Enrollment
460
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 171371001676
Harriet Gifford Elem School — Elgin, IL
Federal NCES profile for Harriet Gifford Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 29/100.
👥 Class size 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 30
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
Harriet Gifford Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (29/100), with class sizes larger than 93% of Illinois schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 29/100
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 460
- students enrolled
School address
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.
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harriet Gifford Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
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
Harriet Gifford Elem School reports 460 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% above the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 17% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Sd U-46 spends $17,947 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $17,042 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 43.9% from local sources (property taxes), 48.7% from the state, and 7.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Harriet Gifford Elem School compares
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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 26% | 14.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 460 | top 64% | — | — |
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)
18 smaller classes than 22% 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')
460 larger than 56% 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
18.4:1
students per teacher
— 26% above state mean
Top 93% in Illinois — lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.0%
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
$17,947
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 460 Top 64% in Illinois — larger than 36% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 18.4:1 +26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 171371001676
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 70.7%
African American 21.3%
White 4.6%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 70.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.0%
In-school suspensions 22
Out-of-school suspensions 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sd U-46, which includes Harriet Gifford Elem School.
$17,947
Per student
+5%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.9%
State 48.7%
Federal 7.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,665
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 2,576
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 2,174
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,037
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
Similar other schools in Elgin
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Country Trails Elem
Standard public school
751 students 17:1 students per teacher
Lords Park Elem School
Standard public school
655 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Coleman Elem School
Standard public school
641 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Highland Elem School
Standard public school
616 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Prairie View Grade School
Standard public school
615 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Huff Elem School
Standard public school
577 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Harriet Gifford Elem School side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Harriet Gifford Elem School
How many students attend Harriet Gifford Elem School?
Harriet Gifford Elem School has 460 students enrolled. It is a other school in Elgin, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harriet Gifford Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harriet Gifford Elem School is 18.4:1, which is 26% higher than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harriet Gifford Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Harriet Gifford Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 70.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Elgin, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harriet Gifford Elem School?
Harriet Gifford Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Harriet Gifford Elem School a good school?
Harriet Gifford Elem School earns an F Resource Investment Index (29/100), with class sizes larger than 93% 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.