Enrollment
248
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chicago Heights, IL
Garfield Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Garfield Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170996001220
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garfield Elem School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% of Illinois schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Chicago Heights · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 248
- students enrolled
Garfield Elem School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield Elem School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Chicago Heights, IL.
School address
District: Chicago Heights Sd 170 · Illinois
NCES ID 170996001220 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garfield Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garfield Elem School
Garfield Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Chicago Heights, Illinois, enrolling 248 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 248 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Chicago Heights Sd 170 spends $21,577 per pupil, 27% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicago Heights's elementary schools, it stands alongside Barack Obama Sch of Ldership (367 students): Garfield Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 11.3:1).
Chicago Heights Sd 170 also operates Chicago Heights Middle School (872 students) and Roosevelt Elem School (353 students) alongside Garfield 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 Garfield Elem School compares
Garfield 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 19% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 248 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
248
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 20% in Illinois - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.7%
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
$21,577
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 248 Top 74% in Illinois - larger than 26% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 11.3:1 -19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 170996001220
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 90.3%
African American 8.9%
White 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.7, Garfield Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 36.7%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chicago Heights Sd 170, which includes Garfield Elem School.
$21,577
Per student
+27%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.3%
State 52.4%
Federal 22.3%
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 Garfield Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Heights Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington-Mckinley Elem Sch | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kennedy Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greenbriar Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garfield Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 872
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 286
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 193
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 174
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Chicago Heights
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership
Standard public school
367 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Serena Hills Elem School
Standard public school
305 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Wilson Elem School
Standard public school
160 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elem School
Standard public school
84 students 7.2:1 students per teacher
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garfield Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Garfield Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Chicago Heights Sd 170'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 Garfield Elem School
How many students attend Garfield Elem School?
Garfield Elem School has 248 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chicago Heights, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garfield Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Garfield Elem School is 11.3:1, which is 19% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 28% 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 Garfield Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Garfield Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 90.3% of enrollment, in Chicago Heights, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garfield Elem School?
Garfield Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Garfield Elem School rank among elementary schools in Chicago Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Garfield Elem School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Chicago Heights, 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 Chicago Heights on the city page.
Is Garfield Elem School a good school?
Garfield Elem School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Chicago Heights Sd 170?
Besides Garfield Elem School, Chicago Heights Sd 170 also operates Chicago Heights Middle School (872 students), Roosevelt Elem School (353 students), and Washington-Mckinley Elem Sch (286 students). See the Chicago Heights Sd 170 district page for the complete list.