Enrollment
460
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elgin, IL
Harriet Gifford Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Harriet Gifford Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 171371001676
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harriet Gifford Elem School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools.
- #8 of 14
- schools in Elgin · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.4:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 460
- students enrolled
Harriet Gifford Elem School has class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harriet Gifford Elem School ranks #8 of 14 schools in Elgin, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harriet Gifford Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harriet Gifford Elem School
Harriet Gifford Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Elgin, Illinois, enrolling 460 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.4:1 is larger than about 92% of Illinois schools and 31% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 460 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 45/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Elgin's public schools, it stands alongside Country Trails Elem (751 students): Harriet Gifford Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.4:1 vs 19.3:1).
Sd U-46 also operates South Elgin High School (2,665 students) and Elgin High School (2,576 students) alongside Harriet Gifford 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 Harriet Gifford Elem School compares
Harriet Gifford 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 31% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 460 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
460
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 31% 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
28.0%
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
$17,947
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Harriet Gifford Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
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.
How Harriet Gifford Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Elgin High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elgin High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Larkin High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Streamwood High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harriet Gifford Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,665
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,576
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,174
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,037
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Elgin
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Country Trails Elem
Standard public school
751 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Lords Park Elem School
Standard public school
655 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Coleman Elem School
Standard public school
641 students 16:1 students per teacher
Highland Elem School
Standard public school
616 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Prairie View Grade School
Standard public school
615 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Huff Elem School
Standard public school
577 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~460 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harriet Gifford Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Harriet Gifford Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Sd U-46'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 Harriet Gifford Elem School
How many students attend Harriet Gifford Elem School?
Harriet Gifford Elem School has 460 students enrolled. It is a public 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 31% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 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% of enrollment, 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 (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 Harriet Gifford Elem School rank among schools in Elgin?
By Resource Investment Index, Harriet Gifford Elem School ranks #8 of 14 schools in Elgin, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Elgin on the city page.
Is Harriet Gifford Elem School a good school?
Harriet Gifford Elem School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Sd U-46?
Besides Harriet Gifford Elem School, Sd U-46 also operates South Elgin High School (2,665 students), Elgin High School (2,576 students), and Larkin High School (2,174 students). See the Sd U-46 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.