Enrollment
650
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Salle, IL
Northwest Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172208002478
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Elem School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in La Salle · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 650
- students enrolled
Northwest Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elem School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in La Salle, IL.
School address
District: La Salle Esd 122 · Illinois
NCES ID 172208002478 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Elem School
Northwest Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in La Salle, Illinois, enrolling 650 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 650 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Salle's public schools, it stands alongside Dimmick Comm Cons Sd 175 (153 students): Northwest Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 13.9:1).
Its district, La Salle Esd 122, also runs Lincoln Jr High School (269 students).
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 Northwest Elem School compares
Northwest 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 650 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
650
Bigger than 77% 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 38% in Illinois - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$15,030
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
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 35.1%
Two or More 7.8%
African American 5.1%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Northwest Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Salle Esd 122, which includes Northwest Elem School.
$15,030
Per student
-12%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.0%
State 61.1%
Federal 14.9%
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 Northwest Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Jr High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in La Salle
1 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 (~650 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- La Salle Esd 122'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 Northwest Elem School
How many students attend Northwest Elem School?
Northwest Elem School has 650 students enrolled. It is a public school in La Salle, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elem School 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 Northwest Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Elem School is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in La Salle, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Elem School?
Northwest Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Northwest Elem School rank among public schools in La Salle?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elem School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in La Salle, 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 La Salle on the city page.
Is Northwest Elem School a good school?
Northwest Elem School earns 32/100 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 La Salle Esd 122?
Besides Northwest Elem School, La Salle Esd 122 also operates Lincoln Jr High School (269 students). See the La Salle Esd 122 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.