Enrollment
913
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicago, IL
Peterson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Peterson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170993001033
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Peterson Elem School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #275 of 394
- schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 913
- students enrolled
Peterson Elem School has class sizes larger than 75% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Peterson Elem School ranks #275 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993001033 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Peterson Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Peterson Elem School
Peterson Elem School is a large combined-grade school in Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 913 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Illinois, bigger than 92% of state schools at 913 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (37%) and Asian (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 457 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $21,050 per pupil, 24% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Chicago's public schools, it stands alongside Lane Technical High School (4,604 students): Peterson Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 17.8:1).
City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students) and Taft High School (4,487 students) alongside Peterson 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 Peterson Elem School compares
Peterson 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 913 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
913
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Illinois - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.9%
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
$21,050
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 457 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 36.6%
Asian 26.9%
White 25.5%
African American 6.2%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.3, Peterson Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Peterson Elem School.
$21,050
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
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 Peterson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Peterson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Chicago
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Lane Technical High School
Standard public school
4,604 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Taft High School
Standard public school
4,487 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Kenwood Academy High School
Standard public school
2,268 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Young Magnet High School
Standard public school
2,223 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Disney Elem Magnet School
Standard public school
1,384 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Morgan Park High School
Standard public school
1,349 students 19:1 students per teacher
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 (~913 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Peterson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Peterson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- City of Chicago Sd 299'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 Peterson Elem School
How many students attend Peterson Elem School?
Peterson Elem School has 913 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Peterson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Peterson Elem School is 15.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Peterson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Peterson Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 36.6% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Peterson Elem School?
Peterson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Peterson Elem School rank among schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Peterson Elem School ranks #275 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chicago on the city page.
Is Peterson Elem School a good school?
Peterson Elem School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Peterson Elem School, City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students), Taft High School (4,487 students), and Curie Metropolitan High School (3,099 students). See the City of Chicago Sd 299 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.