Enrollment
271
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lincoln, IL
Northwest Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 172298002540
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Elem School earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Lincoln · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 271
- 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 #8 of 8 public schools in Lincoln, IL.
School address
District: Lincoln Esd 27 · Illinois
NCES ID 172298002540 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-3% 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 elementary school in Lincoln, Illinois, enrolling 271 students.
At 13.6:1, 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.
Enrollment of 271 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Two or More (17%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1084 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Lincoln Esd 27 also operates Lincoln Jr High School (321 students) and Washington-Monroe Elem School (224 students) alongside Northwest 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 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 3% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 271 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
271
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 51% in Illinois - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.1%
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
$16,922
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 72.3%
Two or More 17.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
African American 4.1%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 72.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.3, Northwest Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Esd 27, which includes Northwest Elem School.
$16,922
Per student
-1%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 52.8%
Federal 14.2%
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 Northwest Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington-Monroe Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Adams Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower 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
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 224
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 183
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 57
- Students per teacher
- 7.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~271 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln Esd 27'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 271 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lincoln, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elem School is 13.6:1, which is 3% 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 Northwest Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Elem School is White at 72.3% of enrollment, in Lincoln, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Elem School?
Northwest Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, 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 Lincoln?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elem School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Lincoln, 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 Lincoln on the city page.
Is Northwest Elem School a good school?
Northwest Elem School earns 19/100 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 Lincoln Esd 27?
Besides Northwest Elem School, Lincoln Esd 27 also operates Lincoln Jr High School (321 students), Washington-Monroe Elem School (224 students), and Central Elem School (183 students). See the Lincoln Esd 27 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.