Enrollment
700
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 173060003182
Palos West Elementary School — Palos Park, IL
Federal NCES profile for Palos West Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 59/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 67
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)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palos West Elementary 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 West Elementary School reports 700 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 48.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 13.3% 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 59/100 (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 West Elementary 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 700 | top 86% | — | — |
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
14.9:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 69% in Illinois — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
13.3%
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
6
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 700 Top 86% in Illinois — larger than 14% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 48.0
Students per teacher 14.9:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 173060003182
Student demographics
White 76.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 2.6%
African American 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 76.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.3%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Palos Ccsd 118, which includes Palos West Elementary 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
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
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 West Elementary School
How many students attend Palos West Elementary School?
Palos West Elementary School has 700 students enrolled. It is a other school in Palos Park, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palos West Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Palos West Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 2% higher than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palos West Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Palos West Elementary School is White at 76.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Palos Park, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palos West Elementary School?
Palos West Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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.