Illinois School

As a mid-tier elementary school in Park Forest, Illinois, Illinois School works with 391 students from grades K through 8, operated by Matteson ESD 162.

Within Matteson ESD 162, which oversees 7 schools and 2,405 students, Illinois School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Illinois School reports that 91% of students identify as Black, making the school strongly Black-majority. The remainder is composed of 7% Hispanic. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 22% Black, so the school skews visibly more Black than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 38 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Illinois School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 79% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Illinois School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 25.7% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.1%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Cook County indicate median household earnings sit near $83,498, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Illinois School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Indiana Elem School, around 0.6 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Illinois School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Illinois School at 1st of 8; the average score across the group is 32.2%.

The school occupies a commuter-belt site.

Looking at the recent track record. Illinois School's enrollment has edged up 11% since 2018, when it stood at 351 (now 391). The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 11.5:1 in 2018 to 10.4:1 today.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.