Enrollment
322
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Normal, IL
Parkside Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Parkside Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172862005321
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parkside Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Normal · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 322
- students enrolled
Parkside Elementary School has class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Normal, IL.
School address
District: Mclean County Usd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 172862005321 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Parkside Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Parkside Elementary School
Parkside Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Normal, Illinois, enrolling 322 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 322 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Normal's public schools, it stands alongside Sugar Creek Elem School (468 students): Parkside Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 15.6:1).
Mclean County Usd 5 also operates Normal Community High School (2,079 students) and Normal Community West High School (1,590 students) alongside Parkside Elementary 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 Parkside Elementary School compares
Parkside Elementary 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
322
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 72% in Illinois - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.3%
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
$14,528
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
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 50.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.9%
African American 14.0%
Two or More 13.7%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 50.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Parkside Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mclean County Usd 5, which includes Parkside Elementary School.
$14,528
Per student
-15%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.3%
State 29.2%
Federal 7.4%
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 Parkside Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Community High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Normal Community West High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Evans Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kingsley Jr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parkside Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,079
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Normal
3 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 (~322 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Parkside Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Parkside Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mclean County Usd 5'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 Parkside Elementary School
How many students attend Parkside Elementary School?
Parkside Elementary School has 322 students enrolled. It is a public school in Normal, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parkside Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Parkside Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Parkside Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Parkside Elementary School is White at 50.9% of enrollment, in Normal, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parkside Elementary School?
Parkside Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Parkside Elementary School rank among schools in Normal?
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Normal, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Normal on the city page.
Is Parkside Elementary School a good school?
Parkside Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. 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 Mclean County Usd 5?
Besides Parkside Elementary School, Mclean County Usd 5 also operates Normal Community High School (2,079 students), Normal Community West High School (1,590 students), and Evans Junior High School (778 students). See the Mclean County Usd 5 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.