Dorothy Simon Elem School

As a tight-knit K-5 school in Winnebago, Illinois, Dorothy Simon Elem School works with 297 students from grades pre-K through 2, overseen by Winnebago CUSD 323. Enrollment runs roughly 22% below the state mean of about 381.

Winnebago CUSD 323 runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 1,267 students. Dorothy Simon Elem School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Dorothy Simon Elem School shows that the largest single group is White, at 79% of enrollment. The remainder is composed of 11% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Black. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 66%.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 30% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is noticeably below Winnebago County's rate of about 61%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Winnebago County indicate median household earnings sit near $65,837, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Across Winnebago County's 94 public schools (combined enrollment of about 44,103 students), Dorothy Simon Elem School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Winnebago Middle School, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Dorothy Simon Elem School's enrollment has climbed 3% since 2018, when it stood at 287 (now 297). Over the same period, the White share edged down from 84% to 79%.

On this page, members of the Dorothy Simon Elem School community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.