Enrollment
531
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Downers Grove, IL
Lester Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Lester Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 171254001513
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lester Elem School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools.
- #5 of 11
- schools in Downers Grove · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 531
- students enrolled
Lester Elem School has class sizes larger than 92% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lester Elem School ranks #5 of 11 schools in Downers Grove, IL.
School address
District: Downers Grove Gsd 58 · Illinois
NCES ID 171254001513 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lester Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lester Elem School
Lester Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Downers Grove, Illinois, enrolling 531 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 92% of Illinois schools and 31% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 531 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 38/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Downers Grove's public schools, it stands alongside Hillcrest Elem School (382 students): Lester Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 15.9:1).
Downers Grove Gsd 58 also operates Herrick Middle School (626 students) and O Neill Middle School (403 students) alongside Lester 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 Lester Elem School compares
Lester 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 31% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
531
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 92% in Illinois - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$18,577
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 77.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.9%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 3.6%
African American 1.7%
Largest group: White at 77.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.9, Lester Elem School is about as mixed as the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Downers Grove Gsd 58, which includes Lester Elem School.
$18,577
Per student
+9%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.0%
State 26.6%
Federal 4.4%
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 Lester Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrick Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| O Neill Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kingsley Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lester Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 626
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar other schools in Downers Grove
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hillcrest Elem School
Standard public school
382 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Kingsley Elem School
Standard public school
359 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Highland Elem School
Standard public school
352 students 16:1 students per teacher
Fairmount Elem School
Standard public school
342 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Pierce Downer Elem School
Standard public school
337 students 16:1 students per teacher
Indian Trail Elem School
Standard public school
325 students 11.6:1 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 (~531 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lester Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Lester Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Downers Grove Gsd 58'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 Lester Elem School
How many students attend Lester Elem School?
Lester Elem School has 531 students enrolled. It is a public school in Downers Grove, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lester Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lester Elem School is 18.3:1, which is 31% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lester Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Lester Elem School is White at 77.7% of enrollment, in Downers Grove, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lester Elem School?
Lester Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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 Lester Elem School rank among schools in Downers Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Lester Elem School ranks #5 of 11 schools in Downers Grove, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Downers Grove on the city page.
Is Lester Elem School a good school?
Lester Elem School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Downers Grove Gsd 58?
Besides Lester Elem School, Downers Grove Gsd 58 also operates Herrick Middle School (626 students), O Neill Middle School (403 students), and Hillcrest Elem School (382 students). See the Downers Grove Gsd 58 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.