Enrollment
427
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Aurora, IL
John Gates Elem School
Federal NCES profile for John Gates Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170468000148
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Gates Elem School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #3 of 21
- schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 427
- students enrolled
John Gates Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Gates Elem School ranks #3 of 21 schools in Aurora, IL.
School address
District: Aurora East Usd 131 · Illinois
NCES ID 170468000148 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Gates Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Gates Elem School
John Gates Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Aurora, Illinois, enrolling 427 students.
At 14.2:1, 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.
With 427 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% 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.
Among Aurora's public schools, it stands alongside Olney C Allen Elem School (712 students): John Gates Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.2:1 vs 16.6:1).
Aurora East Usd 131 also operates East High School (4,020 students) and Henry W Cowherd Middle School (807 students) alongside John Gates 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 John Gates Elem School compares
John Gates 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 427 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
427
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 60% in Illinois - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.1%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 96.3%
African American 1.9%
White 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.2, John Gates Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora East Usd 131, which includes John Gates Elem 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 John Gates Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Henry W Cowherd Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| C F Simmons Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| K D Waldo Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Olney C Allen Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Gates Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,020
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Aurora
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Olney C Allen Elem School
Standard public school
712 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
C M Bardwell Elem School
Standard public school
679 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Prairie Children Preschool
Standard public school
643 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Nicholas a Hermes Elem School
Standard public school
607 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Freeman Elem School
Standard public school
529 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Greenman Elem School
Standard public school
528 students 12.9:1 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 (~427 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Gates Elem School's federal record.
- Compare John Gates Elem 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 John Gates Elem School
How many students attend John Gates Elem School?
John Gates Elem School has 427 students enrolled. It is a public school in Aurora, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Gates Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at John Gates Elem School is 14.2:1, which is 1% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Gates Elem School?
The largest demographic group at John Gates Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 96.3% of enrollment, in Aurora, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Gates Elem School?
John Gates Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 John Gates Elem School rank among schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, John Gates Elem School ranks #3 of 21 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 schools in Aurora on the city page.
Is John Gates Elem School a good school?
John Gates Elem School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also less 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 Aurora East Usd 131?
Besides John Gates Elem School, Aurora East Usd 131 also operates East High School (4,020 students), Henry W Cowherd Middle School (807 students), and C F Simmons Middle School (792 students). See the Aurora East Usd 131 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.