2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 170993001192
Wells Community Academy Hs — Chicago, IL
Federal NCES profile for Wells Community Academy Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
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
Wells Community Academy Hs earns an F Resource Investment Index (38/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of Illinois schools.
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
398
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14.6:1 Illinois avg
▲-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wells Community Academy Hs compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
Smaller classes than state median
14.6:1 Illinois median15.7:1 U.S. median
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
Wells Community Academy Hs reports 398 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% 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 22% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
The school offers 10 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 199 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 76.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding City of Chicago Sd 299 spends $21,050 per pupil district-wide, above the Illinois average of $17,042 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 52.8% from local sources (property taxes), 29.9% from the state, and 17.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
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
12.2:1
▼ 16%
14.6:1
15.7:1
Enrollment
398
top 54%
—
—
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)
12Among the smallest classessmaller classes than 76% of 92,598 US schools
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')
398larger than 47% of 95,891 US schools
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
12.2:1
students per teacher
— 16% below state mean
Top 30% in Illinois — lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
76.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$21,050
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 199 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment398 Top 54% in Illinois — larger than 46% of 3,845 state schools
Teachers (FTE)29.0
Students per teacher 12.2:1 -16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID170993001192
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino
49.2% · ≈196 students
African American
37.9% · ≈151 students
White
9.8% · ≈39 students
Two or More
1.5% · ≈6 students
Asian
1.0% · ≈4 students
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3% · ≈1 students
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.3% · ≈1 students
Hispanic or Latino49.2%
African American37.9%
White9.8%
Two or More1.5%
Asian1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered10
Counselors (FTE)2.0
Students per counselor199:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent76.1%
In-school suspensions15
Out-of-school suspensions48
Expulsions1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for City of Chicago Sd 299, which includes Wells Community Academy Hs.
$21,050
Per student
+24%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local52.8%
State29.9%
Federal17.4%
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.
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
Compare Wells Community Academy Hs side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools →
Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile →
Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide →
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Wells Community Academy Hs
How many students attend Wells Community Academy Hs?
Wells Community Academy Hs has 398 students enrolled. It is a high school in Chicago, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wells Community Academy Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at Wells Community Academy Hs is 12.2:1, which is 16% lower than the Illinois average of 14.6:1 and 22% 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 Wells Community Academy Hs?
The largest demographic group at Wells Community Academy Hs is Hispanic or Latino at 49.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Chicago, IL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wells Community Academy Hs?
Wells Community Academy Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Wells Community Academy Hs a good school?
Wells Community Academy Hs earns an F Resource Investment Index (38/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% 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.