Gardner Elem School

Gardner Elem School is a minimally staffed elementary campus in Gardner, Illinois, overseen by Gardner CCSD 72C. The school caters to 146 students in grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 62% below the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Gardner CCSD 72C is the operating authority for Gardner Elem School, handling staffing, calendars, and reporting to the state department of education.

In terms of who attends, Gardner Elem School reports that nearly all students (86%) are White. Beyond that, the school shows 11% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 9.1:1. The state averages around 13.9:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 51% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Grundy County (around 35%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Gardner Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 41.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 50.7%.

Across the wider county, census data for Grundy County shows median household income runs about $92,235, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Grundy County runs 28 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,070 students), of which Gardner Elem School is one.

The closest other public school is Gardner-South Wilmington Twp H S, roughly 0.6 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Gardner Elem School. On composite proficiency, Gardner Elem School comes 4th of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 48.8%.

The school occupies a low-density site.

Five-year trend. Gardner Elem School's enrollment has decreased 25% since 2018, when it stood at 195 (now 146). Class-load math has fell: from 13.0:1 in 2018 to 9.1:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Gardner Elem School typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.