Enrollment
250
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cahokia, IL
Penniman Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Penniman Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170804000412
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penniman Elem School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Cahokia · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 250
- students enrolled
Penniman Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penniman Elem School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Cahokia, IL.
School address
District: Cahokia Cusd 187 · Illinois
NCES ID 170804000412 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penniman Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penniman Elem School
Penniman Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Cahokia, Illinois, enrolling 250 students.
At 13.9:1, 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 250 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly African American (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Cahokia Cusd 187 spends $22,137 per pupil, 30% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 53 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 250 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Cahokia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Huffman Elem School (268 students): Penniman Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 14.9:1).
Cahokia Cusd 187 also operates Cahokia High School (850 students) and Wirth/Parks Middle School (571 students) alongside Penniman 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 Penniman Elem School compares
Penniman 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 250 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
250
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Illinois - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
69.6%
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
$22,137
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.2 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
African American 93.6%
White 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Two or More 1.6%
Largest group: African American at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, Penniman Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cahokia Cusd 187, which includes Penniman Elem School.
$22,137
Per student
+30%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.7%
State 58.8%
Federal 21.5%
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 Penniman Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cahokia High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wirth/Parks Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maplewood Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lalumier Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Huffman Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penniman Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 850
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 571
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Cahokia
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~250 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penniman Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Penniman Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Cahokia Cusd 187'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 Penniman Elem School
How many students attend Penniman Elem School?
Penniman Elem School has 250 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cahokia, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penniman Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Penniman Elem School is 13.9:1, which is 1% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 11% 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 Penniman Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Penniman Elem School is African American at 93.6% of enrollment, in Cahokia, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penniman Elem School?
Penniman Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Penniman Elem School rank among elementary schools in Cahokia?
By Resource Investment Index, Penniman Elem School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Cahokia, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Cahokia on the city page.
Is Penniman Elem School a good school?
Penniman Elem School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also less 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 Cahokia Cusd 187?
Besides Penniman Elem School, Cahokia Cusd 187 also operates Cahokia High School (850 students), Wirth/Parks Middle School (571 students), and Maplewood Elem School (290 students). See the Cahokia Cusd 187 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.