Enrollment
307
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Champaign, IL
South Side Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Side Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170942005409
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Side Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #6 of 11
- elementary schools in Champaign · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 307
- students enrolled
South Side Elementary School has class sizes larger than 72% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Elementary School ranks #6 of 11 elementary schools in Champaign, IL.
School address
District: Champaign Cusd 4 · Illinois
NCES ID 170942005409 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Side Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Side Elementary School
Scale and staffing sit near the state mainstream
South Side Elementary School is neither an extreme outlier in enrollment nor in student-teacher ratio among Illinois schools. Its profile therefore turns on the other dimensions rather than on scale alone: economic need, counselor coverage, program access, attendance, and district finance. This middle placement is useful because it prevents the campus from being mislabeled as unusually large, small, crowded, or teacher-dense when the federal comparison does not support that claim.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
South Side Elementary School's 25.1% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
South Side Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Champaign, Illinois, enrolling 307 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 307 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Champaign's elementary schools, it stands alongside International Prep Academy (681 students): South Side Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 14.2:1).
Champaign Cusd 4 also operates Central High School (1,666 students) and Centennial High School (1,476 students) alongside South Side 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 South Side Elementary School compares
South Side 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 307 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
307
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 72% in Illinois - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.1%
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
$21,009
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
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
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 46.3%
African American 23.8%
Two or More 11.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.1%
Asian 6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, South Side Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Champaign Cusd 4, which includes South Side Elementary School.
$21,009
Per student
+15%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 63.3%
State 26.0%
Federal 10.7%
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 South Side Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Centennial High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| International Prep Academy | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Side Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,666
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,476
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Champaign
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
International Prep Academy
Standard public school
681 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Bottenfield Elem School
Standard public school
456 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Stratton Elementary School
Standard public school
454 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Robeson Elem School
Standard public school
439 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Westview Elem School
Standard public school
434 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Dr Howard Elem School
Standard public school
426 students 14.2:1 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 (~307 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Side Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Side Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Champaign Cusd 4'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 South Side Elementary School
How many students attend South Side Elementary School?
South Side Elementary School has 307 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Champaign, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Side Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Side Elementary School is 15.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Side Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Side Elementary School is White at 46.3% of enrollment, in Champaign, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Side Elementary School?
South Side Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Side Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Champaign?
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Elementary School ranks #6 of 11 elementary schools in Champaign, 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 Champaign on the city page.
What other schools are in Champaign Cusd 4?
Besides South Side Elementary School, Champaign Cusd 4 also operates Central High School (1,666 students), Centennial High School (1,476 students), and Jefferson Middle School (711 students). See the Champaign Cusd 4 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.