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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SPRINGFIELD SD 186·NCES 173708005743

Early Learning Center

2501 S 1st St, Springfield, IL 62704 · (217) 525-3163 · Sangamon County
GRADES PK–PKELEMENTARY12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL549 STUDENTS
Enrollment
549
Elementary
DISTRICT 301 · STATE 381
Student : Teacher
19.6:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.2:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
65%
358 students
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 56%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Pre-K549100%
Student demographics
67%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 66% · STATE 69% · US 70%
White
15829%
DISTRICT 35% · STATE 45% · US 43%
Hispanic
255%
DISTRICT 4% · STATE 29% · US 30%
Black
25246%
DISTRICT 45% · STATE 16% · US 15%
Asian
173%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 6% · US 6%
Two+
9617%
DISTRICT 13% · STATE 5% · US 5%
Native American
10%
DISTRICT 0% · STATE 0% · US 1%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
31658%
Female
23342%

Discussions

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Schools most like Early Learning Center

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
Early Learning Center this school54965.2%N/A
Dubois Elementary School
Springfield
46966.5%15.6%
Whiteside Elementary School
Belleville
68062.8%35.0%
William Holliday Elementary School
Fairview Heights
41865.3%30.5%
Sugar Creek Elementary School
Normal
46860.5%34.9%
Springfield Ball Charter School
Springfield
39460.9%35.9%
Matched among Illinois elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where Early Learning Center ranks

Among elementary schools
MeasureThis schoolIn IllinoisIn Sangamon County
Enrollment
ranked largest first
549#377 of 2,419#4 of 37
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
19.6:1#1,979 of 2,035#33 of 33
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
67.3%#249 of 2,042#4 of 33
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
65.2%#868 of 2,132#17 of 37
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked steepest decline first
-19.4%#471 of 1,461#4 of 23
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
549
+151 (+38%) vs 2020
-10% since 2010-11, when it was 609
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-255492819.6:165% (358)
2023-245582819.9:170% (393)
2022-235553217.3:134% (191)
2020-21398N/AN/AN/A
2017-186813122.0:166% (450)
2015-166362624.5:159% (373)
2010-116092623.4:10% (0)
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Early Learning Center.

Since 2017-18: students down 19% (681 to 549); teachers down 10% (31 to 28).

About Early Learning Center

Early Learning Center is a medium-sized elementary school found in Springfield, Illinois. The latest federal count shows 549 students in pre-K. The average for elementary schools in Illinois is about 381 students, so this school is 44% above average.

Early Learning Center is part of Springfield SD 186, where 31 schools serve 13,014 students.

Enrollment at Early Learning Center is mixed, with Black students the largest group at 46%. After that, the student body is 29% White, 17% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, and 3% Asian. Census figures show Sangamon County is about 13% Black. Early Learning Center has a diversity index of 67%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.

Federal data list 28 full-time-equivalent teachers at Early Learning Center in 2024-25, for a ratio of 19.6:1. Among elementary schools in Illinois, the typical ratio is 13.9:1. The lunch program counts 65% of students at Early Learning Center as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The rate at public schools in Sangamon County averages 48%, lower than here.

Recent Census Bureau figures for Sangamon County show that median household income is about $75,357, roughly 37% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 77 public schools in Sangamon County, with a combined enrollment of about 27,345.

The school nearest to Early Learning Center is Black Hawk Elementary School, at a distance of less than a tenth of a mile. Within five miles of Early Learning Center, there are at least 8 other public schools.

Its NCES locale code is City: Mid-size: the school is inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.

Federal counts put enrollment at 398 in 2020-21 and 549 in 2024-25, a 38% gain.

Conversations here can range across science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.

Sangamon County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
194,947
Census ACS
Median income
$75,357
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
77
27,345 students

Quick facts

School name
Early Learning Center
District
Springfield SD 186
Address
2501 S 1st St, Springfield, IL 62704
Phone
(217) 525-3163
County
Sangamon County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
PK–PK
Total enrollment
549
Teachers (FTE)
28
Student–teacher ratio
19.6:1
Free and reduced lunch
358 (65%)
Locale
12-City: Mid-size
NCES ID
173708005743
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in Springfield SD 186
Other schools in Springfield
Other Early Learning Center schools

23 other US public schools in 11 states are named Early Learning Center. Early Learning Center is the 2nd largest of the 24.

Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About Early Learning Center
How many students attend Early Learning Center?
Early Learning Center enrolls approximately 549 students in grades PK-PK.
What grades does Early Learning Center serve?
Early Learning Center serves grades PK-PK.
How many students per teacher at Early Learning Center?
Approximately 19.6:1 students per teacher at Early Learning Center.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Early Learning Center?
At Early Learning Center, the student body is approximately 29% White, 5% Hispanic, 46% Black, 3% Asian, 17% Two or more.
Is Early Learning Center public or private?
Early Learning Center is a public K-12 school, overseen by Springfield SD 186.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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