Enrollment
770
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Elgin, IL
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Knolls Middle Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 170783005957
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools.
- #1 of 5
- middle schools in Elgin · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 770
- students enrolled
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch has class sizes larger than 87% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Knolls Middle Sch ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Elgin, IL.
School address
District: Central Cusd 301 · Illinois
NCES ID 170783005957 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Knolls Middle Sch compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Knolls Middle Sch
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is a large middle school in Elgin, Illinois, enrolling 770 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.1:1 is larger than about 87% of Illinois schools and 22% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 770 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 58/100).
10.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Elgin's middle schools, it stands alongside Larsen Middle School (570 students): Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 13.9:1).
Central Cusd 301 also operates Central High School (1,575 students) and Country Trails Elem (751 students) alongside Prairie Knolls Middle Sch.
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 Knolls Middle Sch compares
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 22% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 770 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
770
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in Illinois - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.0%
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
$14,069
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
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
28
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 61.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.5%
Asian 15.2%
Two or More 4.4%
African American 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Cusd 301, which includes Prairie Knolls Middle Sch.
$14,069
Per student
-17%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.1%
State 27.9%
Federal 6.0%
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 Knolls Middle Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Country Trails Elem | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard B Thomas Grade School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Grade School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Middle School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Knolls Middle Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,575
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 751
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 678
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Elgin
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Larsen Middle School
Standard public school
570 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Abbott Middle School
Standard public school
551 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Kimball Middle School
Standard public school
501 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Ellis Middle School
Standard public school
496 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~770 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Knolls Middle Sch's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Knolls Middle Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Central Cusd 301'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 Knolls Middle Sch
How many students attend Prairie Knolls Middle Sch?
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch has 770 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Elgin, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Knolls Middle Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is 17.1:1, which is 22% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Knolls Middle Sch?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Knolls Middle Sch is White at 61.0% of enrollment, in Elgin, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Knolls Middle Sch?
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Knolls Middle Sch rank among middle schools in Elgin?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Knolls Middle Sch ranks #1 of 5 middle schools in Elgin, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Elgin on the city page.
Is Prairie Knolls Middle Sch a good school?
Prairie Knolls Middle Sch earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Central Cusd 301?
Besides Prairie Knolls Middle Sch, Central Cusd 301 also operates Central High School (1,575 students), Country Trails Elem (751 students), and Howard B Thomas Grade School (678 students). See the Central Cusd 301 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.