At a Glance | District 401

Elmwood Park CUSD 401, a unit district in a suburban community with a small town feel, strives to cultivate the following: 

• Individualized social-emotional learning processes
• Rigorous academics fostering inquisitive minds prepared for critical thinking
• Active, engaged partnerships with the community and parents
• Innovative uses of 21st century technologies for teaching and learning

The vision of Elmwood Park CUSD 401 is to inspire minds in the pursuit of excellence.

District 401 is governed by a Board of Education consisting of seven elected members. The Board's current members are:

• Mr. Frank J. Parisi | President
• Mr. Michael V. Scheidt | Vice President
• Mrs. Susan S. Capraro | Secretary
• Mrs. Mary Bruscato
• Mr. Timothy P. Loughnane
• Mr. Jonathan M. Rivera
• Mr. Peter A. Volpe

To communicate with the entire Board, please use this email link. Individuals may also submit questions or communications for the Board's consideration to District 401 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Leah Gauthier. 

The District 401 administrative organizational chart is available here.

To email any of the individuals listed below, please click the name of the person you want to reach. In general, all District 401 email addresses for individual employees follow the same pattern: lastnamefirstinitial@epcusd401.org. The main office phone number is 708-452-7292.

Please note that the list below is organized by job title. "Superintendent" and "Assistant Superintendent" are listed first, followed by the remaining job titles in alphabetical order.

To email any of the individuals listed below, please click the name of the person you want to reach. In general, all District 401 email addresses for individual employees follow the same pattern: lastnamefirstinitial@epcusd401.org. The main office phone number is 708-452-7292.

Please note that the list below is organized by job title. The titles are ordered alphabetically.

If you want to reach the District Office by email, please use the general information email address listed below, or send your message to the appropriate individual listed elsewhere on this page. 

The District Office is located inside the Elmwood Park High School building, 8201 W. Fullerton Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707.

District 401 provides a comprehensive public education to the 2,748 students enrolled in our four schools. Elmwood Park residency is required for enrollment.

► John Mills Elementary School | PK-5

• Address: 2824 N. 76th Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707
• Navigation: Map | Directions
• Phone: 708-452-3560
• Fax: 708-452-0349
• Email: millsinfo@epcusd401.org
• Grades: PK-5
• Enrollment: 671 students for 2021-22
• Principal: Mr. Frank Kuzniewski
• Assistant Principal: Ms. Natalia Gomez
• About: John Mills at a Glance

► Elmwood Elementary School | K-5

• Address: 2319 N. 76th Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707
• Navigation: Map | Directions
• Phone: 708-452-3558
• Fax: 708-452-5567
• Email: ewinfo@epcusd401.org
• Grades: K-5
• Enrollment: 519 students for 2021-22
• Principal: Mr. Matthew Lerner
• Assistant Principal: Ms. Stephanie Hagins
• About: Elmwood at a Glance

► Elm Middle School | 6-8

• Address: 7607 W. Cortland St., Elmwood Park, IL 60707
• Navigation: Map | Directions
• Phone: 708-452-3550
• Fax: 708-452-0662
• Email: elminfo@epcusd401.org
• Grades: 6-8
• Enrollment: 675 students for 2021-22
• Principal: Ms. Ashley Groeneveld
• Assistant Principal: Ms. Stephanie Spiewak
• Dean of Students: Mr. Michael Goodman
• About: Elm at a Glance

► Elmwood Park High School

• Address: 8201 W. Fullerton Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707
• Navigation: Map | Directions
• Phone: 708-452-7272
• Fax: 708-452-0732
• Email: ephsinfo@epcusd401.org
• Grades: 9-12 & post-12 transition
• Enrollment: 961 students for 2021-22
• Principal: Mr. Douglas Wildes
• Assistant Principal: Ms. Stephanie Dornan
• Dean of Students: Mr. David Parolin
• Dean of Students: Ms. Agnes Stankiewicz
• Athletic Director: Mr. Doug Noyes
• About: EPHS at a Glance

All visitors to the District Office and to District 401 schools during hours when students are present must sign in and out at the appropriate security desk and obtain a visitor’s badge.

Visitors must observe the District's policy concerning visitor conduct on school grounds.

The information below is based primarily — but not exclusively — on District 401's most recent Illinois School Report Card, which covered the 2020-21 school year. All enrollment figures listed below were final for 2021-22 as of May 26, 2022.

