Enrollment
1,180
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 180004602162 Charter school
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary — Gary, IN
Federal NCES profile for 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary · Indiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
115.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary reports 1,180 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 115.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 28% below the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 27% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 77.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 57% above the Indiana average and 50% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 590 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 51.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary spends $18,684 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 2.6% from local sources (property taxes), 51.7% from the state, and 45.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.6:1 | ▼ 28% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.9% | ▲ 57% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,180 | top 94% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
77.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 57% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
— 28% below state mean
Top 8% in Indiana — lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
51.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,684
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 590 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 174 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,180 Top 94% in Indiana — larger than 6% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 115.0
Students per teacher 11.6:1 -28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 77.9% +57% vs state
NCES ID 180004602162
Student demographics
African American 92.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 2.2%
White 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 92.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 590:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 51.0%
In-school suspensions 42
Out-of-school suspensions 174
Expulsions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary, which includes 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary.
$18,684
Per student
+28%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 2.6%
State 51.7%
Federal 45.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar other schools in Gary
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Gary Lighthouse Charter School
Standard public school
1,138 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Standard public school
773 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy
Standard public school
472 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Steel City Academy
Standard public school
286 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr
Standard public school
231 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Gary Virtual Academy
Standard public school
45 students 56.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary
How many students attend 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary?
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary has 1,180 students enrolled. It is a other school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary?
The student-teacher ratio at 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary is 11.6:1, which is 28% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary?
77.9% of students at 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary?
The largest demographic group at 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary is African American at 92.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary?
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.