Enrollment
400
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carbondale, IL
Thomas Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 170834000448
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Carbondale · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 400
- students enrolled
Thomas Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Carbondale, IL.
School address
District: Carbondale Esd 95 · Illinois
NCES ID 170834000448 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Elementary School
Thomas Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Carbondale, Illinois, enrolling 400 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 400 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 African American (51%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Carbondale Esd 95 spends $21,377 per pupil, 25% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Carbondale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lewis School (325 students): Thomas Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 12:1).
Carbondale Esd 95 also operates Parrish Elem School (466 students) and Carbondale Middle School (457 students) alongside Thomas 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 Thomas Elementary School compares
Thomas 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 16% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 400 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
400
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 24% in Illinois - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.5%
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
$21,377
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
5
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 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 51.1%
White 25.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Two or More 10.0%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 51.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Thomas Elementary School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carbondale Esd 95, which includes Thomas Elementary School.
$21,377
Per student
+25%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 30.1%
Federal 21.3%
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 Thomas Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parrish Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carbondale Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lewis School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Carbondale
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Carbondale Esd 95'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 Thomas Elementary School
How many students attend Thomas Elementary School?
Thomas Elementary School has 400 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carbondale, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 16% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 25% 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 Thomas Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Elementary School is African American at 51.1% of enrollment, in Carbondale, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Elementary School?
Thomas Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Thomas Elementary School rank among public schools in Carbondale?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Carbondale, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carbondale on the city page.
Is Thomas Elementary School a good school?
Thomas Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Carbondale Esd 95?
Besides Thomas Elementary School, Carbondale Esd 95 also operates Parrish Elem School (466 students), Carbondale Middle School (457 students), and Lewis School (325 students). See the Carbondale Esd 95 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.