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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
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report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
Merrillville, Indiana - 1 schools
An equity score of 88/100 ranks Higher Institute of Arts & Tech #11 of 373 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,787 per pupil, Higher Institute of Arts & Tech ranks #110 of 406 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
208
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$12,787
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech operates 1 public schools serving 208 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary 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 Lake County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,787 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 406 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 0.2% local, 65.9% state, and 33.9% 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 88/100, ranked #11 of 373 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.
and 37.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.3% African American, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% White across the district's schools.
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech accounts for 100.0% of all Higher Institute of Arts & Tech student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Higher Institute of Arts & Tech a distant remainder — means Higher Institute of Arts & Tech-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 79.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech chronic absenteeism rate is 37.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Comparisons are relative to Higher Institute of Arts & Tech'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.
How many schools are in Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech has 1 school, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 208 students.
How much does Higher Institute of Arts & Tech spend per student?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech spends $12,787 per student. The district has an equity score of 88/100, ranking #11 in Indiana.
What is the demographic composition of Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech students are 85.3% African American, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% White, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech has an equity score of 88/100, ranking #11 out of 373 districts in Indiana.