1
Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at Normal Community West High School this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,590
High
DISTRICT 1,228 · STATE 834
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·MCLEAN COUNTY USD 5·NCES 172862001386
Normal Community West High School
501 N Parkside Rd, Normal, IL 61761 · (309) 557-4402 · McLean County
GRADES 09–12HIGH22-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL1,590 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
105 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.4:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
39%
613 students
DISTRICT 40% · STATE 56%
Community
4
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 383 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 422 | 27% |
| Grade 11 | 390 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 395 | 25% |
Student demographics
56%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 66% · 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
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
38.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.3%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-11.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 38% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Illinois's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Where Normal Community West High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In McLean County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.1% | #231 of 573 | #6 of 8 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,590 | #141 of 708 | #2 of 11 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.1:1 | #332 of 528 | #7 of 8 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 55.6% | #139 of 537 | #3 of 8 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -5.0% | #257 of 358 | #2 of 6 |
Ranked against other public high 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.
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,590
-83 (-5%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
was 16.9:1
% White
63%
was 70%
% Hispanic
13%
was 8%
% Black
16%
was 14%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free or reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,590 | 105.1 | 15.1:1 | 39% (613) |
| 2023-24 | 1,659 | 106 | 15.7:1 | 39% (648) |
| 2022-23 | 1,628 | 103.9 | 15.7:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 1,673 | 99.1 | 16.9:1 | 33% (554) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Normal Community West High School.
About Normal Community West High School
Normal Community West High School is a high-enrollment high school found in Normal, Illinois. Enrollment stands at 1,590 students, covering grades 9 through 12. It has 91% more students than the average for high schools in Illinois (about 834).
McLean County USD 5 oversees Normal Community West High School and 23 other schools, with 12,407 students in total.
More than half of enrollment at Normal Community West High School is White: 63%. Enrollment also includes 16% Black, 13% Hispanic, and 7% multiracial. The school's White share is 15 points below the 78% share among McLean County residents. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 56%.
The school had 105.1 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25. Its student-to-teacher ratio is 15.1:1. By comparison, the average for high schools in Illinois is 13.8:1. The school reported 39% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25. The figure for public schools in McLean County is close, at 40%.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, Normal Community West High School would score about 49.3%. It scores 38.1%, 11.1 points below that figure.
In the surrounding county, McLean County, median household income comes to about $79,905, about 47% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 7%. The county's public schools total 60, with about 23,759 students.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, Parkside Jr High School, is about 0.7 miles. Around the school, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Of the 7 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Normal Community West High School is 5th on average proficiency.
Normal Community West High School is coded as Suburb: Mid-size in federal locale data.
Federal enrollment counts fell from 1,673 (2017-18) to 1,590 (2024-25). Over the same years, the White share dropped from 70% to 63%. In 2017-18, the student-to-teacher ratio was 16.9:1; by 2024-25 it was 15.1:1.
You can use this page to share news and ask questions about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
McLean County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
171,556
Census ACS
Median income
$79,905
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
47%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
60
23,759 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in McLean County USD 5
- Normal Community High SchoolHigh · 2,079 students
- Evans Junior High SchoolMiddle · 778 students
- Kingsley Jr High SchoolMiddle · 730 students
- Benjamin Elementary SchoolElementary · 607 students
- Parkside Jr High SchoolMiddle · 598 students
- Chiddix Jr High SchoolMiddle · 597 students
Other schools in Normal
- Normal Community High SchoolHigh · 2,079 students
- Kingsley Jr High SchoolMiddle · 730 students
- University High SchoolHigh · 624 students
- Parkside Jr High SchoolMiddle · 598 students
- Chiddix Jr High SchoolMiddle · 597 students
- Grove Elementary SchoolElementary · 519 students
Nearby schools
- Parkside Jr High School0.7 mi · 598
- Parkside Elementary School0.8 mi · 322
- University High School1.5 mi · 624
- Fairview Elementary School1.6 mi · 280
- Oakdale Elementary School1.6 mi · 386
- Kingsley Jr High School1.7 mi · 730
Frequently asked questions
About Normal Community West High SchoolHow many students attend Normal Community West High School?
Normal Community West High School enrolls approximately 1,590 students in grades 09-12.
Is Normal Community West High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Normal Community West High School is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many teachers does Normal Community West High School have?
Normal Community West High School employs 105 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.1:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Normal Community West High School?
At Normal Community West High School, the student body is approximately 63% White, 13% Hispanic, 16% Black, 2% Asian, 7% Two or more.
What district is Normal Community West High School in?
Normal Community West High School is part of McLean County USD 5.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.