Wilder-Waite Grade School

Wilder-Waite Grade School is a medium-sized elementary campus in Peoria, Illinois, one of the schools within Dunlap CUSD 323. The school instructs 404 students in grades K through 5.

Across the 8 schools in Dunlap CUSD 323 (4,837 students total), Wilder-Waite Grade School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Wilder-Waite Grade School lists that 52% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest looks like 23% Asian, 9% Hispanic, 9% Black, 7% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 67% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 17.5:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.9:1 average. Around 25% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Peoria County (around 57%), the school's rate is south of typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Wilder-Waite Grade School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 57.4%; this one delivers 68.5%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Peoria County shows the typical household earns roughly $65,108 per year, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Wilder-Waite Grade School is one of 81 public schools in Peoria County (combined enrollment of about 27,827 students).

Nearest neighbor: Hickory Grove Elementary School, around 1.2 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Wilder-Waite Grade School comes 4th of 9 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 56.9%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Wilder-Waite Grade School has edged up 10%, going from 367 students in 2018 to 404 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 59% to 52% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.