- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Forrest, IL
Prairie Central Upper Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Central Upper Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170000502056
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Central Upper Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Illinois schools.
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 216
- students enrolled
Prairie Central Upper Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Prairie Central Cusd 8 · Illinois
NCES ID 170000502056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-17 students YoY
Prairie Central Upper Elementary shrank from 237 students in 2022-23 to 220 in 2023-24 (-7.2%).
Teacher FTE held 21.1 → 21.3 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Shrinking CCD campus
-17 students YoY 170000502056 · Forrest, IL Elementary · SMALL · TRAD
216 enr · 10.3:1 · RII 37
Nearest enrollment peer: Prairie Central High School (487 students)
Prairie Central Upper Elementary shrank from 237 students in 2022-23 to 220 in 2023-24 (-7.2%). Teacher FTE held 21.1 → 21.3 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Prairie Central Upper Elementary 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
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Jr High School
250 students
- Prairie Centra
Prairie Central Primary West
244 students
- This school
Prairie Central Upper Elementary
216 students
- Prairie Centra 148
Prairie Central Primary East
148 students
What this shows Prairie Central Upper Elementary reports 216 students on the CCD universe file.
How Prairie Central Upper Elementary compares
Prairie Central Upper Elementary is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 26% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
216
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 12% in Illinois - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.6%
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
$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
10
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 87.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 3.2%
Largest group: White at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Prairie Central Upper Elementary 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 Upper Elementary 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Primary West | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Central Primary East | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Central Upper Elementary'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
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 244
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 148
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Nationwide elementary 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 (~216 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Central Upper Elementary
How many students attend Prairie Central Upper Elementary?
Prairie Central Upper Elementary has 216 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Forrest, IL. CCD year-over-year: 237 (2022-23) → 220 (2023-24), down 17.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central Upper Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Central Upper Elementary is 10.3:1, which is 26% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 34% 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 Upper Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Central Upper Elementary is White at 87.5% of enrollment, in Forrest, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Central Upper Elementary?
Prairie Central Upper Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Upper Elementary, Prairie Central Cusd 8 also operates Prairie Central High School (487 students), Prairie Central Elem School (367 students), and Prairie Central Jr High School (250 students). See the Prairie Central Cusd 8 district page for the complete list.