D
Elementary School District 159
Public school districtGrades PK–8Regional · 3 towns
Serves Rich, Matteson and Richton Park, and parts of Tinley Park.
Students
1,653
Schools
5
Spent per student
$27,813
IL $21,567
Students per teacher
13:1
Free or reduced lunch
71%
Debt
$20.9M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Elementary School District 159
- School Grade D: better than 13% of Illinois districts
- Math proficiency 18 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 16 pts below the state
- Spends 29% more per student than the IL average
- 13 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 7.1% since 2020
- Debt of $20.9M, about $12,667 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Ritchie.
PK–1Bruning Elem SchoolWilmington Community Unit School District 209U
2–5L J Stevens Intermediate SchoolWilmington Community Unit School District 209U
6–8Wilmington Middle SchoolWilmington Community Unit School District 209U
9–12Wilmington High SchoolWilmington Community Unit School District 209U
Test scores vs. IL
2020–21Math proficiency8%
State average 25.8%
Reading / language arts15%
State average 30.7%
Graduation rate 92% at Wilmington Community Unit School District 209U, which runs the high school (state 87.3%) · class of 2018.
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$27,813 per student · 29% above IL
Spending
Classroom instruction 49%Support & administration 47%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 61%State 34%Federal 5%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
1,779’20
1,685’21
1,679’22
1,648’23
1,653’24
Down 7.1% since 2020.
Students
Black 79%Hispanic 14%Two or more races 4%White 2%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%
Schools in the district
5 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
Lincoln Way Community High School District 210Frankfort, Frankfort, Mokena
$19,546per student
Frankfort Community Consolidated School District 157CFrankfort, Frankfort
$15,648per student
Crete-Monee Community Unit School District 201-UMonee, Park Forest, University Park
$23,596per student
Rich Township High School District 227Olympia Fields, Park Forest, University Park
$38,455per student
District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.