Enrollment
374
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Peoria, IL
Sterling Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sterling Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 173123005325
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Illinois schools.
- #19 of 21
- elementary schools in Peoria · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 374
- students enrolled
Sterling Middle School has class sizes larger than 90% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Middle School ranks #19 of 21 elementary schools in Peoria, IL.
School address
District: Peoria Sd 150 · Illinois
NCES ID 173123005325 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling Middle School
Sterling Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Peoria, Illinois, enrolling 374 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 90% of Illinois schools and 27% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 374 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% 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 (74%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 374 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 162 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 374 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Peoria's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lincoln School (823 students): Sterling Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 16.8:1).
Peoria Sd 150 also operates Richwoods High School (1,685 students) and Peoria High School (1,541 students) alongside Sterling Middle 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 Sterling Middle School compares
Sterling Middle 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 | 17.8:1 | ▲ 27% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 374 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
374
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 90% in Illinois - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
57.2%
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
$16,851
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 374 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
54
in-school suspensions + 108 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 73.8%
Two or More 11.2%
White 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, Sterling Middle School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Peoria Sd 150, which includes Sterling Middle School.
$16,851
Per student
-1%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 40.4%
Federal 17.7%
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 Sterling Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richwoods High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Peoria High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glen Oak Comm Learning Cntr | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manual High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,685
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,541
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Peoria
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lincoln School
Standard public school
823 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Glen Oak Comm Learning Cntr
Standard public school
794 students 22.7:1 students per teacher
The Elise Ford Allen Academy
Standard public school
642 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Annie Jo Gordon Comm Lrning Cntr
Standard public school
542 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Dr Maude a Sanders Primary School
Standard public school
442 students 17:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview Elementary School
Standard public school
433 students 17.3:1 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 (~374 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sterling Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Peoria Sd 150'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 Sterling Middle School
How many students attend Sterling Middle School?
Sterling Middle School has 374 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Peoria, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling Middle School is 17.8:1, which is 27% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sterling Middle School is African American at 73.8% of enrollment, in Peoria, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling Middle School?
Sterling Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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 Sterling Middle School rank among elementary schools in Peoria?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling Middle School ranks #19 of 21 elementary schools in Peoria, 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 Peoria on the city page.
Is Sterling Middle School a good school?
Sterling Middle School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Peoria Sd 150?
Besides Sterling Middle School, Peoria Sd 150 also operates Richwoods High School (1,685 students), Peoria High School (1,541 students), and Lincoln School (823 students). See the Peoria Sd 150 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.