Shelbyville Central Schools

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.

Shelbyville, Indiana - 7 schools

An equity score of 47/100 ranks Shelbyville Central Schools #209 of 372 districts in Indiana (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,582 per pupil, Shelbyville Central Schools ranks #194 of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending (Indiana districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,036
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$12,582
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Shelbyville Central Schools operates 7 public schools serving 4,036 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Indiana. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 combined, 1 high, 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 Shelby County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,582 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 405 Indiana districts by per-pupil spending. See how Indiana compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 26.0% local, 63.3% state, and 10.7% 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 47/100, ranked #209 of 372 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (17 AP courses district-wide), a 464.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 73.7% White, 17.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Coulston Elementary School, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.

Its largest campus is Shelbyville Sr High School, enrolling 1,068 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Especially Kidz Health & Rehab Cnt, at 47 students, a 23x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Shelbyville Sr High School accounts for 26.5% of all Shelbyville Central Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Shelbyville Central Schools-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

Shelbyville Central Schools school enrollment varies 23× across entities

Shelbyville Central Schools school enrollment ranges from 47 students (lowest) to 1,068 students (highest), a spread of 1,021 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Shelbyville Central Schools reports 56.0% 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Shelbyville Central Schools student-counselor ratio is 464:1 — 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

Shelbyville Central Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 22.9% — 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 Shelbyville Central Schools is typically wider than the Shelbyville Central Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.7%
Federal
63.3%
State
26.0%
Local

Funding Equity

47
Equity Score
209 / 372
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 7 schools in Shelbyville Central Schools.

White 73.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.5%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.7%
Multiracial 4.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 41.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Shelbyville Central Schools's schools, above the Indiana average of 39.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Coulston Elementary School 51.4
  2. 2 Shelbyville Sr High School 45.0
  3. 3 Shelbyville Middle School 44.3
  4. 4 William F Loper Elementary School 38.1
  5. 5 Golden Bear Preschool 36.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
17 AP courses total
464.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Shelbyville Central Schools

School Enrollment
Shelbyville Sr High School
1,068
Shelbyville Middle School
886
William F Loper Elementary School
619
Thomas a Hendricks Elementary Sch
565
Coulston Elementary School
428
Golden Bear Preschool
295
Especially Kidz Health & Rehab Cnt
47

How Shelbyville Central Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Indiana districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Clay Community Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Clarksville Community School Corp Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Msd Martinsville Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
School City of Hobart Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Gary Community School Corp Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

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

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 Shelbyville Central Schools

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 Shelbyville Central Schools?

Shelbyville Central Schools has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 4,036 students.

How much does Shelbyville Central Schools spend per student?

Shelbyville Central Schools spends $12,582 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #209 in Indiana.

What is the demographic composition of Shelbyville Central Schools?

Shelbyville Central Schools students are 73.7% White, 17.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.1% African American, 1.7% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Shelbyville Central Schools?

Shelbyville Central Schools has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #209 out of 372 districts in Indiana.