• Grades Included Within District 401:
  • PK-12 plus post-high school transition program
• Schools in District 401:
  • John Mills Elementary | Grades PK-5
  • Elmwood Elementary | Grades K-5
  • Elm Middle | Grades 6-8
  • Elmwood Park High | Grades 9-12 & post-high school transition
• Summative Designations for Each District School:
  • No summative designations were given in the 2021 Illinois Report Card.
• Total Numbers of Students (as of May 26, 2022):
  • 2,826 (PK-12 plus transition & alternative)
• Students Enrolled in Each School (as of May 26, 2022):
  • 671 students at John Mills (PK-5)
  • 519 students at Elmwood (K-5)
  • 675 students at Elm (6-8)
  • 961 students at EPHS (9-12 & post-12 transition)
• Employees, Full & Part Time (as of May 26, 2022):
  • 393
• Teachers & Certified Specialists (as of May 26, 2022):
  • 251
• Curriculum Standards:
  • Common Core State Standards
  • Illinois Learning Standards 

• Total District Expenditures:
  • $52,025,298
• Spending Per Student:
  • District: $13,811
  • Change from Previous Year: -5.13%
• Average Teacher Salary:
  • District: $81,637
  • State: $70,705
• Average Administrator Salary:
  • District: $120,039
  • State: $114,208

• Pupil/Teacher Ratio:
  • District (Elementary Students per Teacher): 16 to 1
  • State (Elementary Students per Teacher): 17 to 1
  • District (High School Students per Teacher): 19 to 1
  • State (High School Students per Teacher): 18 to 1
• Pupil/Certified Staff Ratio:
  • District: 9 to 1
  • State: 10 to 1
• Pupil/Administrator Ratio:
  • District: 132 to 1
  • State: 157 to 1
• Average Class Size:
  • District: 24
  • State: 20
• Student Attendence (average daily attendance):
  • District: 91.5 percent
  • State: 92.5 percent
• Student Mobility (students who transferred in or out at least once during school year):
  • District: 5 percent
  • State: 6 percent
• Chronically Truant Students (students who missed 5 percent of schools days without valid excuse):
  • District: 21.3 percent
  • State: 22.8 percent
• Chronic Absenteeism (students who missed 10 percent or more of school days without valid excuse):
  • District: 25 percent
  • State: 21 percent
• Dropout Rate (students removed from local roster before end of school term):
  • District: 2.4 percent
  • State: 2.6 percent

• Teacher Retention:
  • District: 81.4 percent
  • State: 87.1 percent
• Teachers with Master's Degree or Higher:
  • District: 68.6 percent
  • State: 59.5 percent
• Teacher Demographics by Gender:
  • Female: 74.5 percent
  • Male: 25.5 percent
• Teacher Demographics by Ethnicity:
  • White: 91 percent
  • Hispanic: 6.1 percent
  • Asian: 0.5percent
  • Black: 0.5 percent
  • Two or More: 1.5 percent
  • American Indian: 0 percent
  • Pacific Islander: 0 percent
  • Unknown: 0.5 percent

• Student Demographics:
  • Hispanic: 57.3 percent
  • White: 36.4 percent
  • Asian: 2.6 percent
  • Black: 1.8 percent
  • Two or More Races: 1.4 percent
  • American Indian: 0.3 percent
  • Pacific Islander: 0.2 percent
• Low-Income Students (students eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches, live in substitute care or whose families receive public aid):
  • District: 41.8 percent
  • State: 48.1 percent
• Homeless Students (students who do not have permanent or adequate homes):
  • District: 0.2 percent
  • State: 1.7 percent
• English Learners (students whose primary language is not English):
  • District: 20.9 percent
  • State: 12.9 percent
• Students with Individualized Education Programs (students who receive special education and/or related services in accordance with their IEPs):
  • District: 13 percent
  • State: 15 percent

• Graduation Rate (four year):
  • District: 79.9 percent
  • State: 86 percent
• Graduation Rate (five year):
  • District: 87 percent
  • State: 89.3 percent 
• Graduation Rate (six year):
  • District: 93.1 percent
  • State: 89.1 percent 
• Illinois Assessment of Readiness (the IAR is the state assessment tool for ELA and math readiness in grades 3-8):
  • District ELA Proficiency: 26 percent meet or exceed standards
  • District Math Proficiency: 12 percent meet or exceed standards
  • State ELA Proficiency: Data not available
  • State Math Proficiency: Data not available
• SAT (the SAT is the state assessment tool for ELA and math readiness in grades 9-12):
  • District ELA Proficiency: 28 percent meet or exceed standards
  • District Math Proficiency: 25 percent meet or exceed standards
  • State ELA Proficiency: Data not available
  • State Math Proficiency: Data not available
• Eighth Graders Passing Algebra I (Algebra I is described as a gateway course because students typically need to pass Algebra I before moving on to high level math and science courses):
  • District: 13.2 percent
  • State: 28.8 percent
• High School Freshmen on Track to Graduate (students identified as "on track" have earned at least five full-year course credits (10 semester credits) and have earned no more than one semester "F" in a core course; freshmen on track is a key predictor of high school success):
  • District: 78.5 percent
  • State: 82.2 percent
• Early College Coursework (students taking early college coursework in grades 9-12):
  • District: 41.8 percent
  • State: Data not available
• Postsecondary Enrollment Within 12 Months (graduating seniors enrolling in a two- or four-year college within 12 months):
  • District: 74 percent
  • State: 69 percent
• Postsecondary Enrollment Within 16 Months (graduating seniors enrolling in a two- or four-year college within 16 months):
  • District: 75 percent
  • State: 69 percent
• Community College Remediation (students at Illinois community colleges taking remedial courses):
  • District: 60 percent
  • State: 39 percent