Is Ralston Elementary School a good school?

Ralston Elementary School ranks 996 th of 2067 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ralston Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 294 students attended Ralston Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Ralston Elementary School?

Students at Ralston Elementary School are 80% White, 10% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Ralston Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ralston Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Harlem Middle School High : Harlem High School

Ralston Elementary School

Summary:

Ralston Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Machesney Park, Illinois, serving grades 1-6 with a total enrollment of 284 students. The school is part of the Harlem UD 122 school district, which is ranked 627 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ralston Elementary School has consistently ranked in the middle range of Illinois elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 633 and 1,060 over the past several years. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's performance on the IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) exams was mixed compared to the district and state averages, with 33% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 25.5% proficient or better in Mathematics. However, the school performed better in Science, with 54% of students proficient or better. Ralston Elementary School has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.1% in 2019-2020 to 16.6% in 2021-2022, which is higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, Ralston Elementary School's academic performance is generally on par with or slightly better than other schools in the Harlem UD 122 district, such as Loves Park Elementary, Rock Cut Elementary, and Windsor Elementary. However, the school lags behind the higher-performing Olson Park Elementary School, also in the Harlem UD 122 district. Additionally, Kinnikinnick School, which is in a different district (Kinnikinnick CCSD 131), significantly outperforms Ralston Elementary School on academic measures.

Detail:

Public 1-6

710 Ralston Rd
Machesney Park, IL 61115-1569

(815) 654-4505

District: Harlem UD 122

SchoolDigger Rank:
996^th of 2,067 Illinois Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,876

Students who attend Ralston Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Harlem Middle School
High:	Harlem High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 294

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.3%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Two or more races:

6.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.3%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Ralston Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ralston Elementary School ranks better than 51.8% of elementary schools in Illinois. It also ranks 2^nd among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Harlem UD 122 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.29. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80.3%), Hispanic (9.9%), two or more races (6.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 46.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Harlem UD 122 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ralston Elementary School is 15.3. 5 elementary schools in the Harlem UD 122 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ralston Elementary School employs 19.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ralston Elementary School is $14,876. 6 elementary schools in the Harlem UD 122 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ralston Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ralston Elementary School 996^th of 2067 Illinois public elementary schools. (See Ralston Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Harlem UD 122:

SchoolDigger ranks Harlem UD 122 627^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ralston Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Ralston Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	79.15	374^th	2020	81.5%
2004	72.48	612^th	2030	69.9%
2005	73.78	532^nd	2022	73.7%
2006	69.28	730^th	2086	65.0%
2007	72.91	597^th	2095	71.5%
2008	71.96	655^th	2092	68.7%
2009	66.00	871^st	2120	58.9%
2010	68.27	803^rd	2139	62.5%
2011	57.38	1121^st	2147	47.8%
2012	55.26	1161^st	2166	46.4%
2013	49.30	1167^th	2167	46.1%
2014	50.90	1073^rd	2093	48.7%
2015	40.11	1124^th	2052	45.2%
2016	35.07	1285^th	2046	37.2%
2017	46.89	1021^st	2044	50.0%
2018	49.81	950^th	2037	53.4%
2019	60.12	776^th	2086	62.8%
2021	60.97	633^rd	1948	67.5%
2022	45.02	1060^th	2082	49.1%
2023	50.66	935^th	2077	55.0%
2024	47.29	996^th	2067	51.8%

See the entire list of Illinois Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ralston Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	54.34	407^th	1194	65.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ralston Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	56.53	640^th	1765	63.7%
2019	63.29	500^th	1816	72.5%
2021	73.51	201^st	1514	86.7%
2022	45.91	874^th	1763	50.4%
2023	50.82	796^th	1808	56.0%
2024	49.49	813^th	1793	54.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ralston Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	53.43	842^nd	1964	57.1%
2019	68.32	569^th	2019	71.8%
2021	52.46	701^st	1680	58.3%
2022	45.82	949^th	1970	51.8%
2023	48.11	928^th	1957	52.6%
2024	50.18	869^th	1942	55.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ralston Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	46.55	960^th	1972	51.3%
2019	54.13	838^th	2019	58.5%
2021	63.88	504^th	1707	70.5%
2022	44.53	997^th	1977	49.6%
2023	53.27	827^th	1984	58.3%
2024	45.16	986^th	1959	49.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Ralston Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	32.32	1030^th	1463	29.6%
2019	42.41	876^th	1462	40.1%
2021	42.73	729^th	1308	44.3%
2022	26.98	1111^th	1425	22.0%
2023	28.20	1080^th	1419	23.9%
2024	31.27	1003^rd	1392	27.9%

