Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist

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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Waterloo, Indiana - 6 schools

An equity score of 37/100 ranks Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist #269 of 373 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,502 per pupil, Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist ranks #217 of 406 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,641
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$11,502
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist operates 6 public schools serving 3,641 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 1 high, 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 Dekalb County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,502 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 406 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 30.8% local, 59.1% state, and 10.1% 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 37/100, ranked #269 of 373 in Indiana against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (15 AP courses district-wide), a 379.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 15.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.2% White, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dekalb High School, with a diversity index of 20.0/100.

Its largest campus is Dekalb High School, enrolling 1,007 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Waterloo Elementary School, at 247 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Dekalb High School accounts for 27.7% of all Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist school enrollment varies 4.1× across entities

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist school enrollment ranges from 247 students (lowest) to 1,007 students (highest), a spread of 760 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist student-counselor ratio is 379:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 15.0% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist is typically wider than the Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.1%
Federal
59.1%
State
30.8%
Local

Funding Equity

37
Equity Score
269 / 373
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist.

White 90.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 2.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 18.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist's schools, below the Indiana average of 39.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Dekalb High School 20.0
  2. 2 James R Watson Elementary School 19.8
  3. 3 Mckenney-Harrison Elementary Sch 19.1
  4. 4 Dekalb Middle School 18.0
  5. 5 Country Meadow Elementary School 16.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
15 AP courses total
379.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
15.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist

School Enrollment
Dekalb High School
1,007
Dekalb Middle School
759
Mckenney-Harrison Elementary Sch
620
James R Watson Elementary School
590
Country Meadow Elementary School
314
Waterloo Elementary School
247

How Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Indiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
North Lawrence Com Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Whitley County Con Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Marion Community Schools Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Lebanon Community School Corp Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Sunman-Dearborn Com Sch Corp Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist'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 · $13,247/pupil
Compare vs Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist →
Indianapolis Public Schools
22,027 students · 57 schools · $19,511/pupil
Compare vs Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist →
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
21,612 students · 22 schools · $11,114/pupil
Compare vs Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist →
Msd Lawrence Township
16,414 students · 17 schools · $12,776/pupil
Compare vs Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist →

Compare Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist

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 Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist?

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 combined. Total enrollment is 3,641 students.

How much does Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist spend per student?

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist spends $11,502 per student. The district has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #269 in Indiana.

What is the demographic composition of Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist?

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist students are 90.2% White, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist?

Dekalb Co Ctl United Sch Dist has an equity score of 37/100, ranking #269 out of 373 districts in Indiana.