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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at West Side Primary School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
400
Elementary
DISTRICT 303 · STATE 381
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HARRISBURG CUSD 3·NCES 171827004404
West Side Primary School
411 W Lincoln St, Harrisburg, IL 62946 · (618) 253-7637 · Saline County
GRADES KG–02ELEMENTARY33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL400 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
11.4:1
35 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.1:1 · STATE 13.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
63%
252 students
DISTRICT 61% · STATE 56%
Community
5
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 137 | 34% |
| Grade 1 | 135 | 34% |
| Grade 2 | 128 | 32% |
Student demographics
26%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 30% · 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
West Side Primary School→East Side Intermediate School→Harrisburg Middle School→Harrisburg High School
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Harrisburg CUSD 3. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Schools most like West Side Primary School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Side Primary School this school | 400 | 63.0% | N/A |
| Hawthorn Elementary School Salem | 421 | 62.7% | 48.2% |
| Hedding Grade School Abingdon | 376 | 62.0% | 48.3% |
| Mt Carmel Grade School Mount Carmel | 370 | 60.8% | 45.8% |
| East Side Intermediate School Harrisburg | 397 | 66.8% | 39.4% |
| Altamont Grade School Altamont | 462 | 62.3% | 52.7% |
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 West Side Primary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Saline County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 400 | #999 of 2,419 | #2 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.4:1 | #378 of 2,035 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 26.1% | #1,475 of 2,042 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 63.0% | #917 of 2,132 | #2 of 6 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -16.0% | #617 of 1,461 | N/A |
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
400
-92 (-19%) vs 2020
-34% since 1990-91, when it was 608
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 | 400 | 35 | 11.4:1 | 63% (252) |
| 2023-24 | 407 | 35 | 11.6:1 | 61% (249) |
| 2022-23 | 424 | 34 | 12.5:1 | 63% (267) |
| 2020-21 | 492 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 476 | 35.5 | 13.4:1 | 65% (308) |
| 2015-16 | 510 | 37 | 13.8:1 | 65% (332) |
| 2010-11 | 606 | 37 | 16.4:1 | 62% (378) |
| 2000-01 | 609 | 41 | 14.8:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 608 | 37 | 16.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Side Primary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (476 to 400); teachers down 1% (35.5 to 35).
About West Side Primary School
Students in Harrisburg, Illinois, attend West Side Primary School, a medium-sized elementary school. The school enrolls 400 students, from kindergarten through 2.
The district for West Side Primary School is Harrisburg CUSD 3, with 5 schools and 1,781 students.
Federal enrollment data show West Side Primary School is 86% White. Other groups make up 8% multiracial, 4% Black, and 3% Hispanic. Pick two students at random and there is a 26% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Teachers at the school number 35 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 11.4:1. This ratio sits 2.5 below the 13.9:1 average for elementary schools in Illinois. Roughly 63% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Saline County average 62%.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Saline County show that the median household income is $53,117, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 20%, and roughly 14% of residents are in poverty. Besides West Side Primary School, Saline County has 14 other public schools.
The closest other public school is Harrisburg High School, about 0.4 miles away. West Side Primary School has 5 other public schools within five miles.
Federal data place West Side Primary School in the Town: Remote locale, which means it is in a town far from an urbanized area.
Compared with 2020-21, the school had 92 fewer students in 2024-25.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss school safety, transportation, and start times at West Side Primary School. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Saline County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
23,213
Census ACS
Median income
$53,117
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
20%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
14%
Below federal line
Schools in county
15
3,704 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Harrisburg CUSD 3
- Harrisburg High SchoolHigh · 491 students
- East Side Intermediate SchoolElementary · 397 students
- Harrisburg Middle SchoolMiddle · 382 students
- Bulldog Early Learning AcademyElementary · 111 students
Other schools in Harrisburg
- Harrisburg High SchoolHigh · 491 students
- East Side Intermediate SchoolElementary · 397 students
- Harrisburg Middle SchoolMiddle · 382 students
- Bulldog Early Learning AcademyElementary · 111 students
- School District 428 IYC-HRBHigh · 42 students
Nearby schools
- Harrisburg High School0.4 mi · 491
- East Side Intermediate School0.6 mi · 397
- School District 428 IYC-HRB0.7 mi · 42
- Harrisburg Middle School1.7 mi · 382
- Bulldog Early Learning Academy1.7 mi · 111
- Carrier Mills-Stonefort Elementary School5.6 mi · 300
Frequently asked questions
About West Side Primary SchoolHow many students attend West Side Primary School?
West Side Primary School enrolls approximately 400 students in grades KG-02.
What grades does West Side Primary School serve?
West Side Primary School serves grades KG-02.
How many teachers does West Side Primary School have?
West Side Primary School employs 35 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.4:1.
What is the student diversity at West Side Primary School?
Student demographics at West Side Primary School are roughly 86% White, 3% Hispanic, 4% Black, 0% Asian, 8% Two or more.
Who oversees West Side Primary School?
West Side Primary School is overseen by Harrisburg CUSD 3 in Saline County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.