D
Elementary School District 159
Public school districtGrades PK–8Regional · 3 towns
Serves Rich Township, 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 Walnut.
PK–52 elementary schoolsBureau Valley Community Unit School District 340
6–8Bureau Valley Elem and JHBureau Valley Community Unit School District 340
9–12Bureau Valley High SchoolBureau Valley Community Unit School District 340
Test scores vs. IL
2020–21Math proficiency8%
State average 25.8%
Reading / language arts15%
State average 30.7%
Graduation rate 87% at Bureau Valley Community Unit School District 340, 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 Township, Frankfort, Mokena
$19,546per student
Frankfort Community Consolidated School District 157CFrankfort Township, Frankfort
$15,648per student
Crete-Monee Community Unit School District 201-UMonee Township, 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.