Dekalb Community Unit School District 428

501 W Dresser Rd
Dekalb, IL 60115-4411
(District boundaries shown in map)
2/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Dekalb Community Unit School District 428 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Illinois for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public preschool serving 289 students in Dekalb Community Unit School District 428.
Public Preschools in Dekalb Community Unit School District 428 have a diversity score of 0.72, which is more than the Illinois public preschool average of 0.70.
Minority enrollment is 73% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Illinois public preschool average of 58% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IL)
# Schools
12 Schools
1,386 Schools
# Students
6,719 Students
511,993 Students
# Teachers
467 Teachers
38,166 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

District Rank

Dekalb Community Unit School District 428, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 864 school districts in Illinois (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 79% has decreased from 82% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IL)
#743 out of 865 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
13%
27%
16%
30%
35%
50%
79%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.72
0.70
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
1%
4%
% Hispanic
31%
32%
% Black
28%
18%
% White
33%
42%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
7%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $19,272 in this school district is less than the state median of $22,430. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $17,438 is less than the state median of $21,668. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (IL)
Total Revenue
$130 MM
$41,381 MM
Spending
$117 MM
$39,976 MM
Revenue / Student
$19,272
$22,430
Spending / Student
$17,438
$21,668

Best Dekalb Community Unit School District 428 Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
1515 S 4th St
Dekalb, IL 60115
(815) 754-2999
Gr: PK | 289 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 73%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 12 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 6,719 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 68%
  • : 79% (Btm 50% in IL)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 13% (Btm 50%)
  • : 16% (Btm 50%)
  • : 35% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IL Dept. of Education

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