Enrollment
589
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Naperville, IL
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174169002094
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #8 of 27
- elementary schools in Naperville · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 589
- students enrolled
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary ranks #8 of 27 elementary schools in Naperville, IL.
School address
District: Indian Prairie Cusd 204 · Illinois
NCES ID 174169002094 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Naperville, Illinois, enrolling 589 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 589 puts it in the larger 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 Asian (41%) and White (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Naperville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Elmwood Elem School (726 students): Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 15.8:1).
Indian Prairie Cusd 204 also operates Neuqua Valley High School (3,018 students) and Waubonsie Valley High School (2,849 students) alongside Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary.
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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary compares
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 589 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
589
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% 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
20.9%
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
$17,239
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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 589 Top 21% in Illinois - larger than 79% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 43.0
Students per teacher 12.7:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 174169002094
Student demographics
Asian 41.1%
White 23.6%
Hispanic or Latino 17.7%
African American 12.6%
Two or More 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: Asian at 41.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.9%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indian Prairie Cusd 204, which includes Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary.
$17,239
Per student
+1%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.4%
State 30.8%
Federal 4.8%
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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuqua Valley High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waubonsie Valley High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Metea Valley High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francis Granger Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scullen Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,018
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,849
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,766
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Naperville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Elmwood Elem School
Standard public school
726 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
May Watts Elementary School
Standard public school
668 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Steeple Run Elem School
Standard public school
622 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Beebe Elem School
Standard public school
619 students 14:1 students per teacher
Mill Street Elem School
Standard public school
600 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Ranch View Elementary School
Standard public school
584 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Indian Prairie Cusd 204'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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary
How many students attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary has 589 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Naperville, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is 12.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 19% 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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is Asian at 41.1% of enrollment, in Naperville, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary rank among elementary schools in Naperville?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary ranks #8 of 27 elementary schools in Naperville, 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 Naperville on the city page.
Is Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary a good school?
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary earns 56/100 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 Indian Prairie Cusd 204?
Besides Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary, Indian Prairie Cusd 204 also operates Neuqua Valley High School (3,018 students), Waubonsie Valley High School (2,849 students), and Metea Valley High School (2,766 students). See the Indian Prairie Cusd 204 district page for the complete list.