Early Step Pre-School

As a minimally staffed elementary-level community in Fulton, Illinois, Early Step Pre-School educates 65 students from grade pre-K, part of River Bend CUSD 2. That puts it 83% smaller than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Within River Bend CUSD 2, which oversees 4 schools and 998 students, Early Step Pre-School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Early Step Pre-School reports that nearly all students (94%) are White. By comparison, Whiteside County as a whole is about 85% White, so the school skews visibly more White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Early Step Pre-School reports 3 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 21.7:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average.

In the broader community, census data for Whiteside County shows median household income runs about $67,500, about 21% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, Whiteside County runs 50 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,445 students), of which Early Step Pre-School is one.

The closest other public school is Fulton High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Early Step Pre-School.

Early Step Pre-School operates from a town-center location.

Five-year trend. Early Step Pre-School's enrollment has increased 30% since 2018, when it stood at 50 (now 65). The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 23.8:1 in 2018 to 21.7:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.