Ball Elementary School

Ball Elementary School operates as a medium-sized elementary-level community in Chatham, Illinois, run under Ball Chatham CUSD 5. Current enrollment sits at 552 students spanning grades pre-K through 4. That puts it 45% larger than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Within Ball Chatham CUSD 5, which oversees 6 schools and 4,516 students, Ball Elementary School is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Ball Elementary School lists that White students make up the majority at 80%. Other groups include 7% multiracial, 6% Hispanic, 6% Black. Compared to Sangamon County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Ball Elementary School has 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 18.3:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 23% of students at Ball Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Sangamon County runs at roughly 48%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Ball Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 58.3%; this one delivers 65.6%.

Around the school, Sangamon County reports that median household income runs about $75,357, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Ball Elementary School is one of 77 public schools in Sangamon County (combined enrollment of about 27,345 students).

The closest other public school is Glenwood Intermediate Sch, roughly 1.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Ball Elementary School at 1st of 8; the average score across the group is 42.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ball Elementary School has contracted 15%, going from 653 students in 2018 to 552 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share grew from 75% to 80%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 20.1:1 in 2018 to 18.3:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.