Enrollment
248
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Effingham, IL
South Side Grade School
Federal NCES profile for South Side Grade School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 171356001652
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Side Grade School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Illinois schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Effingham · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 248
- students enrolled
South Side Grade School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Grade School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Effingham, IL.
School address
District: Effingham Cusd 40 · Illinois
NCES ID 171356001652 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Side Grade School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Side Grade School
South Side Grade School is a mid-sized elementary school in Effingham, Illinois, enrolling 248 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, South Side Grade School is leaner than roughly 88% of Illinois schools and 26% under the state's 14:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Enrollment of 248 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Effingham's elementary schools, it stands alongside Central Grade School (547 students): South Side Grade School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.3:1 vs 14:1).
Effingham Cusd 40 also operates Effingham High School (712 students) and Central Grade School (547 students) alongside South Side Grade 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 Grade School compares
South Side Grade 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 26% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 248 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
248
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 12% in Illinois - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.0%
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
$14,420
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
African American 2.0%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.1, South Side Grade School is less mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Effingham Cusd 40, which includes South Side Grade School.
$14,420
Per student
-15%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.7%
State 36.1%
Federal 12.3%
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 South Side Grade School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effingham High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Grade School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Effingham Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Early Learning Center | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Effingham Unit 40 Preschool | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Side Grade School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 175
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 121
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
Similar elementary schools in Effingham
2 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 (~248 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Side Grade School's federal record.
- Compare South Side Grade School against another school. Compare schools
- Effingham Cusd 40'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 Grade School
How many students attend South Side Grade School?
South Side Grade School has 248 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Effingham, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Side Grade School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Side Grade School is 10.3:1, which is 26% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 34% 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 South Side Grade School?
The largest demographic group at South Side Grade School is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Effingham, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Side Grade School?
South Side Grade School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Side Grade School rank among elementary schools in Effingham?
By Resource Investment Index, South Side Grade School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Effingham, 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 Effingham on the city page.
Is South Side Grade School a good school?
South Side Grade School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of 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 Effingham Cusd 40?
Besides South Side Grade School, Effingham Cusd 40 also operates Effingham High School (712 students), Central Grade School (547 students), and Effingham Junior High School (458 students). See the Effingham Cusd 40 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.