Enrollment
457
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Oak Lawn, IL
Sward Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Sward Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 172919003056
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sward Elem School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #2 of 7
- schools in Oak Lawn · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 457
- students enrolled
Sward Elem School has class sizes larger than 82% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sward Elem School ranks #2 of 7 schools in Oak Lawn, IL.
School address
District: Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123 · Illinois
NCES ID 172919003056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sward Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sward Elem School
Sward Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Oak Lawn, Illinois, enrolling 457 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 457 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 Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (41%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Oak Lawn's public schools, it stands alongside Harnew Elem School (512 students): Sward Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 9.7:1).
Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123 also operates Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle Sch (1,090 students) and J Covington Elem School (470 students) alongside Sward Elem 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 Sward Elem School compares
Sward 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 457 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
457
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 82% in Illinois - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,369
per pupil, district-wide
- below Illinois avg of $17,042
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 46.8%
White 40.9%
African American 7.0%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 2.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.7, Sward Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123, which includes Sward Elem School.
$16,369
Per student
-4%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.3%
State 32.7%
Federal 7.1%
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 Sward Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle Sch | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| J Covington Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| J M Hannum Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kolmar Avenue Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hometown Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sward Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,090
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 391
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Oak Lawn
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Harnew Elem School
Standard public school
512 students 9.7:1 students per teacher
J Covington Elem School
Standard public school
470 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Ernest F Kolb Elem School
Standard public school
399 students 16:1 students per teacher
Kolmar Avenue Elem School
Standard public school
391 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Columbus Manor Elem School
Standard public school
359 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Lawn Manor School
Standard public school
210 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~457 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sward Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Sward Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123'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 Sward Elem School
How many students attend Sward Elem School?
Sward Elem School has 457 students enrolled. It is a public school in Oak Lawn, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sward Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sward Elem School is 16.3:1, which is 16% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sward Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Sward Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.8% of enrollment, in Oak Lawn, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sward Elem School?
Sward Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Sward Elem School rank among schools in Oak Lawn?
By Resource Investment Index, Sward Elem School ranks #2 of 7 schools in Oak Lawn, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Oak Lawn on the city page.
Is Sward Elem School a good school?
Sward Elem School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123?
Besides Sward Elem School, Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123 also operates Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle Sch (1,090 students), J Covington Elem School (470 students), and J M Hannum Elem School (410 students). See the Oak Lawn-Hometown Sd 123 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.