Enrollment
453
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Buffalo Grove, IL
Prairie Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 172103004410
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Illinois schools.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Buffalo Grove · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 453
- students enrolled
Prairie Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Buffalo Grove, IL.
School address
District: Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96 · Illinois
NCES ID 172103004410 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Elementary School
Prairie Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, enrolling 453 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.6:1 is larger than about 86% of Illinois schools and 19% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 453 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by Asian (56%) and White (36%) (diversity index 56/100).
13.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96 spends $21,048 per pupil, 24% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Buffalo Grove's elementary schools, it stands alongside Meridian School (702 students): Prairie Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 13.6:1).
Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96 also operates Woodlawn Middle School (632 students) and Twin Groves Middle School (625 students) alongside Prairie Elementary 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 Prairie Elementary School compares
Prairie Elementary 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 86% in Illinois - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$21,048
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
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 453 Top 37% in Illinois - larger than 63% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 28.0
Students per teacher 16.6:1 +19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible -
NCES ID 172103004410
Student demographics
Asian 55.6%
White 35.5%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 55.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Prairie Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.5%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96, which includes Prairie Elementary School.
$21,048
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 71.0%
State 24.7%
Federal 4.4%
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 Prairie Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodlawn Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Twin Groves Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ivy Hall Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Country Meadows Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kildeer Countryside Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary schools in Buffalo Grove
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Meridian School
Standard public school
702 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Tripp School
Standard public school
485 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Ivy Hall Elementary School
Standard public school
482 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Earl Pritchett School
Standard public school
430 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96'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 Prairie Elementary School
How many students attend Prairie Elementary School?
Prairie Elementary School has 453 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Buffalo Grove, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 19% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Elementary School is Asian at 55.6% of enrollment, in Buffalo Grove, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Elementary School?
Prairie Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Prairie Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Buffalo Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Buffalo Grove, 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 Buffalo Grove on the city page.
Is Prairie Elementary School a good school?
Prairie Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96?
Besides Prairie Elementary School, Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96 also operates Woodlawn Middle School (632 students), Twin Groves Middle School (625 students), and Ivy Hall Elementary School (482 students). See the Kildeer Countryside Ccsd 96 district page for the complete list.