Neil Armstrong Elem School

Neil Armstrong Elem School is one of the close-knit elementary-level communitys in Richton Park, Illinois, one of the schools within ESD 159, with 266 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 381 students per school, that is 30% leaner than typical.

Within ESD 159, which oversees 5 schools and 1,653 students, Neil Armstrong Elem School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Neil Armstrong Elem School records that nearly all students (86%) are Black. Beyond that, the school logs 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 22% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Neil Armstrong Elem School has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.5:1. The state averages about 13.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 70% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Neil Armstrong Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 31.1%; this one delivers 26.5%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Cook County put median household earnings sit near $83,498, roughly 43% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. In all, Cook County runs 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), of which Neil Armstrong Elem School is one.

Southland College Prep Chtr HS is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Neil Armstrong Elem School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Neil Armstrong Elem School at 4th of 8; the average score across the group is 27.3%.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 16%: 318 students in 2018 compared to 266 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked up from 1% to 8%. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 10.9:1 in 2018 to 13.5:1 today.

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