Career Academy Middle School

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

South Bend, Indiana - 1 schools

An equity score of 77/100 ranks Career Academy Middle School #35 of 372 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,751 per pupil, Career Academy Middle School ranks #179 of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

394
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$12,751
Per-Pupil Spending
Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Career Academy Middle School operates 1 public schools serving 394 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in St. Joseph County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,751 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 17.5% local, 77.8% state, and 4.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 77/100, ranked #35 of 372 in Indiana against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 336.6:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 42.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 40.8% African American, 34.1% White, 15.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Career Academy Middle School, enrolling 414 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Career Academy Middle School accounts for 100.0% of all Career Academy Middle School student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Career Academy Middle School a distant remainder — means Career Academy Middle School-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: middle. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Career Academy Middle School reports 67.0% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Career Academy Middle School student-counselor ratio is 337:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Career Academy Middle School is typically wider than the Career Academy Middle School-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Career Academy Middle School chronic absenteeism rate is 42.5% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

4.7%
Federal
77.8%
State
17.5%
Local

Funding Equity

77
Equity Score
35 / 372
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in Career Academy Middle School.

White 34.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
African American 40.8%
Multiracial 9.2%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

336.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
42.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Career Academy Middle School

School Enrollment
Career Academy Middle School
Charter
414

How Career Academy Middle School Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Indiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Signature School Inc Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Charles a Tindley Accelerated Sch Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Timothy L Johnson Academy Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Riverside High School Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Kipp Indy Legacy High Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Career Academy Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Indiana

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Fort Wayne Community Schools
28,612 students · 50 schools · $14,569/pupil
Compare vs Career Academy Middle School →
Indianapolis Public Schools
22,027 students · 57 schools · $23,197/pupil
Compare vs Career Academy Middle School →
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
21,612 students · 22 schools · $12,362/pupil
Compare vs Career Academy Middle School →
Msd Lawrence Township
16,414 students · 17 schools · $12,332/pupil
Compare vs Career Academy Middle School →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Career Academy Middle School

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Fort Wayne Community Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Career Academy Middle School?

Career Academy Middle School has 1 school, including 1 middle. Total enrollment is 394 students.

How much does Career Academy Middle School spend per student?

Career Academy Middle School spends $12,751 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #35 in Indiana.

What is the demographic composition of Career Academy Middle School?

Career Academy Middle School students are 40.8% African American, 34.1% White, 15.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Career Academy Middle School?

Career Academy Middle School has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #35 out of 372 districts in Indiana.