Gifford Grade School

Set in Gifford, Illinois, Gifford Grade School is a minimally staffed elementary campus, run under Gifford CCSD 188. It instructs 151 students across grades K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 60% below typical.

Gifford Grade School sits inside Gifford CCSD 188, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

In terms of who attends, Gifford Grade School records that nearly all students (91%) are White. Beyond that, the school shows 5% multiracial, 4% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 64% White, putting the school's mix considerably more White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.8:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. About 34% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is south of Champaign County's rate of about 53%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Gifford Grade School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 52.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 48.3%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Champaign County indicate median household earnings sit near $63,683, roughly 46% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Champaign County runs 66 public schools (combined enrollment of about 25,919 students), of which Gifford Grade School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Prairieview-Ogden Jr High Sch, around 4.9 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, Gifford Grade School comes 2nd of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 25.5%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Gifford Grade School has contracted 24%, going from 198 students in 2018 to 151 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 12.7:1 in 2018 to 10.8:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.