Pennoyer Elem School

Pennoyer Elem School, a moderately sized elementary school in Norridge, Illinois, one of the schools within Pennoyer SD 79, instructs 419 students, covering grades pre-K through 8.

Pennoyer Elem School is a school of Pennoyer SD 79, the district that handles curriculum, staffing, and budget for the campus.

Looking at the student body, Pennoyer Elem School reports that 66% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder reads as 19% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 5% multiracial. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 44% White, so the school skews considerably more White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Pennoyer Elem School has 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Pennoyer Elem School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 47% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Pennoyer Elem School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 45.0%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Cook County indicate the typical household earns roughly $83,498 per year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Pennoyer Elem School is one of 1406 public schools in Cook County (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students).

Dirksen Elem School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Pennoyer Elem School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Pennoyer Elem School at 6th of 7; the average score across the group is 54.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a residential area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Pennoyer Elem School has stayed largely flat, going from 428 students in 2018 to 419 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 74% to 66% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 14.8:1 in 2018 to 12.3:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.