Enrollment
66
Elementary
DISTRICT 198 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MERCER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 404·NCES 170139506874
Mercer County ELC
203 N Washington St, Joy, IL 61260 · (309) 584-5001 · Mercer County
GRADES PK–PKELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL66 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
22.0:1
3 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.1:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
53%
35 students
DISTRICT 52% · STATE 56%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 66 | 100% |
Student demographics
17%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 17% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Schools most like Mercer County ELC
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County ELC this school | 66 | 53.0% | N/A |
| Kell Grade School Kell | 64 | 54.7% | 31.1% |
| Ashmore Elementary School Ashmore | 74 | 52.7% | 22.3% |
| Adams Elementary School Lincoln | 57 | 57.9% | N/A |
| Bluffs Elementary School Bluffs | 81 | 49.4% | 48.2% |
| Ohio Com Cons Grade School Ohio | 85 | 52.9% | 46.3% |
Matched among Illinois elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Mercer County ELC ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 66 | #2,385 of 2,419 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 66 | 3 | 22.0:1 | 53% (35) |
| 2023-24 | 83 | 3 | 27.7:1 | 48% (40) |
| 2022-23 | 81 | 3 | 27.0:1 | 44% (36) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Mercer County ELC.
About Mercer County ELC
At 203 N Washington St in Joy, Illinois, Mercer County ELC operates as a small elementary school. It educates 66 students in pre-K. The school's enrollment is 83% smaller than the 381 average for elementary schools in Illinois.
Mercer County School District 404 runs 5 schools with a combined 1,274 students. Mercer County ELC is one of them.
At Mercer County ELC, White students make up 91% of the student body. Other students are 5% Black and 3% Asian. The county population is about 94% White, within a few points of the school. Mercer County ELC has a diversity index of 17%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
A ratio of 22.0:1 comes from the school's 3 full-time-equivalent teachers. For comparison, elementary schools in Illinois average 13.9:1. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was 53% in 2024-25. It compares with 44% for public schools in Mercer County.
Among Mercer County residents, median household income is about $74,182, roughly 21% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 8 public schools in Mercer County, with a combined enrollment of about 1,941.
Mercer County Jr High School is the public school closest to Mercer County ELC, about 6.2 miles away. Inside a ten-mile radius, there are 4 other public schools.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Rural: Distant: in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Mercer County ELC. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Mercer County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
15,495
Census ACS
Median income
$74,182
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
8
1,941 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Mercer County School District 404
- Mercer County High SchoolHigh · 411 students
- Apollo Elementary SchoolElementary · 362 students
- Mercer County Jr High SchoolMiddle · 270 students
- New Boston Elementary SchoolElementary · 165 students
Nearby schools
- Mercer County Jr High School6.2 mi · 270
- New Boston Elementary School6.2 mi · 165
- Apollo Elementary School6.3 mi · 362
- Mercer County High School6.8 mi · 411
- Illinois City Elementary School13.8 mi · 108
- Rockridge High School14.2 mi · 330
Frequently asked questions
About Mercer County ELCHow large is Mercer County ELC?
Mercer County ELC enrolls approximately 66 students in grades PK-PK.
Is Mercer County ELC an elementary, middle, or high school?
Mercer County ELC is an elementary school covering grades PK-PK.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercer County ELC?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Mercer County ELC is approximately 22.0:1 (3 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Mercer County ELC?
Mercer County ELC reports a student body of 91% White, 2% Hispanic, 5% Black, 3% Asian.
Who oversees Mercer County ELC?
Mercer County ELC is overseen by Mercer County School District 404 in Mercer County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.