See the entire list of Best Illinois Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Ralston Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	531	5	5	5	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	546
1989	514	4	4	3	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	525
1990	508	5	5	5	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	523
1991	508	9	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	524
1992	469	8	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	489
1993	486	6	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	505
1994	519	5	4	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	540
1995	427	8	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
1996	427	8	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
1997	441	10	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	467
1998	361	6	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
1999	366	7	6	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	389
2000	377	14	2	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	406
2001	413	11	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	442
2002	457	7	6	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
2003	457	7	6	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
2004	434	8	6	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	465
2005	424	4	5	16	1	n/a	n/a	10	460
2006	405	6	9	19	4	n/a	n/a	1	444
2007	408	4	9	19	7	n/a	n/a	12	459
2008	417	3	14	19	6	n/a	n/a	11	470
2009	385	2	13	17	6	n/a	n/a	14	437
2010	380	2	10	15	2	n/a	n/a	17	426
2011	378	5	12	27	0	0	15	0	437
2012	363	5	10	29	0	0	11	0	418
2013	355	6	9	20	0	0	8	0	398
2014	340	2	7	21	0	0	15	0	385
2015	313	4	5	25	0	0	12	0	359
2016	285	3	5	21	1	0	12	0	327
2017	257	3	10	24	1	0	17	0	312
2018	287	4	6	24	2	0	21	0	344
2019	274	7	4	26	1	0	25	0	337
2020	260	6	4	19	0	0	18	0	307
2021	273	17	3	34	0	0	22	0	349
2022	238	2	2	24	1	0	18	0	285
2023	236	3	1	24	1	0	19	0	284
2024	236	8	0	29	1	0	20	0	294

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ralston Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	546	22.5	24.2	n/a
1989	525	21.0	25.0	n/a
1990	523	25.0	20.9	n/a
1991	524	27.0	19.4	n/a
1992	489	25.0	19.5	n/a
1993	505	25.0	20.2	n/a
1994	540	27.5	19.6	n/a
1995	447	25.0	17.9	n/a
1996	447	25.0	17.9	n/a
1997	467	24.5	19.1	n/a
1998	380	22.0	17.3	n/a
1999	389	24.0	16.2	n/a
2000	406	24.4	16.6	n/a
2001	442	26.0	17.0	n/a
2002	485	27.0	18.0	16.1
2003	485	27.0	18.0	16.1
2004	465	26.0	17.9	17.6
2005	460	25.0	18.4	20.2
2006	444	25.0	17.8	21.7
2007	459	24.0	19.1	21.3
2008	470	25.0	18.8	22.4
2009	437	28.9	15.1	25.8
2010	426	24.0	17.7	33
2011	437	25.5	17.1	32.7
2012	418	25.6	16.2	34
2013	398	34.6	11.4	33.9
2014	385	23.0	16.7	41.3
2015	359	23.0	15.6	41.5
2016	327	21.0	15.5	37.6
2017	312	21.2	14.7	41
2018	344	21.1	16.3	44.8
2019	337	20.1	16.7	35.6
2020	307	19.5	15.7	37.1
2021	349	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	285	19.1	14.9	39.3
2023	284	19.1	14.8	45.4
2024	294	19.1	15.3	46.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ralston Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	546	22.5	24.2	n/a
1989	525	21.0	25.0	n/a
1990	523	25.0	20.9	n/a
1991	524	27.0	19.4	n/a
1992	489	25.0	19.5	n/a
1993	505	25.0	20.2	n/a
1994	540	27.5	19.6	n/a
1995	447	25.0	17.9	n/a
1996	447	25.0	17.9	n/a
1997	467	24.5	19.1	n/a
1998	380	22.0	17.3	n/a
1999	389	24.0	16.2	n/a
2000	406	24.4	16.6	n/a
2001	442	26.0	17.0	n/a
2002	485	27.0	18.0	16.1
2003	485	27.0	18.0	16.1
2004	465	26.0	17.9	17.6
2005	460	25.0	18.4	20.2
2006	444	25.0	17.8	21.7
2007	459	24.0	19.1	21.3
2008	470	25.0	18.8	22.4
2009	437	28.9	15.1	25.8
2010	426	24.0	17.7	33
2011	437	25.5	17.1	32.7
2012	418	25.6	16.2	34
2013	398	34.6	11.4	33.9
2014	385	23.0	16.7	41.3
2015	359	23.0	15.6	41.5
2016	327	21.0	15.5	37.6
2017	312	21.2	14.7	41
2018	344	21.1	16.3	44.8
2019	337	20.1	16.7	35.6
2020	307	19.5	15.7	37.1
2021	349	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	285	19.1	14.9	39.3
2023	284	19.1	14.8	45.4
2024	294	19.1	15.3	46.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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