Aurora West USD 129
Aurora West USD 129 is a public school district based in Aurora, Illinois, serving 11,020 students in 17 schools. By enrollment it ranks #21 of the 376 Illinois districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 95% of them. Its schools average 648 students each, more than the Illinois median of 465. Its superintendent is Dr. Michael Smith. It spends about $14,838 per student on day-to-day operations, 12% less than the Illinois median. It has roughly 14.7 students per teacher.
How Aurora West compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Aurora West | Illinois median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $14,838 | $16,815 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $9,298 | $10,013 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $194.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $217.6 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 749 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,906 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.7 | 13.6 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 1,002 | 490 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Illinois median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr. Michael Smith
Source: Illinois State Board of Education, Directory of Educational Entities, checked 2026-10-19. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Illinois
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Charles CUSD 303Saint Charles | 11,731 | 18 | $18,087 | 13.3 | #18 |
| CUSD 200Wheaton | 11,639 | 20 | $17,321 | 13.3 | #19 |
| Palatine CCSD 15Palatine | 11,321 | 20 | $16,859 | 13.5 | #20 |
| Aurora West USD 129Aurora · this district | 11,020 | 17 | $14,838 | 14.7 | #21 |
| Champaign CUSD 4Champaign | 10,598 | 20 | $16,202 | 13.9 | #22 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Banos UnifiedLos Banos, CA | 11,041 | $13,973 | 23.1 |
| Clifton Public School DistrictClifton, NJ | 11,010 | $19,453 | 11.6 |
| Lake Travis ISDAustin, TX | 11,008 | $9,344 | 16.4 |
| Roseville Joint Union HighRoseville, CA | 11,002 | $12,926 | 23.7 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-il-aurora-west-usd-129