Enrollment
687
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180264002112
Blue Academy — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Blue Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 42
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 Decatur 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)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Academy 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
Blue Academy reports 687 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 42.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% 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 3% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 31% above the Indiana average and 25% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Msd Decatur Township spends $14,768 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 30.4% from local sources (property taxes), 57.1% from the state, and 12.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 Blue Academy 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 1% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.6% | ▲ 31% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 687 | top 81% | — | — |
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
64.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 31% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
— 1% above state mean
Top 63% in Indiana — lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.1%
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
$14,768
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 687 Top 81% in Indiana — larger than 19% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 42.0
Students per teacher 16.3:1 +1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.6% +31% vs state
NCES ID 180264002112
Student demographics
African American 44.3%
White 38.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 44.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Msd Decatur Township, which includes Blue Academy.
$14,768
Per student
+1%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 57.1%
Federal 12.5%
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
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,000
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lillie Idella Kitley Intermediate
Standard public school
1,365 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Edgewood Intermediate School
Standard public school
1,300 students 18:1 students per teacher
Creston Intermediate & Middle Schl
Standard public school
1,106 students 15:1 students per teacher
Raymond Park Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,079 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,043 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Paramount Brookside
Standard public school
843 students 23.6:1 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 Blue Academy
How many students attend Blue Academy?
Blue Academy has 687 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Academy is 16.3:1, which is 1% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blue Academy?
64.6% of students at Blue Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Academy?
The largest demographic group at Blue Academy is African American at 44.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Academy?
Blue Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 3 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.