River Forest Community Sch Corp

Hobart, Indiana — 4 schools

1,646
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,055
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

River Forest Community Sch Corp operates 4 public schools serving 1,646 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 other, 1 elementary, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,707 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lake County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,055 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 23.6% local, 65.0% state, and 11.4% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $54,248 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 49/100, ranked #200 of 373 in Indiana against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 350.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 17.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.6% Hispanic or Latino, 33.2% White, 16.2% African American across the district's schools.

River Forest High School accounts for 33.1% of all River Forest Community Sch Corp student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means River Forest Community Sch Corp-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

River Forest Community Sch Corp has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 81.2% 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

River Forest Community Sch Corp student-counselor ratio is 351:1 — 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

River Forest Community Sch Corp chronic absenteeism rate is 17.5% — 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 River Forest Community Sch Corp is typically wider than the River Forest Community Sch Corp-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

11.4%
Federal
65.0%
State
23.6%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
200 / 373
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Lake County county, where this district is located.

$959
Studio/mo
$1,082
1 BR/mo
$1,317
2 BR/mo
$1,612
3 BR/mo
$1,744
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$54,248
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in River Forest Community Sch Corp.

White 33.2%
Hispanic or Latino 42.6%
African American 16.2%
Multiracial 7.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
7 AP courses total
350.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in River Forest Community Sch Corp

School Enrollment
River Forest High School
565
Henry S Evans Elementary School
400
John I Meister Elementary School
373
River Forest Middle School
369

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 · $15,804/pupil
Compare vs River Forest Community Sch Corp →
Indianapolis Public Schools
22,027 students · 57 schools · $26,790/pupil
Compare vs River Forest Community Sch Corp →
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
21,612 students · 22 schools · $13,097/pupil
Compare vs River Forest Community Sch Corp →
MSD Lawrence Township
16,414 students · 17 schools · $14,366/pupil
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Compare River Forest Community Sch Corp

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 River Forest Community Sch Corp?

River Forest Community Sch Corp has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 other, 1 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,646 students.

How much does River Forest Community Sch Corp spend per student?

River Forest Community Sch Corp spends $13,055 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #200 in Indiana.

What is the average teacher salary in River Forest Community Sch Corp?

The average teacher salary in River Forest Community Sch Corp is $54,248 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near River Forest Community Sch Corp?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lake County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of River Forest Community Sch Corp?

River Forest Community Sch Corp students are 42.6% Hispanic or Latino, 33.2% White, 16.2% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for River Forest Community Sch Corp?

River Forest Community Sch Corp has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #200 out of 373 districts in Indiana. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.