Enrollment
421
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waukegan, IL
Little Fort Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Little Fort Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174125004134
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Little Fort Elem School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #3 of 11
- elementary schools in Waukegan · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 421
- students enrolled
Little Fort Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Little Fort Elem School ranks #3 of 11 elementary schools in Waukegan, IL.
School address
District: Waukegan Cusd 60 · Illinois
NCES ID 174125004134 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Little Fort Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Little Fort Elem School
Little Fort Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Waukegan, Illinois, enrolling 421 students.
At 14:1, 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 421 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 Hispanic or Latino (77%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 39/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Waukegan's elementary schools, it stands alongside Glenwood Elementary School (577 students): Little Fort Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 14.4:1).
Waukegan Cusd 60 also operates Waukegan High School (4,186 students) and John R Lewis Middle School (721 students) alongside Little Fort 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 Little Fort Elem School compares
Little Fort 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 0% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 56% in Illinois - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,269
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
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 76.5%
African American 14.7%
Asian 3.6%
White 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Two or More 1.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 76.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.1, Little Fort 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 Waukegan Cusd 60, which includes Little Fort Elem School.
$20,269
Per student
+19%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.4%
Federal 12.2%
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 Little Fort Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukegan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| John R Lewis Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miguel Juarez Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert E Abbott Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Little Fort Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,186
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 651
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar elementary schools in Waukegan
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Glenwood Elementary School
Standard public school
577 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Learn Chtr 9 Campus in Waukegan
Standard public school
519 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Glen Flora Elem School
Standard public school
476 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Whittier Elem School
Standard public school
438 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Lyon Magnet Elementary School
Standard public school
430 students 13:1 students per teacher
H R Mccall Elem School
Standard public school
396 students 12.4:1 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 (~421 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Little Fort Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Little Fort Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Waukegan Cusd 60'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 Little Fort Elem School
How many students attend Little Fort Elem School?
Little Fort Elem School has 421 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waukegan, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Little Fort Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Little Fort Elem School is 14:1, which is 0% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Little Fort Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Little Fort Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 76.5% of enrollment, in Waukegan, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Little Fort Elem School?
Little Fort Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Little Fort Elem School rank among elementary schools in Waukegan?
By Resource Investment Index, Little Fort Elem School ranks #3 of 11 elementary schools in Waukegan, 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 Waukegan on the city page.
Is Little Fort Elem School a good school?
Little Fort Elem School earns 43/100 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 Waukegan Cusd 60?
Besides Little Fort Elem School, Waukegan Cusd 60 also operates Waukegan High School (4,186 students), John R Lewis Middle School (721 students), and Miguel Juarez Middle School (651 students). See the Waukegan Cusd 60 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.