Nelson Prairie School

Set in New Lenox, Illinois, Nelson Prairie School is a middle-of-the-pack primary school, operated by New Lenox SD 122. It instructs 388 students across grades 1 through 3.

New Lenox SD 122 comprises 12 schools with combined enrollment of 4,956 students; Nelson Prairie School is among them.

Demographically, Nelson Prairie School lists that the student body is overwhelmingly White (85%). Beyond that, the school lists 11% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. By comparison, Will County as a whole is about 62% White, so the school skews considerably more White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.4:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Roughly 14% of students at Nelson Prairie School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Will County runs at roughly 44%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Nelson Prairie School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 63.6%; this one delivers 66.5%.

In the broader community, census data for Will County shows median household income runs about $109,984, 38% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Nelson Prairie School is one of 209 public schools in Will County (combined enrollment of about 113,008 students).

The closest other public school is Nelson Ridge School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Nelson Prairie School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 61.8%.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Looking at the recent track record. Nelson Prairie School's enrollment has shrank 5% since 2018, when it stood at 410 (now 388).

Inside the community feed, the feed for Nelson Prairie School typically covers classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.