Enrollment
305
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chicago Heights, IL
Serena Hills Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Serena Hills Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171542001851
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Serena Hills Elem School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Chicago Heights · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.1:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 305
- students enrolled
Serena Hills Elem School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Serena Hills Elem School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Chicago Heights, IL.
School address
District: Flossmoor Sd 161 · Illinois
NCES ID 171542001851 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Serena Hills Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Serena Hills Elem School
Serena Hills Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Chicago Heights, Illinois, enrolling 305 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 305 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 African American (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Chicago Heights's elementary schools, it stands alongside Barack Obama Sch of Ldership (367 students): Serena Hills Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.1:1 vs 11.3:1).
Flossmoor Sd 161 also operates Parker Junior High School (822 students) and Western Avenue Elem School (499 students) alongside Serena Hills Elem 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 Serena Hills Elem School compares
Serena Hills 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 14% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 28% in Illinois - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$13,824
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
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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
African American 50.8%
Hispanic or Latino 34.4%
White 7.5%
Two or More 6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, Serena Hills Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Flossmoor Sd 161, which includes Serena Hills Elem School.
$13,824
Per student
-19%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.9%
State 29.8%
Federal 8.3%
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 Serena Hills Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Avenue Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Flossmoor Hills Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heather Hill Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Serena Hills Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Chicago Heights
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Barack Obama Sch of Ldership
Standard public school
367 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Garfield Elem School
Standard public school
248 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Wilson Elem School
Standard public school
160 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elem School
Standard public school
84 students 7.2:1 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 (~305 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Serena Hills Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Serena Hills Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Flossmoor Sd 161'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 Serena Hills Elem School
How many students attend Serena Hills Elem School?
Serena Hills Elem School has 305 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chicago Heights, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Serena Hills Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Serena Hills Elem School is 12.1:1, which is 14% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 23% 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 Serena Hills Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Serena Hills Elem School is African American at 50.8% of enrollment, in Chicago Heights, 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 Serena Hills Elem School?
Serena Hills Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Serena Hills Elem School rank among elementary schools in Chicago Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Serena Hills Elem School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Chicago Heights, 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 Chicago Heights on the city page.
Is Serena Hills Elem School a good school?
Serena Hills Elem School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Flossmoor Sd 161?
Besides Serena Hills Elem School, Flossmoor Sd 161 also operates Parker Junior High School (822 students), Western Avenue Elem School (499 students), and Flossmoor Hills Elem School (357 students). See the Flossmoor Sd 161 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.