Ridge Early Childhood Center

Set in Oak Forest, Illinois, Ridge Early Childhood Center is a small elementary-level community, overseen by Forest Ridge SD 142. It instructs 245 students across grades pre-K through K. That puts it 36% below the typical public school in Illinois, which averages around 381 students.

Ridge Early Childhood Center is one of 4 schools operated by Forest Ridge SD 142, a district that enrolls 1,539 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Ridge Early Childhood Center records that the most-represented group is White (50%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school records 34% Hispanic, 10% Black, 3% multiracial, 3% Asian.

On the income-and-resources front, Ridge Early Childhood Center shows 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 18.9:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Around 26% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is south of Cook County's rate of about 66%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Cook County indicate median household earnings sit near $83,498, about 43% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. In all, Cook County runs 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), of which Ridge Early Childhood Center is one.

Kerkstra Elem School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Ridge Early Childhood Center.

Ridge Early Childhood Center operates from a suburban location.

Five-year trend. Ridge Early Childhood Center's enrollment has shrank 6% since 2018, when it stood at 262 (now 245). Over the same period, the White share declined from 65% to 50%. Class-load math has grew: from 15.9:1 in 2018 to 18.9:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.