Enrollment
235
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Joliet, IL
Thomas Jefferson Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Jefferson Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 172058002346
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Jefferson Elem School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #8 of 20
- elementary schools in Joliet · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9:1
- small classes for Illinois
- 235
- students enrolled
Thomas Jefferson Elem School has class sizes smaller than 95% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Jefferson Elem School ranks #8 of 20 elementary schools in Joliet, IL.
School address
District: Joliet Psd 86 · Illinois
NCES ID 172058002346 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Jefferson Elem School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Jefferson Elem School
Thomas Jefferson Elem School is a mid-sized elementary school in Joliet, Illinois, enrolling 235 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9:1, Thomas Jefferson Elem School is leaner than roughly 95% of Illinois schools and 36% under the state's 14:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Enrollment of 235 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 led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and African American (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 60.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Joliet's elementary schools, it stands alongside Thomas Jefferson Elem Sch (646 students): Thomas Jefferson Elem School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9:1 vs 15.8:1).
Joliet Psd 86 also operates Hufford Junior High School (1,072 students) and Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm (724 students) alongside Thomas Jefferson 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 Thomas Jefferson Elem School compares
Thomas Jefferson 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 | 9:1 | ▼ 36% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 235 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
235
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
9:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 5% in Illinois - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
60.4%
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
$17,920
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 55.7%
African American 20.4%
White 16.2%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 55.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Thomas Jefferson Elem School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joliet Psd 86, which includes Thomas Jefferson Elem School.
$17,920
Per student
+5%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 63.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 Jefferson Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hufford Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dirksen Junior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sator Sanchez Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pershing Elem School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Jefferson Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,072
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar elementary schools in Joliet
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Thomas Jefferson Elem Sch
Standard public school
646 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Sator Sanchez Elem School
Standard public school
635 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Pershing Elem School
Standard public school
621 students 20:1 students per teacher
Lynne Thigpen Elem School
Standard public school
620 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Farragut Elem School
Standard public school
568 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.4:1 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 (~235 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Jefferson Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Jefferson Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Joliet Psd 86'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 Jefferson Elem School
How many students attend Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
Thomas Jefferson Elem School has 235 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Joliet, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elem School is 9:1, which is 36% lower than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 43% 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 Jefferson Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Jefferson Elem School is Hispanic or Latino at 55.7% of enrollment, in Joliet, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Jefferson Elem School?
Thomas Jefferson Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Thomas Jefferson Elem School rank among elementary schools in Joliet?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Jefferson Elem School ranks #8 of 20 elementary schools in Joliet, 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 Joliet on the city page.
Is Thomas Jefferson Elem School a good school?
Thomas Jefferson Elem School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Joliet Psd 86?
Besides Thomas Jefferson Elem School, Joliet Psd 86 also operates Hufford Junior High School (1,072 students), Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm (724 students), and Dirksen Junior High School (653 students). See the Joliet Psd 86 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.