Enrollment
337
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Montgomery, IL
Nicholson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Nicholson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170471000157
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nicholson Elem School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Montgomery · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 337
- students enrolled
Nicholson Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nicholson Elem School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Montgomery, IL.
School address
District: Aurora West Usd 129 · Illinois
NCES ID 170471000157 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nicholson Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nicholson Elem School
Nicholson Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Montgomery, Illinois, enrolling 337 students.
At 13:1, 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 337 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and White (12%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Montgomery's elementary schools, it stands alongside Boulder Hill Elem School (476 students): Nicholson Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13:1 vs 11.3:1).
Aurora West Usd 129 also operates West Aurora High School (3,641 students) and Washington Middle School (690 students) alongside Nicholson 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 Nicholson Elem School compares
Nicholson 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 7% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 337 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
337
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 42% in Illinois - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$15,437
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 74.2%
White 12.2%
African American 9.8%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Nicholson Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Aurora West Usd 129, which includes Nicholson Elem School.
$15,437
Per student
-9%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.3%
State 37.9%
Federal 10.8%
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 Nicholson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Aurora High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Herget Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Freeman Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nicholson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,641
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Montgomery
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~337 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nicholson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Nicholson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Aurora West Usd 129'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 Nicholson Elem School
How many students attend Nicholson Elem School?
Nicholson Elem School has 337 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Montgomery, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nicholson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nicholson Elem School is 13:1, which is 7% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 17% 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 Nicholson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Nicholson Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 74.2% of enrollment, in Montgomery, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nicholson Elem School?
Nicholson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Nicholson Elem School rank among public schools in Montgomery?
By Resource Investment Index, Nicholson Elem School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Montgomery, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Montgomery on the city page.
Is Nicholson Elem School a good school?
Nicholson Elem School earns 29/100 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 Aurora West Usd 129?
Besides Nicholson Elem School, Aurora West Usd 129 also operates West Aurora High School (3,641 students), Washington Middle School (690 students), and Herget Middle School (594 students). See the Aurora West Usd 129 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.