Enrollment
377
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Darien, IL
Lace Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Lace Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 172145002414
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lace Elem School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Darien · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.1:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 377
- students enrolled
Lace Elem School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lace Elem School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Darien, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lace Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lace Elem School
Lace Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Darien, Illinois, enrolling 377 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 377 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 led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
17.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Darien Sd 61 spends $20,576 per pupil, 21% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Darien's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cass Jr High School (313 students): Lace Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.1:1 vs 13:1).
Darien Sd 61 also operates Mark Delay School (453 students) and Eisenhower Jr High School (407 students) alongside Lace 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 Lace Elem School compares
Lace 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 21% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 377 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
377
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 19% in Illinois - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$20,576
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially 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.
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 57.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
African American 8.2%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 4.8%
Largest group: White at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.2, Lace Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Darien Sd 61, which includes Lace Elem School.
$20,576
Per student
+21%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.8%
State 36.9%
Federal 6.2%
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 Lace Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Delay School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lace Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar elementary schools in Darien
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 (~377 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lace Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Lace Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Darien Sd 61'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 Lace Elem School
How many students attend Lace Elem School?
Lace Elem School has 377 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Darien, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lace Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lace Elem School is 11.1:1, which is 21% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 29% 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 Lace Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Lace Elem School is White at 57.0% of enrollment, in Darien, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lace Elem School?
Lace Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Lace Elem School rank among public schools in Darien?
By Resource Investment Index, Lace Elem School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Darien, 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 Darien on the city page.
Is Lace Elem School a good school?
Lace Elem School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Darien Sd 61?
Besides Lace Elem School, Darien Sd 61 also operates Mark Delay School (453 students) and Eisenhower Jr High School (407 students). See the Darien Sd 61 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.