- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
High school (grades 9-12) · Fairbury, IL
Prairie Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 170000505126
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Central High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Illinois schools.
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 487
- students enrolled
Prairie Central High School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Prairie Central Cusd 8 · Illinois
NCES ID 170000505126 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+2 students YoY
Prairie Central High School held near 518 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+2 headcount).
Teacher FTE added 43.0 → 45.0 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
+2 students YoY 170000505126 · Fairbury, IL High · SMALL · TRAD
487 enr · 11.6:1 · RII 34
Nearest enrollment peer: Prairie Central Elem School (367 students)
Prairie Central High School held near 518 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+2 headcount). Teacher FTE added 43.0 → 45.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Prairie Central High School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- This school
Prairie Central High School
487 students
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Elem School
367 students
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Jr High School
250 students
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Primary West
244 students
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Upper Elementary
216 students
- Prairie Centra 148
Prairie Central Primary East
148 students
What this shows Prairie Central High School reports 487 students on the CCD universe file.
How Prairie Central High School compares
Prairie Central High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.6:1 | ▼ 17% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
487
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 24% in Illinois - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
43.9%
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
$15,986
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 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Student demographics
White 82.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.3, Prairie Central High School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
District finance for Prairie Central Cusd 8 reports $15,986 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Prairie Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Central Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Jr High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Primary West | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Upper Elementary | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Primary East | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 244
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 216
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 148
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Nationwide high 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 (~487 students)
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Central High School
How many students attend Prairie Central High School?
Prairie Central High School has 487 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fairbury, IL. CCD year-over-year: 516 (2022-23) → 518 (2023-24), nearly flat (+2).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central High School is 11.6:1, which is 17% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 26% 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 Prairie Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Central High School is White at 82.5% of enrollment, in Fairbury, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Central High School?
Prairie Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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).
What other schools are in Prairie Central Cusd 8?
Besides Prairie Central High School, Prairie Central Cusd 8 also operates Prairie Central Elem School (367 students), Prairie Central Jr High School (250 students), and Prairie Central Primary West (244 students). See the Prairie Central Cusd 8 district page for the complete list.