Enrollment
397
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Oak Forest, IL
Lee R Foster Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Lee R Foster Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171548001863
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lee R Foster Elem School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Oak Forest · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 397
- students enrolled
Lee R Foster Elem School has class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lee R Foster Elem School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Oak Forest, IL.
School address
District: Forest Ridge Sd 142 · Illinois
NCES ID 171548001863 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lee R Foster Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lee R Foster Elem School
Lee R Foster Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Oak Forest, Illinois, enrolling 397 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 397 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Oak Forest's elementary schools, it stands alongside Arbor Park Middle School (520 students): Lee R Foster Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 13:1).
Forest Ridge Sd 142 also operates Jack Hille Middle School (490 students) and Kerkstra Elem School (407 students) alongside Lee R Foster 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 Lee R Foster Elem School compares
Lee R Foster 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 397 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
397
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 72% in Illinois - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,159
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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 49.6%
Hispanic or Latino 33.2%
African American 11.8%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 49.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Lee R Foster Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forest Ridge Sd 142, which includes Lee R Foster Elem School.
$14,159
Per student
-17%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 46.1%
Federal 11.0%
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 Lee R Foster Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Hille Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kerkstra Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ridge Early Childhood Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lee R Foster Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Oak Forest
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Arbor Park Middle School
Standard public school
520 students 13:1 students per teacher
Kerkstra Elem School
Standard public school
407 students 14:1 students per teacher
Scarlet Oak Elementary School
Standard public school
249 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Arbor Elementary School
Standard public school
232 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~397 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lee R Foster Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Lee R Foster Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Forest Ridge Sd 142'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 Lee R Foster Elem School
How many students attend Lee R Foster Elem School?
Lee R Foster Elem School has 397 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Oak Forest, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lee R Foster Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lee R Foster Elem School is 15.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lee R Foster Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Lee R Foster Elem School is White at 49.6% of enrollment, in Oak Forest, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lee R Foster Elem School?
Lee R Foster Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Lee R Foster Elem School rank among elementary schools in Oak Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Lee R Foster Elem School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Oak Forest, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Oak Forest on the city page.
Is Lee R Foster Elem School a good school?
Lee R Foster Elem School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Forest Ridge Sd 142?
Besides Lee R Foster Elem School, Forest Ridge Sd 142 also operates Jack Hille Middle School (490 students), Kerkstra Elem School (407 students), and Ridge Early Childhood Center (245 students). See the Forest Ridge Sd 142 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.