Enrollment
335
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Greencastle, 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 181050002253
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 50
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 near the Indiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Greencastle · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 44.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Greencastle, IN.
School address
District: South Putnam Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 181050002253 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-11% 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 Greencastle, Indiana, enrolling 335 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.2% lands close to the Indiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 335 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 450 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #305.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 419 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Greencastle's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tzouanakis Intermediate School (419 students): Central Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 15.5:1).
South Putnam Community Schools also operates South Putnam High School (354 students) and South Putnam Middle School (268 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 12% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.2% | ▼ 11% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 335 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
335
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 33% in Indiana - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$11,120
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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 93.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Two or More 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 93.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.6, Central Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Putnam Community Schools, which includes Central Elementary School.
$11,120
Per student
-8%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 59.5%
Federal 6.2%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Putnam High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Putnam Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fillmore Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 148
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Greencastle
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~335 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- South Putnam Community 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 Central Elementary School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 335 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Greencastle, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 14:1, which is 12% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 11% 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 Central Elementary School?
44.2% 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 93.4% of enrollment, in Greencastle, 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 Greencastle?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Greencastle, 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 Greencastle 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 near the Indiana median. 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 South Putnam Community Schools?
Besides Central Elementary School, South Putnam Community Schools also operates South Putnam High School (354 students), South Putnam Middle School (268 students), and Fillmore Elementary School (148 students). See the South Putnam Community 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.