- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Orland Park, IL
Prairie Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 173022003128
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Elem School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Orland Park · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 507
- students enrolled
Prairie Elem School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elem School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Orland Park, IL.
School address
District: Orland Sd 135 · Illinois
NCES ID 173022003128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 173022003128 · Orland Park, IL Other · MID · TRAD
507 enr · 12.7:1 · RII 39
Nearest enrollment peer: Jerling Junior High School (677 students)
Resource Investment Index #4 of 6 schools in Orland Park. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Prairie Elem School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Jerling Junior
Jerling Junior High School
677 students
- Century Junior
Century Junior High School
636 students
- Liberty Elem S
Liberty Elem School
627 students
- Meadow Ridge S
Meadow Ridge School
554 students
- Orland Jr High
Orland Jr High School
524 students
- This school
Prairie Elem School
507 students
What this shows Prairie Elem School reports 507 students on the CCD universe file.
How Prairie Elem School compares
Prairie 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 507 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 38% in Illinois - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.2%
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
$18,852
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting 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 + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 74.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
Asian 3.4%
African American 2.6%
Two or More 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 74.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.4, Prairie Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orland Sd 135, which includes Prairie Elem School.
$18,852
Per student
+4%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 71.0%
State 24.0%
Federal 5.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Prairie Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerling Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadow Ridge School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orland Jr High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 636
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Orland Park
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Arnold W Kruse Ed Center
Standard public school
462 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Fernway Park Elem School
Standard public school
461 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Centennial School
Standard public school
392 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Orland Park Elem School
Standard public school
386 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Orland Center School
Standard public school
379 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Nationwide other 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 (~507 students)
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Elem School
How many students attend Prairie Elem School?
Prairie Elem School has 507 students enrolled. It is a public school in Orland Park, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elem School is 12.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 19% 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 Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Elem School is White at 74.4% of enrollment, in Orland Park, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Elem School?
Prairie Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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).
How does Prairie Elem School rank among schools in Orland Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elem School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Orland Park, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Orland Park on the city page.
What other schools are in Orland Sd 135?
Besides Prairie Elem School, Orland Sd 135 also operates Jerling Junior High School (677 students), Century Junior High School (636 students), and Liberty Elem School (627 students). See the Orland Sd 135 district page for the complete list.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.