Enrollment
292
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Chicago, IL
Pioneer Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 174155004162
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Elem School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Illinois schools.
- #7 of 7
- elementary schools in West Chicago · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.4:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 292
- students enrolled
Pioneer Elem School has class sizes smaller than 93% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elem School ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in West Chicago, IL.
School address
District: West Chicago Esd 33 · Illinois
NCES ID 174155004162 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.4:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Elem School
Pioneer Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in West Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 292 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.4:1, Pioneer Elem School is leaner than roughly 93% of Illinois schools and 33% under the state's 14:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
With 292 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (11%) (diversity index 36/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding West Chicago Esd 33 spends $24,488 per pupil, 44% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among West Chicago's elementary schools, it stands alongside Gary Elementary School (425 students): Pioneer Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.4:1 vs 11.8:1).
West Chicago Esd 33 also operates Leman Middle School (1,048 students) and Gary Elementary School (425 students) alongside Pioneer 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 Pioneer Elem School compares
Pioneer 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 | 9.4:1 | ▼ 33% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 292 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.4:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
292
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9.4:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 7% in Illinois - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
$24,488
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 79.1%
White 11.3%
Asian 4.5%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.8, Pioneer Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Chicago Esd 33, which includes Pioneer Elem School.
$24,488
Per student
+44%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+48%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 48.4%
Federal 8.7%
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 Pioneer Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leman Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gary Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wegner Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Knoll Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Currier Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,048
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar elementary schools in West Chicago
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Gary Elementary School
Standard public school
425 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Wegner Elementary School
Standard public school
384 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Indian Knoll Elem School
Standard public school
375 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Currier Elementary School
Standard public school
359 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Turner Elem School
Standard public school
349 students 12:1 students per teacher
Benjamin Middle School
Standard public school
259 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~292 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- West Chicago Esd 33'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 Pioneer Elem School
How many students attend Pioneer Elem School?
Pioneer Elem School has 292 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Elem School is 9.4:1, which is 33% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 40% 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 Pioneer Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 79.1% of enrollment, in West Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Elem School?
Pioneer Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 Pioneer Elem School rank among elementary schools in West Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Elem School ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in West Chicago, 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 West Chicago on the city page.
Is Pioneer Elem School a good school?
Pioneer Elem School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of 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 West Chicago Esd 33?
Besides Pioneer Elem School, West Chicago Esd 33 also operates Leman Middle School (1,048 students), Gary Elementary School (425 students), and Wegner Elementary School (384 students). See the West Chicago Esd 33 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.