Enrollment
453
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Darien, IL
Mark Delay School
Federal NCES profile for Mark Delay School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172145002413
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mark Delay School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Darien · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 453
- students enrolled
Mark Delay School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mark Delay School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Darien, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mark Delay School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mark Delay School
Mark Delay School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Darien, Illinois, enrolling 453 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 453 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 (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Darien Sd 61 spends $20,576 per pupil, 21% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Darien's public schools, it stands alongside Concord Elem School (460 students): Mark Delay School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 13.1:1).
Darien Sd 61 also operates Eisenhower Jr High School (407 students) and Lace Elem School (377 students) alongside Mark Delay 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 Mark Delay School compares
Mark Delay 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 13% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 31% in Illinois - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.0%
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
$20,576
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
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.
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 55.8%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
African American 11.7%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 6.4%
Largest group: White at 55.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Mark Delay School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Darien Sd 61, which includes Mark Delay School.
$20,576
Per student
+21%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.8%
State 36.9%
Federal 6.2%
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 Mark Delay School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lace Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mark Delay School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Darien
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~453 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mark Delay School's federal record.
- Compare Mark Delay School against another school. Compare schools
- Darien Sd 61'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 Mark Delay School
How many students attend Mark Delay School?
Mark Delay School has 453 students enrolled. It is a public school in Darien, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mark Delay School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mark Delay School is 12.2:1, which is 13% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 22% 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 Mark Delay School?
The largest demographic group at Mark Delay School is White at 55.8% of enrollment, in Darien, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mark Delay School?
Mark Delay School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Mark Delay School rank among schools in Darien?
By Resource Investment Index, Mark Delay School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Darien, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Darien on the city page.
Is Mark Delay School a good school?
Mark Delay School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Darien Sd 61?
Besides Mark Delay School, Darien Sd 61 also operates Eisenhower Jr High School (407 students) and Lace Elem School (377 students). See the Darien Sd 61 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.