Enrollment
334
Elementary
DISTRICT 301 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·TUSCOLA CUSD 301·NCES 173960004000
North Ward Elementary School
1201 N Prairie St, Tuscola, IL 61953 · (217) 253-2712 · Douglas County
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL334 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
28 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.9:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
44%
148 students
DISTRICT 42% · 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 | 50 | 15% |
| Kindergarten | 61 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 51 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 65 | 19% |
| Grade 3 | 52 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 55 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (61) is 11% larger than its 4th grade class (55).
Student demographics
23%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 20% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within Tuscola CUSD 301. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
IAR + ISA 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 4-5)English Language Arts
46.2%
IL avg 51.0% . +10.2pp since 2023
Math
29.2%
IL avg 37.9% . +1.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the IAR + ISA, Illinois's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 29 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Illinois schools, those numbers are about 51 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 10 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 1 points.
IAR + ISA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 46.2% | 29.2% |
| 2023-24 | 36.0% | 28.1% |
% Proficient (Levels 4-5), all students and all tested grades.
Source: IAR + ISA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
36.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
45.9%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-9.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 37% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 46% 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 →
Schools most like North Ward Elementary School
North Ward Elementary School's state test result (36.5% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Ward Elementary School this school | 334 | 44.3% | 36.5% |
| Steeleville Elementary School Steeleville | 323 | 43.0% | 34.1% |
| Prairie Central Elementary School Fairbury | 367 | 44.4% | 42.5% |
| R O W V A Elementary School Oneida | 369 | 44.7% | 51.7% |
| East Dubuque Elementary School East Dubuque | 359 | 42.6% | 62.4% |
| Woodlawn Grade School Woodlawn | 322 | 43.2% | 47.5% |
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 North Ward Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 36.5% | #1,040 of 1,925 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 29.2% | #1,311 of 2,077 ▼ 426 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.2% | #1,148 of 2,077 ▼ 215 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 334 | #1,348 of 2,419 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.8:1 | #467 of 2,035 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 23.4% | #1,537 of 2,042 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 44.3% | #1,450 of 2,132 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -8.0% | #1,033 of 1,461 |
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.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
334
-37 (-10%) vs 2020
-24% since 1990-91, when it was 439
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 334 | 28.4 | 11.8:1 | 44% (148) |
| 2023-24 | 326 | 27.9 | 11.7:1 | 43% (139) |
| 2022-23 | 366 | 27.9 | 13.1:1 | 42% (153) |
| 2020-21 | 371 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 363 | 28.5 | 12.7:1 | 42% (153) |
| 2015-16 | 360 | 26 | 13.8:1 | 39% (139) |
| 2010-11 | 403 | 30 | 13.4:1 | 40% (162) |
| 2000-01 | 372 | 27 | 13.8:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 439 | 27 | 16.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for North Ward Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 8% (363 to 334); teachers unchanged (28.5 to 28.4).
About North Ward Elementary School
North Ward Elementary School is a public medium-sized elementary school in Tuscola, Illinois. The school had 334 students in pre-K through 4 in 2024-25.
Tuscola CUSD 301 is made up of 3 schools with 904 students in all.
About 87% of the student body at North Ward Elementary School is White. Other reported shares: 8% Hispanic and 3% multiracial. The White share in Douglas County as a whole is similar, at about 89%. The school's diversity index is 23%, meaning two students picked at random have a 23% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
Federal records show a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.8:1 at North Ward Elementary School, with 28.4 full-time-equivalent teachers. On average, elementary schools in Illinois have 13.9:1, compared with 11.8:1 here. The count of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch equals 44% of enrollment.
A school with North Ward Elementary School's lunch-eligibility share in Illinois is predicted to score 45.9%. North Ward Elementary School scores 36.5%, 9.4 points below that line.
Census estimates describe Douglas County this way: the median household income is $77,320, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 21%, and about 6% of people live in poverty. Besides North Ward Elementary School, Douglas County has 9 other public schools.
The school nearest to North Ward Elementary School is East Prairie Middle School, at a distance of about 0.9 miles. Other public schools within five miles number 2. Compared with its nearest neighbors, North Ward Elementary School ranks 6th of 9 on average proficiency.
Under the NCES locale system, North Ward Elementary School is Town: Distant.
Enrollment at North Ward Elementary School dropped 10% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 371 to 334 students.
Discussions about North Ward Elementary School may include school events, clubs, and volunteer needs. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Douglas County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
19,751
Census ACS
Median income
$77,320
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
10
2,780 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Tuscola CUSD 301
- Tuscola High SchoolHigh · 299 students
- East Prairie Middle SchoolMiddle · 271 students
Other schools in Tuscola
- Tuscola High SchoolHigh · 299 students
- East Prairie Middle SchoolMiddle · 271 students
Other North Ward Elementary schools
2 other US public schools in 3 states are named North Ward Elementary. North Ward Elementary School is the largest of the 3.
- NORTH WARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSIDNEY, NE · 161 students
- North Ward Elementary SchoolALLEGAN, MI · 29 students
Nearby schools
- East Prairie Middle School0.9 mi · 271
- Tuscola High School0.9 mi · 299
- Villa Grove High School7.2 mi · 194
- Villa Grove Elementary School7.2 mi · 310
- Villa Grove Jr High School7.2 mi · 95
- Arcola High School9.0 mi · 299
Frequently asked questions
About North Ward Elementary SchoolHow large is North Ward Elementary School?
North Ward Elementary School enrolls approximately 334 students in grades PK-04.
Is North Ward Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
North Ward Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-04.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Ward Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at North Ward Elementary School is approximately 11.8:1 (28 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at North Ward Elementary School?
At North Ward Elementary School, the student body is approximately 87% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Black, 0% Asian, 3% Two or more.
What district is North Ward Elementary School in?
North Ward Elementary School is part of Tuscola CUSD 301.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.