Enrollment
717
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 173060003181
Palos South Middle School — Palos Park, IL
Federal NCES profile for Palos South Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 61/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 70
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Palos Ccsd 118 · Illinois
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palos South Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Palos South Middle School reports 717 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 49.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% below the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Palos Ccsd 118 spends $20,214 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $20,099 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 63.9% from local sources (property taxes), 28.2% from the state, and 7.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Palos South Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 717 | top 87% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 61% in Illinois — lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$20,214
per pupil, district-wide
— above Illinois avg of $20,099
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 717 Top 87% in Illinois — larger than 13% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 49.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 173060003181
Student demographics
White 75.7%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
African American 3.2%
Asian 3.1%
Two or More 2.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 75.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.1%
In-school suspensions 25
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palos Ccsd 118, which includes Palos South Middle School.
$20,214
Per student
+1%
vs Illinois
Avg $20,099
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 63.9%
State 28.2%
Federal 7.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Palos South Middle School
How many students attend Palos South Middle School?
Palos South Middle School has 717 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Palos Park, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palos South Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palos South Middle School is 14.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palos South Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Palos South Middle School is White at 75.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Palos Park, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palos South Middle School?
Palos South Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.