Enrollment
549
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Plainfield, IN
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180897001493
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Indiana schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Plainfield · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 25.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes larger than 77% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Plainfield, IN.
School address
District: Plainfield Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180897001493 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary School
Central Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Plainfield, Indiana, enrolling 549 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 25.6% free-meal eligibility runs 48% below the Indiana average.
Enrollment of 549 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 371 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #244.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 549 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Plainfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Clarks Creek Elementary (544 students): Central Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.7:1 vs 18.1:1).
Plainfield Community School Corp also operates Plainfield High School (1,856 students) and Plainfield Community Middle School (1,378 students) alongside Central Elementary School.
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 Central Elementary School compares
Central Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.6% | ▼ 48% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 549 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
549
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in Indiana - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,630
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 549 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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.
Student demographics
White 73.8%
African American 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 4.2%
Largest group: White at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.7, Central Elementary School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plainfield Community School Corp, which includes Central Elementary School.
$10,630
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 56.2%
Federal 8.1%
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 Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plainfield Community Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clarks Creek Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Van Buren Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Guilford Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,856
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,378
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Plainfield
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Clarks Creek Elementary
Standard public school
544 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Van Buren Elementary School
Standard public school
514 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Guilford Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 15:1 students per teacher
Brentwood Elementary School
Standard public school
420 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~549 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Plainfield Community School Corp'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 Central Elementary School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 549 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Plainfield, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 17.7:1, which is 11% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary School?
25.6% of students at Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary School is White at 73.8% of enrollment, in Plainfield, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Central Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Plainfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Plainfield, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Plainfield on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of 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 Plainfield Community School Corp?
Besides Central Elementary School, Plainfield Community School Corp also operates Plainfield High School (1,856 students), Plainfield Community Middle School (1,378 students), and Clarks Creek Elementary (544 students). See the Plainfield Community School Corp 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.