Enrollment
484
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 172058002325
M J Cunningham Elem Sch — Joliet, IL
Federal NCES profile for M J Cunningham Elem Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 8
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
M J Cunningham Elem Sch earns an F Resource Investment Index (25/100), with class sizes larger than 81% of Illinois schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 25/100
- 16:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 484
- students enrolled
School address
District: Joliet Psd 86 · Illinois
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How M J Cunningham Elem Sch compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
M J Cunningham Elem Sch reports 484 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 31.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 10% above the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 2% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 36.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Joliet Psd 86 spends $19,736 per pupil district-wide, below the Illinois average of $20,099 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 24.4% from local sources (property taxes), 63.0% from the state, and 12.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How M J Cunningham Elem Sch compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 484 | top 67% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
16 smaller classes than 39% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
484 larger than 60% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
— 10% above state mean
Top 81% in Illinois — lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,736
per pupil, district-wide
— below Illinois avg of $20,099
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
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 484 Top 67% in Illinois — larger than 33% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 31.0
Students per teacher 16:1 +10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 172058002325
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 84.7%
African American 6.0%
White 5.2%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 84.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 36.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joliet Psd 86, which includes M J Cunningham Elem Sch.
$19,736
Per student
-2%
vs Illinois
Avg $20,099
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.0%
Federal 12.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
Similar elementary schools in Joliet
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Elem Sch
Standard public school
646 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Sator Sanchez Elem School
Standard public school
635 students 14:1 students per teacher
Pershing Elem School
Standard public school
621 students 18:1 students per teacher
Lynne Thigpen Elem School
Standard public school
620 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Farragut Elem School
Standard public school
568 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about M J Cunningham Elem Sch
How many students attend M J Cunningham Elem Sch?
M J Cunningham Elem Sch has 484 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Joliet, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at M J Cunningham Elem Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at M J Cunningham Elem Sch is 16:1, which is 10% higher than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of M J Cunningham Elem Sch?
The largest demographic group at M J Cunningham Elem Sch is Hispanic or Latino at 84.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Joliet, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for M J Cunningham Elem Sch?
M J Cunningham Elem Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is M J Cunningham Elem Sch a good school?
M J Cunningham Elem Sch earns an F Resource Investment Index (25/100), with class sizes larger than 81% of Illinois schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.