Enrollment
471
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gurnee, IL
River Trail School
Federal NCES profile for River Trail School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171780005712
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
River Trail School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Gurnee · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 471
- students enrolled
River Trail School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, River Trail School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Gurnee, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Trail School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at River Trail School
River Trail School is a mid-sized elementary school in Gurnee, Illinois, enrolling 471 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 471 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 Hispanic or Latino (57%) and White (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Gurnee's elementary schools, it stands alongside Woodland Intermediate Sch (979 students): River Trail School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.2:1 vs 12.1:1).
Gurnee Sd 56 also operates Viking School (461 students) and Prairie Trail School (454 students) alongside River Trail 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 River Trail School compares
River Trail 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 | 11.2:1 | ▼ 20% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 471 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
471
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 20% in Illinois - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.7%
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
$19,025
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
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
2
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 57.1%
White 18.9%
African American 14.0%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, River Trail School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gurnee Sd 56, which includes River Trail School.
$19,025
Per student
+12%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.3%
State 27.8%
Federal 6.9%
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 River Trail School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Trail School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spaulding Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to River Trail School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Gurnee
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~471 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on River Trail School's federal record.
- Compare River Trail School against another school. Compare schools
- Gurnee Sd 56'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 River Trail School
How many students attend River Trail School?
River Trail School has 471 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gurnee, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Trail School?
The student-teacher ratio at River Trail School is 11.2:1, which is 20% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 29% 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 River Trail School?
The largest demographic group at River Trail School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.1% of enrollment, in Gurnee, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Trail School?
River Trail School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 River Trail School rank among public schools in Gurnee?
By Resource Investment Index, River Trail School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Gurnee, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Gurnee on the city page.
Is River Trail School a good school?
River Trail School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Gurnee Sd 56?
Besides River Trail School, Gurnee Sd 56 also operates Viking School (461 students), Prairie Trail School (454 students), and Spaulding Elementary School (450 students). See the Gurnee Sd 56 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.