Blackstone Elem School

Blackstone Elem School is one of the cozy elementary schools in Mendota, Illinois, run under Mendota CCSD 289, with 197 students on its rolls from grades K through 1. By comparison, Illinois's public schools average about 381 students each, so Blackstone Elem School sits 48% leaner than that benchmark.

Mendota CCSD 289 comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 1,042 students; Blackstone Elem School is among them.

Demographically, Blackstone Elem School reports that 49% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest breaks down as 44% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Blackstone Elem School has 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.6:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 62% of students at Blackstone Elem School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is above LaSalle County's rate of about 53%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (LaSalle County) logs that median household earnings sit near $73,045, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, LaSalle County runs 54 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,523 students), of which Blackstone Elem School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Lincoln Elem School, around 0.9 miles off. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a town-based area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Blackstone Elem School has contracted 20%, going from 245 students in 2018 to 197 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 57% to 49% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 13.8:1 in 2018 to 11.6:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.