White at 92.9%. The school serves a student body in Gardner, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S?
Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S a good school?
Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S earns a D Resource Investment Index (41/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 98% 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.