Enrollment
283
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whiting, IN
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch
Federal NCES profile for Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180432000731
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Whiting · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 66.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Whiting, IN.
School address
District: School City of Hammond · Indiana
NCES ID 180432000731 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Whiting, Indiana, enrolling 283 students.
At 14.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 283 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 251 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #173.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 283 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Whiting's public schools, it stands alongside Nathan Hale Elementary School (396 students): Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 15.8:1).
School City of Hammond also operates Hammond Central High School (1,814 students) and Morton Senior High School (1,446 students) alongside Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch compares
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.8% | ▲ 35% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 283 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
283
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 44% in Indiana - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,212
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 283 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School City of Hammond, which includes Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch.
$14,212
Per student
+18%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 53.8%
Federal 19.7%
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.
How Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Morton Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Warren G Harding Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Irving Elementary Sch | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Edison Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,814
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,446
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Whiting
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~283 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch's federal record.
- Compare Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch against another school. Compare schools
- School City of Hammond's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch
How many students attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch?
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch has 283 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whiting, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch is 14.9:1, which is 6% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch?
66.8% of students at Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch?
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch rank among public schools in Whiting?
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Whiting, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Whiting on the city page.
Is Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch a good school?
Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in School City of Hammond?
Besides Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch, School City of Hammond also operates Hammond Central High School (1,814 students), Morton Senior High School (1,446 students), and Warren G Harding Elementary School (755 students). See the School City of Hammond district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.