Enrollment
277
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sterling, IL
Lincoln Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174231004256
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lincoln Elem School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Sterling · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 277
- students enrolled
Lincoln Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elem School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Sterling, IL.
School address
District: Sterling Cusd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 174231004256 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lincoln Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lincoln Elem School
Lincoln Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Sterling, Illinois, enrolling 277 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 277 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sterling Cusd 5 spends $13,182 per pupil, 23% below the Illinois average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Sterling's elementary schools, it stands alongside Washington Elem School (394 students): Lincoln Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 14.1:1).
Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Sterling High School (999 students) and Challand Middle School (726 students) alongside Lincoln 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 Lincoln Elem School compares
Lincoln 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 10% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 37% in Illinois - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,182
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 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 57.8%
Hispanic or Latino 31.0%
Two or More 7.9%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 57.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.3, Lincoln Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sterling Cusd 5, which includes Lincoln Elem School.
$13,182
Per student
-23%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 42.1%
Federal 13.3%
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 Lincoln Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Challand Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lincoln Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Sterling
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 (~277 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Lincoln Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Sterling Cusd 5'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 Lincoln Elem School
How many students attend Lincoln Elem School?
Lincoln Elem School has 277 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sterling, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elem School is 12.6:1, which is 10% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 20% 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 Lincoln Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Lincoln Elem School is White at 57.8% of enrollment, in Sterling, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Elem School?
Lincoln Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Lincoln Elem School rank among public schools in Sterling?
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elem School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Sterling, 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 Sterling on the city page.
Is Lincoln Elem School a good school?
Lincoln Elem School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Sterling Cusd 5?
Besides Lincoln Elem School, Sterling Cusd 5 also operates Sterling High School (999 students), Challand Middle School (726 students), and Jefferson Elem School (450 students). See the Sterling Cusd 5 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.