Enrollment
443
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Oak Forest, IL
Walter F Fierke Ed Center
Federal NCES profile for Walter F Fierke Ed Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 173903003962
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter F Fierke Ed Center earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Oak Forest · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 443
- students enrolled
Walter F Fierke Ed Center has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter F Fierke Ed Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Oak Forest, IL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter F Fierke Ed Center compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter F Fierke Ed Center
Walter F Fierke Ed Center is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Oak Forest, Illinois, enrolling 443 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by student-teacher ratio.
With 443 students, its enrollment sits close to the Illinois median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 3,845 Illinois schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
13.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Ccsd 146 spends $20,877 per pupil, 23% above the Illinois average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Oak Forest's public schools, it stands alongside Ridge Early Childhood Center (245 students): Walter F Fierke Ed Center is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 16.3:1).
Ccsd 146 also operates Central Middle School (725 students) and Arnold W Kruse Ed Center (462 students) alongside Walter F Fierke Ed Center.
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 Walter F Fierke Ed Center compares
Walter F Fierke Ed Center on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 2% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 443 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
443
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Illinois - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$20,877
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
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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
White 54.0%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Two or More 11.3%
African American 8.8%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: White at 54.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.0, Walter F Fierke Ed Center is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ccsd 146, which includes Walter F Fierke Ed Center.
$20,877
Per student
+23%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.9%
State 27.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Walter F Fierke Ed Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Arnold W Kruse Ed Center | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bert H Fulton School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Memorial Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter F Fierke Ed Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 725
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 462
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Oak Forest
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~443 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter F Fierke Ed Center's federal record.
- Compare Walter F Fierke Ed Center against another school. Compare schools
- Ccsd 146'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 Walter F Fierke Ed Center
How many students attend Walter F Fierke Ed Center?
Walter F Fierke Ed Center has 443 students enrolled. It is a public school in Oak Forest, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter F Fierke Ed Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter F Fierke Ed Center is 14.3:1, which is 2% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter F Fierke Ed Center?
The largest demographic group at Walter F Fierke Ed Center is White at 54.0% of enrollment, in Oak Forest, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter F Fierke Ed Center?
Walter F Fierke Ed Center has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Walter F Fierke Ed Center rank among schools in Oak Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter F Fierke Ed Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Oak Forest, 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 Forest on the city page.
Is Walter F Fierke Ed Center a good school?
Walter F Fierke Ed Center earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median. 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 Ccsd 146?
Besides Walter F Fierke Ed Center, Ccsd 146 also operates Central Middle School (725 students), Arnold W Kruse Ed Center (462 students), and Bert H Fulton School (404 students). See the Ccsd 146 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.