Founders Elementary School

Set in Dekalb, Illinois, Founders Elementary School is a middle-of-the-pack elementary-level community, part of DeKalb CUSD 428. It educates 565 students across grades K through 5. That puts it 48% larger than the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Founders Elementary School is one of 12 schools operated by DeKalb CUSD 428, a district that instructs 6,771 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Founders Elementary School records that 44% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest comes out to 30% Black, 18% White, 8% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 15% Hispanic, putting the school's mix noticeably more Hispanic than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.6:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 78% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is above DeKalb County's rate of about 48%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Founders Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 26.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 19.8%.

Across the wider county, census data for DeKalb County shows median household earnings sit near $70,724, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across DeKalb County's 43 public schools (combined enrollment of about 16,328 students), Founders Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Lincoln Elementary School, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Founders Elementary School at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 24.3%.

Geographically, the school is in a residential area.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 4%: 586 students in 2018 compared to 565 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 29% to 18% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 14.6:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.