James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Indianapolis, Indiana - 1 schools

An equity score of 56/100 ranks James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School #150 of 373 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $20,295 per pupil, James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School ranks #6 of 406 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

284
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$20,295
Per-Pupil Spending
Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School operates 1 public schools serving 284 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 Marion County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,295 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 41 of 406 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 40.9% local, 36.6% state, and 22.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 56/100, ranked #150 of 373 in Indiana against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 296:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 60.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.2% African American, 32.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% White across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School, enrolling 296 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School accounts for 100.0% of all James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School a distant remainder — means James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: middle. 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

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 76.4% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School student-counselor ratio is 296:1 — 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 James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School is typically wider than the James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School-aggregate figure suggests.

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

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School chronic absenteeism rate is 60.5% — 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

22.5%
Federal
36.6%
State
40.9%
Local

Funding Equity

56
Equity Score
150 / 373
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School.

Hispanic or Latino 32.1%
African American 63.2%
Multiracial 3.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

296:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
60.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School

School Enrollment
James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School
Charter
296

How James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Indiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Purdue Polytechnic High Sch North Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Indiana Department of Correction Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Excel Center - Muncie Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Excel Center - Anderson Similar size Lower spending No revenue-mix data
Indiana School for the Deaf Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data

Comparisons are relative to James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership 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.

Compare James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School?

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School has 1 school, including 1 middle. Total enrollment is 284 students.

How much does James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School spend per student?

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School spends $20,295 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #150 in Indiana.

What is the demographic composition of James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School?

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School students are 63.2% African American, 32.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% White, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School?

James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #150 out of 373 districts in Indiana.