Enrollment
521
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elgin, IL
Hilltop Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hilltop Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 171371005614
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilltop Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #7 of 14
- schools in Elgin · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 521
- students enrolled
Hilltop Elementary School has class sizes larger than 91% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Elementary School ranks #7 of 14 schools in Elgin, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilltop Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilltop Elementary School
Teacher staffing is the clearest operational constraint
Hilltop Elementary School's enrollment sits away from the most extreme size bands, but its reported student-teacher ratio is heavier than most Illinois schools. That isolates staffing load as a more useful concern than raw campus size. A high ratio does not establish weak teaching or outcomes, yet it can indicate less adult capacity per enrolled student. The remaining federal indicators show whether support staffing and program access offset that pressure.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
Hilltop Elementary School's 25.9% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
Hilltop Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Elgin, Illinois, enrolling 521 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 91% of Illinois schools and 29% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 521 puts it in the larger 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 led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and Asian (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% 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): Hilltop Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 19.3:1).
Sd U-46 also operates South Elgin High School (2,665 students) and Elgin High School (2,576 students) alongside Hilltop Elementary 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 Hilltop Elementary School compares
Hilltop Elementary 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 29% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 91% in Illinois - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.9%
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
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.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 44.7%
Asian 23.6%
White 18.2%
African American 7.5%
Two or More 5.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.3, Hilltop Elementary 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 Hilltop Elementary 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 Hilltop Elementary 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Larkin High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bartlett High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Streamwood High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilltop Elementary 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 (~521 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilltop Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hilltop Elementary 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 Hilltop Elementary School
How many students attend Hilltop Elementary School?
Hilltop Elementary School has 521 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elgin, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilltop Elementary School is 18:1, which is 29% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilltop Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hilltop Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 44.7% of enrollment, in Elgin, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilltop Elementary School?
Hilltop Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hilltop Elementary School rank among schools in Elgin?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilltop Elementary School ranks #7 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.
What other schools are in Sd U-46?
Besides Hilltop Elementary 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.