Enrollment
807
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aurora, IL
Henry W Cowherd Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Henry W Cowherd Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 170468000040
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Henry W Cowherd Middle School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #2 of 11
- middle schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 807
- students enrolled
Henry W Cowherd Middle School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Henry W Cowherd Middle School ranks #2 of 11 middle schools in Aurora, IL.
School address
District: Aurora East Usd 131 · Illinois
NCES ID 170468000040 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Henry W Cowherd Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Henry W Cowherd Middle School
Henry W Cowherd Middle School is a large middle school in Aurora, Illinois, enrolling 807 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Illinois median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Illinois, bigger than 90% of state schools at 807 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 269 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 173 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 807 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Aurora's middle schools, it stands alongside Francis Granger Middle School (1,011 students): Henry W Cowherd Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 14.4:1).
Aurora East Usd 131 also operates East High School (4,020 students) and C F Simmons Middle School (792 students) alongside Henry W Cowherd Middle 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 Henry W Cowherd Middle School compares
Henry W Cowherd Middle 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 807 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
807
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in Illinois - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,003
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
101
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 807 Top 10% in Illinois - larger than 90% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 64.0
Students per teacher 13.8:1 -1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 170468000040
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 83.1%
African American 12.9%
White 2.0%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.2, Henry W Cowherd Middle School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 269:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 5.8%
In-school suspensions 101
Out-of-school suspensions 72
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora East Usd 131, which includes Henry W Cowherd Middle School.
$15,003
Per student
-12%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.0%
State 60.2%
Federal 19.7%
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 Henry W Cowherd Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| C F Simmons Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| K D Waldo Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olney C Allen Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| C M Bardwell Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Henry W Cowherd Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,020
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Aurora
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Francis Granger Middle School
Standard public school
1,011 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Fischer Middle School
Standard public school
861 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
C F Simmons Middle School
Standard public school
792 students 13:1 students per teacher
K D Waldo Middle School
Standard public school
729 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Still Middle School
Standard public school
709 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Washington Middle School
Standard public school
690 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Henry W Cowherd Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Henry W Cowherd Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Aurora East Usd 131'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 Henry W Cowherd Middle School
How many students attend Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
Henry W Cowherd Middle School has 807 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aurora, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Henry W Cowherd Middle School is 13.8:1, which is 1% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 12% 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 Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Henry W Cowherd Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 83.1% of enrollment, in Aurora, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Henry W Cowherd Middle School?
Henry W Cowherd Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Henry W Cowherd Middle School rank among middle schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, Henry W Cowherd Middle School ranks #2 of 11 middle schools in Aurora, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is Henry W Cowherd Middle School a good school?
Henry W Cowherd Middle School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Aurora East Usd 131?
Besides Henry W Cowherd Middle School, Aurora East Usd 131 also operates East High School (4,020 students), C F Simmons Middle School (792 students), and K D Waldo Middle School (729 students). See the Aurora East Usd 131 district page for the complete list.