An equity score of 34/100 ranks Merrillville Community School Corp #284 of 372 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,733 per pupil, Merrillville Community School Corp ranks #338 of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
6,004
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$10,733
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Merrillville Community School Corp operates 8 public schools serving 6,004 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. 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 $10,733 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 34.7% local, 55.4% state, and 9.9% 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 34/100, ranked #284 of 372 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 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 497.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.1% African American, 20.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is John Wood Elementary School, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.
Its largest campus is Merrillville High School, enrolling 2,115 students (36% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is John Wood Elementary School, at 227 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Merrillville High School accounts for 35.2% of all Merrillville Community School Corp student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Merrillville Community School Corp-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Merrillville Community School Corp school enrollment varies 9.3× across entities
Merrillville Community School Corp school enrollment ranges from 227 students (lowest) to 2,115 students (highest), a spread of 1,888 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Merrillville Community School Corp reports 60.2% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. 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.
Merrillville Community School Corp student-counselor ratio is 497:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 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.
Merrillville Community School Corp chronic absenteeism rate is 29.9% — 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 Merrillville Community School Corp is typically wider than the Merrillville Community School Corp-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Merrillville Community School Corp's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
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How many schools are in Merrillville Community School Corp?
Merrillville Community School Corp has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 1 elementary, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 6,004 students.
How much does Merrillville Community School Corp spend per student?
Merrillville Community School Corp spends $10,733 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #284 in Indiana.
What is the demographic composition of Merrillville Community School Corp?
Merrillville Community School Corp students are 63.1% African American, 20.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% White, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Merrillville Community School Corp?
Merrillville Community School Corp has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #284 out of 372 districts in Indiana.