Enrollment
678
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Burlington, IL
Howard B Thomas Grade School
Federal NCES profile for Howard B Thomas Grade School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170783000398
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard B Thomas Grade School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Burlington · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 678
- students enrolled
Howard B Thomas Grade School has class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard B Thomas Grade School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Burlington, IL.
School address
District: Central Cusd 301 · Illinois
NCES ID 170783000398 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard B Thomas Grade School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard B Thomas Grade School
Howard B Thomas Grade School is a large combined-grade school in Burlington, Illinois, enrolling 678 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 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.
Enrollment of 678 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Asian (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Central Cusd 301 also operates Central High School (1,575 students) and Prairie Knolls Middle Sch (770 students) alongside Howard B Thomas Grade 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 Howard B Thomas Grade School compares
Howard B Thomas Grade 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 31% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 678 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
678
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.3:1
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
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,069
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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
White 47.9%
Asian 25.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, Howard B Thomas Grade School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Cusd 301, which includes Howard B Thomas Grade School.
$14,069
Per student
-17%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.1%
State 27.9%
Federal 6.0%
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 Howard B Thomas Grade School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Knolls Middle Sch | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Country Trails Elem | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Grade School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard B Thomas Grade School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,575
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~678 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard B Thomas Grade School's federal record.
- Compare Howard B Thomas Grade School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Cusd 301'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 Howard B Thomas Grade School
How many students attend Howard B Thomas Grade School?
Howard B Thomas Grade School has 678 students enrolled. It is a public school in Burlington, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard B Thomas Grade School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard B Thomas Grade School is 18.3:1, 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 Howard B Thomas Grade School?
The largest demographic group at Howard B Thomas Grade School is White at 47.9% of enrollment, in Burlington, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard B Thomas Grade School?
Howard B Thomas Grade School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Howard B Thomas Grade School rank among public schools in Burlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard B Thomas Grade School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Burlington, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Burlington on the city page.
Is Howard B Thomas Grade School a good school?
Howard B Thomas Grade School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Central Cusd 301?
Besides Howard B Thomas Grade School, Central Cusd 301 also operates Central High School (1,575 students), Prairie Knolls Middle Sch (770 students), and Country Trails Elem (751 students). See the Central Cusd 301 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.