Paw Paw Elem School

Paw Paw Elem School is a rural-scale elementary campus in Paw Paw, Illinois, operated by Paw Paw CUSD 271. The school hosts 87 students in grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 77% smaller than the state mean of about 381.

Across the 2 schools in Paw Paw CUSD 271 (129 students total), Paw Paw Elem School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Paw Paw Elem School lists that 84% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. The remainder reads as 9% Hispanic, 3% Black, 3% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

In terms of school funding signals, The school reports having 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 9.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Paw Paw Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 33% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is lower than Lee County's rate of about 51%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Paw Paw Elem School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.3%; this one delivers 45.0%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Lee County) reports that median household earnings sit near $70,292, about 19% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Lee County's 19 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,778 students), Paw Paw Elem School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Paw Paw Junior High School, roughly 0.0 miles away. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Paw Paw Elem School at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 42.3%.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Paw Paw Elem School's enrollment has ticked down 11% since 2018, when it stood at 98 (now 87). Over the same period, the Hispanic share ticked down from 14% to 9%.

On allk12, members of the Paw Paw Elem School community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.