- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Forrest, IL
Prairie Central Jr High School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Central Jr High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 170000505127
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Central Jr High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 250
- students enrolled
Prairie Central Jr High School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Prairie Central Cusd 8 · Illinois
NCES ID 170000505127 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+4 students YoY
Prairie Central Jr High School held near 232 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+4 headcount).
Teacher FTE added 20.5 → 22.0 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
+4 students YoY 170000505127 · Forrest, IL Middle · SMALL · TRAD
250 enr · 12.5:1 · RII 30
Nearest enrollment peer: Prairie Central High School (487 students)
Prairie Central Jr High School held near 232 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+4 headcount). Teacher FTE added 20.5 → 22.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Prairie Central Jr High School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central High School
487 students
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Elem School
367 students
- This school
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 Jr High School reports 250 students on the CCD universe file.
How Prairie Central Jr High School compares
Prairie Central Jr 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 11% | 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
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
250
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in Illinois - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.4%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Student demographics
White 83.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 83.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.4, Prairie Central Jr High School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
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 Jr High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Primary West | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Upper Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Primary East | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Central Jr High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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 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 (~250 students)
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Central Jr High School
How many students attend Prairie Central Jr High School?
Prairie Central Jr High School has 250 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Forrest, IL. CCD year-over-year: 228 (2022-23) → 232 (2023-24), nearly flat (+4).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central Jr High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central Jr High School is 12.5:1, which is 11% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 20% 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 Jr High School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Central Jr High School is White at 83.2% of enrollment, in Forrest, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Central Jr High School?
Prairie Central Jr High School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, 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 Jr High School, Prairie Central Cusd 8 also operates Prairie Central High School (487 students), Prairie Central Elem School (367 students), and Prairie Central Primary West (244 students). See the Prairie Central Cusd 8 district page for the complete list.