Enrollment
836
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gary, IN
Charter School of the Dunes
Federal NCES profile for Charter School of the Dunes, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180002701815Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Charter School of the Dunes earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Indiana schools.
- #4 of 8
- elementary schools in Gary · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 96.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Charter School of the Dunes has class sizes larger than 95% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Charter School of the Dunes ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Gary, IN.
School address
District: Charter School of the Dunes · Indiana
NCES ID 180002701815 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Charter School of the Dunes compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Charter School of the Dunes
Charter School of the Dunes is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Gary, Indiana, enrolling 836 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22:1 is larger than about 95% of Indiana schools and 38% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 96.8% of students qualify for free meals, 96% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 836 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 25 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #16.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.7% 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gary's elementary schools, it stands alongside Aspire Charter Academy (684 students): Charter School of the Dunes is larger than that campus by headcount.
Charter School of the Dunes is a single-school charter district, so Charter School of the Dunes operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Charter School of the Dunes compares
Charter School of the Dunes on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22:1 | ▲ 38% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.8% | ▲ 96% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 836 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
836
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 96% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 95% in Indiana - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
39.4%
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
$10,589
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
African American 84.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 4.5%
White 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.2, Charter School of the Dunes is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charter School of the Dunes, which includes Charter School of the Dunes.
$10,589
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.3%
State 75.0%
Federal 23.7%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Gary
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Aspire Charter Academy
Standard public school
684 students
Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn
Standard public school
566 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Longfellow New Tech Elementary Sch
Standard public school
483 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch
Standard public school
450 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Lake Ridge New Tech Middle School
Standard public school
447 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Beveridge Elementary School
Standard public school
374 students 19.7:1 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 (~836 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Charter School of the Dunes's federal record.
- Compare Charter School of the Dunes against another school. Compare schools
- Charter School of the Dunes'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 Charter School of the Dunes
How many students attend Charter School of the Dunes?
Charter School of the Dunes has 836 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Charter School of the Dunes?
The student-teacher ratio at Charter School of the Dunes is 22:1, which is 38% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Charter School of the Dunes?
96.8% of students at Charter School of the Dunes are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Charter School of the Dunes?
The largest demographic group at Charter School of the Dunes is African American at 84.7% of enrollment, in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Charter School of the Dunes?
Charter School of the Dunes has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Charter School of the Dunes rank among elementary schools in Gary?
By Resource Investment Index, Charter School of the Dunes ranks #4 of 8 elementary schools in Gary, 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 Gary on the city page.
Is Charter School of the Dunes a good school?
Charter School of the Dunes earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Charter School of the Dunes?
None; Charter School of the Dunes is a single-school charter district, and Charter School of the Dunes is its only campus.
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.