Dakota Elementary School

Dakota Elementary School, a mid-tier elementary school in Dakota, Illinois, operated by Dakota CUSD 201, instructs 410 students, covering grades pre-K through 6.

Within Dakota CUSD 201, which oversees 2 schools and 754 students, Dakota Elementary School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Dakota Elementary School reports that nearly all students (91%) are White; the rest looks like 4% multiracial, 3% Hispanic. That is visibly more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 80%.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.6:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. About 36% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is below Stephenson County's rate of about 50%.

With demographic context factored in, Dakota Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 51.0%; this one delivers 44.8%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Stephenson County put the typical household earns roughly $64,043 per year, about 21% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. In all, Stephenson County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,092 students), of which Dakota Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is Dakota Jr Sr High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Dakota Elementary School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 37.0%.

The campus sits in a low-density setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Dakota Elementary School has shrank 5%, going from 430 students in 2018 to 410 in 2025. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.5:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Dakota Elementary School typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.