Enrollment
394
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Springfield, IL
Springfield Ball Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Springfield Ball Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 173708003773Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Springfield Ball Charter School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #15 of 18
- elementary schools in Springfield · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 394
- students enrolled
Springfield Ball Charter School has class sizes larger than 77% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Springfield Ball Charter School ranks #15 of 18 elementary schools in Springfield, IL.
School address
District: Springfield Sd 186 · Illinois
NCES ID 173708003773 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Springfield Ball Charter School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Springfield Ball Charter School
Springfield Ball Charter School is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Springfield, Illinois, enrolling 394 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 394 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and White (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Springfield Sd 186 spends $20,525 per pupil, 20% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Springfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Dubois Elem School (469 students): Springfield Ball Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 16.8:1).
Springfield Sd 186 also operates Springfield High School (1,308 students) and Springfield Southeast High Sch (1,229 students) alongside Springfield Ball Charter 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 Springfield Ball Charter School compares
Springfield Ball Charter 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 394 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
394
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in Illinois - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.9%
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
$20,525
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 44.9%
White 35.5%
Two or More 17.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Springfield Ball Charter School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield Sd 186, which includes Springfield Ball Charter School.
$20,525
Per student
+20%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 35.9%
Federal 18.1%
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 Springfield Ball Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Springfield Southeast High Sch | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lanphier High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benjamin Franklin Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Early Learning Center | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Springfield Ball Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,229
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,117
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 709
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Springfield
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Dubois Elem School
Standard public school
469 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Lindsay School
Standard public school
438 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Iles Elem School
Standard public school
414 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Butler Elem School
Standard public school
367 students 16:1 students per teacher
Owen Marsh Elem School
Standard public school
324 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elem School
Standard public school
302 students 15.9:1 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 (~394 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Springfield Ball Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Springfield Ball Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Springfield Sd 186'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 Springfield Ball Charter School
How many students attend Springfield Ball Charter School?
Springfield Ball Charter School has 394 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Springfield, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Springfield Ball Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Springfield Ball Charter School is 15.8:1, which is 13% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Springfield Ball Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Springfield Ball Charter School is African American at 44.9% of enrollment, in Springfield, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Springfield Ball Charter School?
Springfield Ball Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 Springfield Ball Charter School rank among elementary schools in Springfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Springfield Ball Charter School ranks #15 of 18 elementary schools in Springfield, 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 Springfield on the city page.
Is Springfield Ball Charter School a good school?
Springfield Ball Charter School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Springfield Sd 186?
Besides Springfield Ball Charter School, Springfield Sd 186 also operates Springfield High School (1,308 students), Springfield Southeast High Sch (1,229 students), and Lanphier High School (1,117 students). See the Springfield Sd 186 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.