- Enrollment
- 2,079
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Normal, IL
Parkside Jr High School
Federal NCES profile for Parkside Jr High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 172862003004
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parkside Jr High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Normal · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 598
- students enrolled
Parkside Jr High School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Jr High School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Normal, IL.
School address
District: Mclean County Usd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 172862003004 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 172862003004 · Normal, IL Middle · MID · TRAD
598 enr · 12.2:1 · RII 52
Nearest enrollment peer: Normal Community High School (2,079 students)
Resource Investment Index #1 of 3 middle schools in Normal. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Parkside Jr High School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Normal Communi
Normal Community High School
2,079 students
- Normal Communi
Normal Community West High School
1,590 students
- Evans Junior H 778
Evans Junior High School
778 students
- Kingsley Jr Hi 730
Kingsley Jr High School
730 students
- Benjamin Elem 607
Benjamin Elem School
607 students
- This school 598
Parkside Jr High School
598 students
What this shows Parkside Jr High School reports 598 students on the CCD universe file.
How Parkside Jr High School compares
Parkside Jr High 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 13% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 598 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
598
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 31% in Illinois - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$16,620
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 299 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Student demographics
White 57.4%
African American 18.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.4%
Two or More 8.9%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: White at 57.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, Parkside Jr High School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mclean County Usd 5, which includes Parkside Jr High School.
$16,620
Per student
-9%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 63.3%
State 29.2%
Federal 7.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Parkside Jr High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Community High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Normal Community West High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Evans Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kingsley Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parkside Jr High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- 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 middle schools in Normal
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~598 students)
Frequently asked questions about Parkside Jr High School
How many students attend Parkside Jr High School?
Parkside Jr High School has 598 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Normal, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parkside Jr High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Parkside Jr High School is 12.2:1, which is 13% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 22% 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 Parkside Jr High School?
The largest demographic group at Parkside Jr High School is White at 57.4% of enrollment, in Normal, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parkside Jr High School?
Parkside Jr High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Parkside Jr High School rank among middle schools in Normal?
By Resource Investment Index, Parkside Jr High School ranks #1 of 3 middle 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 middle schools in Normal on the city page.
What other schools are in Mclean County Usd 5?
Besides Parkside Jr High 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.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.