School City of East Chicago

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

East Chicago, Indiana - 7 schools

An equity score of 89/100 ranks School City of East Chicago #13 of 372 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,716 per pupil, School City of East Chicago ranks #40 of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,348
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$16,716
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

School City of East Chicago operates 7 public schools serving 3,348 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 $16,716 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 41 of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.9% local, 57.9% state, and 22.2% 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 89/100, ranked #13 of 372 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 240.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 36.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.3% Hispanic or Latino, 44.8% African American, 1.3% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is William Mckinley Elementary School, with a diversity index of 54.1/100.

Its largest campus is East Chicago Central High School, enrolling 1,052 students (33% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Carrie Gosch Pk Center, at 113 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

East Chicago Central High School accounts for 31.4% of all School City of East Chicago student enrollment

That dominant concentration means School City of East Chicago-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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

School City of East Chicago school enrollment varies 9.3× across entities

School City of East Chicago school enrollment ranges from 113 students (lowest) to 1,052 students (highest), a spread of 939 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

School City of East Chicago reports 79.4% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

School City of East Chicago student-counselor ratio is 241:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

School City of East Chicago chronic absenteeism rate is 36.1% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

22.2%
Federal
57.9%
State
19.9%
Local

Funding Equity

89
Equity Score
13 / 372
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in School City of East Chicago.

White 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 51.3%
African American 44.8%
Multiracial 2.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 49.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across School City of East Chicago's schools, above the Indiana average of 39.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 William Mckinley Elementary School 54.1
  2. 2 Joseph Block Middle School 52.9
  3. 3 George Washington Elementary Sch 52.2
  4. 4 East Chicago Central High School 52.0
  5. 5 Carrie Gosch Pk Center 51.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
240.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in School City of East Chicago

School Enrollment
East Chicago Central High School
1,052
William Mckinley Elementary School
509
Joseph Block Middle School
436
George Washington Elementary Sch
433
Benjamin Harrison Elementary Sch
400
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
282
Carrie Gosch Pk Center
113

How School City of East Chicago Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Indiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
East Noble School Corporation Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Plymouth Community School Corp Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Greater Jasper Consolidated Schs Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Tri-Creek School Corporation Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Fayette County School Corporation Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to School City of East Chicago'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 · $14,569/pupil
Compare vs School City of East Chicago →
Indianapolis Public Schools
22,027 students · 57 schools · $23,197/pupil
Compare vs School City of East Chicago →
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
21,612 students · 22 schools · $12,362/pupil
Compare vs School City of East Chicago →
Msd Lawrence Township
16,414 students · 17 schools · $12,332/pupil
Compare vs School City of East Chicago →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare School City of East Chicago

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 School City of East Chicago?

School City of East Chicago has 7 schools, including 1 high, 4 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 3,348 students.

How much does School City of East Chicago spend per student?

School City of East Chicago spends $16,716 per student. The district has an equity score of 89/100, ranking #13 in Indiana.

What is the demographic composition of School City of East Chicago?

School City of East Chicago students are 51.3% Hispanic or Latino, 44.8% African American, 1.3% White, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for School City of East Chicago?

School City of East Chicago has an equity score of 89/100, ranking #13 out of 372 districts in Indiana.