- Enrollment
- 4,604
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chicago, IL
Smith W Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Smith W Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 170993000928
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith W Elem School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Illinois schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #126 of 394
- schools in Chicago · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 340
- students enrolled
Smith W Elem School has class sizes larger than 75% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith W Elem School ranks #126 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL.
School address
District: City of Chicago Sd 299 · Illinois
NCES ID 170993000928 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 170993000928 · Chicago, IL Other · SMALL · TRAD
340 enr · 15.5:1 · RII 34
Nearest enrollment peer: Lane Technical High School (4,604 students)
Resource Investment Index #126 of 394 schools in Chicago. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Smith W Elem School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Lane Technical
Lane Technical High School
4,604 students
- Taft High Scho
Taft High School
4,487 students
- Curie Metropol
Curie Metropolitan High School
3,099 students
- Kenwood Academ
Kenwood Academy High School
2,268 students
- Young Magnet H
Young Magnet High School
2,223 students
- This school 340
Smith W Elem School
340 students
What this shows Smith W Elem School reports 340 students on the CCD universe file.
How Smith W Elem School compares
Smith W 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 340 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
340
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Illinois - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.1%
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
$22,699
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 170 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
African American 95.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Two or More 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 95.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.6, Smith W Elem School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Smith W Elem School.
$22,699
Per student
+25%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 52.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 17.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Smith W Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane Technical High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Curie Metropolitan High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Academy High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Young Magnet High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith W Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,487
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 3,099
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,223
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Chicago
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Lane Technical High School
Standard public school
4,604 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Taft High School
Standard public school
4,487 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Kenwood Academy High School
Standard public school
2,268 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Young Magnet High School
Standard public school
2,223 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Disney Elem Magnet School
Standard public school
1,384 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Morgan Park High School
Standard public school
1,349 students 19:1 students per teacher
Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~340 students)
Frequently asked questions about Smith W Elem School
How many students attend Smith W Elem School?
Smith W Elem School has 340 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith W Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith W Elem School is 15.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smith W Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Smith W Elem School is African American at 95.0% of enrollment, in Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith W Elem School?
Smith W Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smith W Elem School rank among schools in Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith W Elem School ranks #126 of 394 schools in Chicago, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chicago on the city page.
What other schools are in City of Chicago Sd 299?
Besides Smith W Elem School, City of Chicago Sd 299 also operates Lane Technical High School (4,604 students), Taft High School (4,487 students), and Curie Metropolitan High School (3,099 students). See the City of Chicago Sd 299 district page for the complete list.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.