Enrollment
289
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · New Castle, IN
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch
Federal NCES profile for Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180066000141
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Indiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in New Castle · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 38.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch has class sizes smaller than 90% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch ranks #1 of 7 schools in New Castle, IN.
School address
District: Blue River Valley Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180066000141 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch is a mid-sized combined-grade school in New Castle, Indiana, enrolling 289 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.6:1, Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch is leaner than roughly 90% of Indiana schools and 27% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 289 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 320 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among New Castle's public schools, it stands alongside Blue River Valley Elementary Sch (331 students): Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.6:1 vs 15:1).
Its district, Blue River Valley Schools, also runs Blue River Valley Elementary Sch (331 students).
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 Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch compares
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 27% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.1% | ▼ 23% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 289 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
289
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 10% in Indiana - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,778
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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.
Student demographics
White 95.5%
Two or More 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 95.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.7, Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blue River Valley Schools, which includes Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch.
$12,778
Per student
+6%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 55.4%
Federal 15.6%
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 Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue River Valley Elementary Sch | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 331
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in New Castle
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Blue River Valley Elementary Sch
Standard public school
331 students 15:1 students per teacher
Wilbur Wright Elementary School
Standard public school
305 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Parker Elementary School
Standard public school
278 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Eastwood Elementary School
Standard public school
257 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Westwood Elementary School
Standard public school
256 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School
Standard public school
246 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~289 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch's federal record.
- Compare Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Blue River Valley Schools'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 Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch
How many students attend Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch?
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch has 289 students enrolled. It is a public school in New Castle, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch is 11.6:1, which is 27% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 26% 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 Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch?
38.1% of students at Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch?
The largest demographic group at Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch is White at 95.5% of enrollment, in New Castle, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch?
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch rank among schools in New Castle?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch ranks #1 of 7 schools in New Castle, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in New Castle on the city page.
Is Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch a good school?
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Indiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools. 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 Blue River Valley Schools?
Besides Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch, Blue River Valley Schools also operates Blue River Valley Elementary Sch (331 students). See the Blue River Valley Schools 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.