Enrollment
1,243
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 181281002122
Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 30
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 30
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: Msd Wayne Township · 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)
75.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center 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
Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center reports 1,243 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 75.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 67.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 37% above the Indiana average and 31% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Msd Wayne Township spends $18,276 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.0% from local sources (property taxes), 55.2% from the state, and 15.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 8% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.7% | ▲ 37% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,243 | 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
67.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 37% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 76% in Indiana — lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.2%
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
$18,276
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
280
in-school suspensions + 246 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 73 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,243 Top 94% in Indiana — larger than 6% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 75.0
Students per teacher 17.4:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 67.7% +37% vs state
NCES ID 181281002122
Student demographics
African American 37.5%
Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
White 20.5%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 37.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.2%
In-school suspensions 280
Out-of-school suspensions 246
Expulsions 73
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Msd Wayne Township, which includes Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center.
$18,276
Per student
+26%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 55.2%
Federal 15.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,315
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,143
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,135
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 843
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
Similar high schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Central High School
Standard public school
3,682 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Franklin Central High School
Standard public school
3,438 students 21:1 students per teacher
Warren Central High School
Standard public school
3,391 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Ben Davis High School
Standard public school
3,315 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Pike High School
Standard public school
3,188 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Lawrence North High School
Standard public school
2,799 students 19.7:1 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 Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center
How many students attend Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center?
Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center has 1,243 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center is 17.4:1, which is 8% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center?
67.7% of students at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center?
The largest demographic group at Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center is African American at 37.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center?
Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.