Enrollment
236
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Palos Heights, IL
Independence Jr High School
Federal NCES profile for Independence Jr High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 173057003177
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Jr High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Palos Heights · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 236
- students enrolled
Independence Jr High School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Jr High School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Palos Heights, IL.
School address
District: Palos Heights Sd 128 · Illinois
NCES ID 173057003177 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Jr High School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Jr High School
Independence Jr High School is a mid-sized middle school in Palos Heights, Illinois, enrolling 236 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 236 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 236 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Palos Heights Sd 128 also operates Chippewa Elem School (237 students) and Indian Hill (183 students) alongside Independence Jr High 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 Independence Jr High School compares
Independence Jr High 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 236 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
236
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 34% in Illinois - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,667
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 236 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 84.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
African American 3.8%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.2, Independence Jr High School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palos Heights Sd 128, which includes Independence Jr High School.
$17,667
Per student
+4%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.0%
State 23.4%
Federal 6.6%
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 Independence Jr High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian Hill | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Navajo Heights Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Jr High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 183
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 174
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle 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 (~236 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Jr High School's federal record.
- Compare Independence Jr High School against another school. Compare schools
- Palos Heights Sd 128'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 Independence Jr High School
How many students attend Independence Jr High School?
Independence Jr High School has 236 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palos Heights, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Jr High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Jr High School is 12.4:1, which is 11% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 21% 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 Independence Jr High School?
The largest demographic group at Independence Jr High School is White at 84.7% of enrollment, in Palos Heights, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Jr High School?
Independence Jr High School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Independence Jr High School rank among public schools in Palos Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Jr High School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Palos Heights, 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 Palos Heights on the city page.
Is Independence Jr High School a good school?
Independence Jr High School earns 50/100 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 Palos Heights Sd 128?
Besides Independence Jr High School, Palos Heights Sd 128 also operates Chippewa Elem School (237 students), Indian Hill (183 students), and Navajo Heights Elem School (174 students). See the Palos Heights Sd 128 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.