Enrollment
698
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charleston, IL
Jefferson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170960000569
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Elem School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Illinois schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 698
- students enrolled
Jefferson Elem School has class sizes larger than 95% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elem School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Charleston, IL.
School address
District: Charleston Cusd 1 · Illinois
NCES ID 170960000569 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Elem School
Jefferson Elem School is a large elementary school in Charleston, Illinois, enrolling 698 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.9:1 is larger than about 95% of Illinois schools and 42% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 698 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 (75%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 698 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Charleston Cusd 1 spends $12,259 per pupil, 28% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Charleston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carl Sandburg Elem School (555 students): Jefferson Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.9:1 vs 14.2:1).
Charleston Cusd 1 also operates Charleston High School (795 students) and Carl Sandburg Elem School (555 students) alongside Jefferson 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 Jefferson Elem School compares
Jefferson 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 42% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 698 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
698
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 95% in Illinois - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,259
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 698 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 74.9%
African American 10.0%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 74.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Jefferson Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charleston Cusd 1, which includes Jefferson Elem School.
$12,259
Per student
-28%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.9%
State 39.1%
Federal 14.0%
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 Jefferson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carl Sandburg Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charleston Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mark Twain Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ashmore Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
Similar elementary schools in Charleston
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~698 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Charleston Cusd 1'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 Jefferson Elem School
How many students attend Jefferson Elem School?
Jefferson Elem School has 698 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charleston, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elem School is 19.9:1, which is 42% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Elem School is White at 74.9% of enrollment, in Charleston, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elem School?
Jefferson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Jefferson Elem School rank among public schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elem School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Charleston, 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 Charleston on the city page.
Is Jefferson Elem School a good school?
Jefferson Elem School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Charleston Cusd 1?
Besides Jefferson Elem School, Charleston Cusd 1 also operates Charleston High School (795 students), Carl Sandburg Elem School (555 students), and Charleston Middle School (401 students). See the Charleston Cusd 1 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.