- Enrollment
- 3,018
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174169002094
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 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 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #11 of 27
- elementary schools in Naperville · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- 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 #11 of 27 elementary schools in Naperville, IL.
School address
District: Indian Prairie Cusd 204 · Illinois
NCES ID 174169002094 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 174169002094 · Naperville, IL Elementary · MID · TRAD
589 enr · 13.7:1 · RII 54
Nearest enrollment peer: Neuqua Valley High School (3,018 students)
Resource Investment Index #11 of 27 elementary schools in Naperville. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Neuqua Valley
Neuqua Valley High School
3,018 students
- Waubonsie Vall
Waubonsie Valley High School
2,849 students
- Metea Valley H
Metea Valley High School
2,766 students
- Francis Grange 1,011
Francis Granger Middle School
1,011 students
- Scullen Middle 948
Scullen Middle School
948 students
- This school 589
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary
589 students
What this shows Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary reports 589 students on the CCD universe file.
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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 2% | 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
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
589
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 52% in Illinois - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
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
$18,127
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $18,196
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.
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
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indian Prairie Cusd 204, which includes Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary.
$18,127
Per student
0%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 64.4%
State 30.8%
Federal 4.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 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 | Similar 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Francis Granger Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scullen Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar 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
- 2,849
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,766
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 948
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Naperville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Elmwood Elem School
Standard public school
726 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
May Watts Elementary School
Standard public school
668 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Steeple Run Elem School
Standard public school
622 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Beebe Elem School
Standard public school
619 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Mill Street Elem School
Standard public school
600 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Ranch View Elementary School
Standard public school
584 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~589 students)
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 13.7:1, which is 2% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 13% 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 54/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. 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 #11 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.
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.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.