Public school district · Suburb: Large
Illinois · Lake County

Gurnee SD 56

1,836 students · 4 schools · 13.2:1 ratio · grades PreK–8 · #218 of 862 in Illinois

Students
1,836
Schools
4
Teachers (FTE)
140
Student–Teacher
13.2:1
County
Lake
Grades
PreK–8
OverviewEnrollmentDemographicsStaffingFundingPerformanceAccreditationCompareFull data
Overview

About Gurnee SD 56

Gurnee SD 56 is a public school system serving Lake County, Illinois, based in Gurnee. It serves 1,836 students across 4 schools spanning PreK–8, and is classified as a suburb: large district. By enrollment it is the #218 largest of Illinois’s 862 school systems.

Phone8473360800
Address3706 Florida Ave, Gurnee, IL 60031
CountyLake County
Enrollment & schools

Size and structure

Gurnee SD 56 enrolls 1,836 students in 4 schools — an average of about 459 students per school. It serves grades PreK–8 and ranks #218 of 862 statewide by enrollment.

Students
1,836
#218 of 862 in Illinois
Schools
4
~459 students each
Grade span
PreK–8
Suburb: Large
Students & demographics

Who the district serves

Student race and ethnicity in Gurnee SD 56, from the NCES Common Core of Data (1,836 students reported):

White
18%
Black
21%
Hispanic
50%
Asian
5%
Two or more
6%
Amer. Indian
0%
Pacific Isl.
0%

For economically-disadvantaged, English-learner, and special-education shares, plus school-by-school detail, see the federal sources in the full-data section.

Staffing & support

Teachers & staff

Gurnee SD 56 employs about 140 full-time-equivalent teachers for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1 — below the Illinois average of about 13.6:1, meaning comparatively smaller classes. Total district staff is roughly 318.

Student–teacher ratio
13.2:1
state avg ~13.6:1
Teachers (FTE)
140
classroom teachers
Total staff
318
all district employees

Counselor and librarian/media counts are not published at the district level in the current NCES release; see the federal full-data links for staffing detail.

Funding

How Illinois funds schools

Illinois distributes most state K-12 aid through Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) (2017): the state sets each district’s research-based Adequacy Target, compares its local resources to that target, and sorts districts into four tiers, steering most new money to the districts furthest below adequacy, while a Base Funding Minimum ensures no district receives less than the prior year. The law targets at least $350 million in new EBF funding each year.

District-level per-pupil spending and the local/state/federal revenue split for Gurnee SD 56 are published in the federal school-finance files — see the full-data links below for the current figures.

Accountability

Report card & state results

Illinois publishes the Illinois Report Card each year, reporting achievement and growth in English language arts and math, graduation, attendance, finances and climate, and assigns each school a summative designation (Exemplary, Commendable, Targeted or Comprehensive Support). Look up Gurnee SD 56 on the Illinois Report Card.

Accreditation

Accreditation status

Illinois does not use an outside accreditor for public districts; the Illinois State Board of Education grants official recognition status based on compliance with state standards, and private accreditation (for example through Cognia) is voluntary. See ISBE’s public-school recognition.

How it compares

Gurnee SD 56 vs. Illinois

Enrollment rank
#218
of 862 districts
Ratio
13.2:1
state avg ~13.6:1
Locale
Suburb: Large
Lake County

See every Illinois district side by side in the Illinois directory.

Go deeper

Look up Gurnee SD 56’s full data

These official sources carry the district-level detail — finances, discipline, equity, test scores, boundaries. Direct links for this district (via its NCES ID):

Data & sources

About this data

Enrollment, demographics, staffing, locale and contact details reflect the NCES Common Core of Data (2024–25); funding context from the Illinois State Board of Education (Evidence-Based Funding) and NEA Rankings & Estimates 2026. Figures are the latest available and may lag the current school year. This page is informational, not an official district record, and not affiliated with or endorsed by Gurnee SD 56. NCES District ID (LEAID): 1717800. Confirm current details with the district and the Illinois State Board of Education.