2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 173966004004

Union Elementary School — Joliet, IL

Federal NCES profile for Union Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 58/100.

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0/100100/10058/100
👥 Class size
62
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
83
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Union Elementary School earns a C Resource Investment Index (58/100), with class sizes smaller than 93% of Illinois schools.

C
Resource Index · 58/100
9.6:1
small classes for Illinois
143
students enrolled

School address

Joliet, IL 60433
District: Union Sd 81 · Illinois

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

143

Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

12.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

9.6:1

vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg

-34% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Union Elementary School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:19.6:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Union Elementary School reports 143 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 12.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 34% below the Illinois state mean of 14.6:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 39% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 7.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Union Sd 81 spends $40,623 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $17,042 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 83.4% from local sources (property taxes), 10.4% from the state, and 6.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Union Elementary School compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Illinois state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Illinois Illinois avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 9.6:1 ▼ 34% 14.6:1 15.7:1
Enrollment 143 top 10% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

10 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 92% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). This entry sits in this band. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Above this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

143 larger than 14% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Staffing depth
9.6:1
students per teacher — 34% below state mean
Top 7% in Illinois — lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$40,623
per pupil, district-wide — above Illinois avg of $17,042
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 143 Top 10% in Illinois — larger than 90% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 12.0
Students per teacher 9.6:1 -34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 173966004004

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 46.2%
White 35.7%
African American 9.1%
Two or More 9.1%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.2% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.0

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 7.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Sd 81, which includes Union Elementary School.

$40,623
Per student
+138%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+145%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 83.4%
State 10.4%
Federal 6.2%

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.

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 14.1:1 students per teacher
Sator Sanchez Elem School
Standard public school
635 students 14:1 students per teacher
Pershing Elem School
Standard public school
621 students 18:1 students per teacher
Lynne Thigpen Elem School
Standard public school
620 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Farragut Elem School
Standard public school
568 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Jones Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.3:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Union Elementary School

How many students attend Union Elementary School?

Union Elementary School has 143 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Joliet, IL.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary School is 9.6:1, which is 34% lower than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 39% 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 Union Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Union Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Joliet, IL.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Elementary School?

Union Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is Union Elementary School a good school?

Union Elementary School earns a C Resource Investment Index (58/100), with class sizes smaller than 93% of Illinois schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov