Enrollment
450
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Normal, IL
Prairieland Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Prairieland Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 172862003589
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairieland Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Normal · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 450
- students enrolled
Prairieland Elementary School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairieland Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Normal, IL.
School address
District: Mclean County Usd 5 · Illinois
NCES ID 172862003589 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairieland Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairieland Elementary School
Prairieland Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Normal, Illinois, enrolling 450 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Illinois median, within a few percentage points of the 14:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 450 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 45/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Normal's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grove Elementary School (519 students): Prairieland Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 18.5:1).
Mclean County Usd 5 also operates Normal Community High School (2,079 students) and Normal Community West High School (1,590 students) alongside Prairieland 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 Prairieland Elementary School compares
Prairieland 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 1% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Illinois - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,528
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
6
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 72.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
African American 7.1%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 4.7%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Prairieland Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mclean County Usd 5, which includes Prairieland Elementary School.
$14,528
Per student
-15%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.3%
State 29.2%
Federal 7.4%
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 Prairieland Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal Community High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Normal Community West High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Evans Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kingsley Jr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairieland Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,079
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 778
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Normal
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Grove Elementary School
Standard public school
519 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Colene Hoose Elem School
Standard public school
413 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Oakdale Elem School
Standard public school
386 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Glenn Elem School
Standard public school
272 students 16:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~450 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairieland Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Prairieland Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mclean County Usd 5'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 Prairieland Elementary School
How many students attend Prairieland Elementary School?
Prairieland Elementary School has 450 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Normal, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairieland Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairieland Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 1% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairieland Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Prairieland Elementary School is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Normal, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairieland Elementary School?
Prairieland Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Prairieland Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Normal?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairieland Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Normal, 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 Normal on the city page.
Is Prairieland Elementary School a good school?
Prairieland Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Mclean County Usd 5?
Besides Prairieland Elementary School, Mclean County Usd 5 also operates Normal Community High School (2,079 students), Normal Community West High School (1,590 students), and Evans Junior High School (778 students). See the Mclean County Usd 5 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.