Enrollment
628
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Bend, IN
Clay High School
Federal NCES profile for Clay High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 181029001649
👥 S:T ratio 62
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clay High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Indiana schools.
- #3 of 8
- high schools in South Bend · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.5:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 62.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Clay High School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clay High School ranks #3 of 8 high schools in South Bend, IN.
School address
District: South Bend Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 181029001649 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.5:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clay High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clay High School
Clay High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in South Bend, Indiana, enrolling 628 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.5:1, Clay High School is leaner than roughly 96% of Indiana schools and 40% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 628 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 396 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #89.
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 171 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 74.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding South Bend Community School Corp spends $16,803 per pupil, 39% above the Indiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 196 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 628 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 16 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among South Bend's high schools, it stands alongside Adams High School (1,966 students): Clay High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.5:1 vs 15.9:1).
South Bend Community School Corp also operates Adams High School (1,966 students) and Riley High School (1,238 students) alongside Clay High 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 Clay High School compares
Clay High 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 | 9.5:1 | ▼ 40% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.7% | ▲ 27% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 628 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.5:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
628
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
9.5:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 4% in Indiana - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
74.7%
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
$16,803
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.7 FTE
Per 171 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 186 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 16 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.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Bend Community School Corp, which includes Clay High School.
$16,803
Per student
+39%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 54.6%
Federal 16.3%
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 Clay High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Traditional School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrison Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clay High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in South Bend
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Adams High School
Standard public school
1,966 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Riley High School
Standard public school
1,238 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Washington High School
Standard public school
795 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Career Academy High School
Standard public school
481 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Excel Center - South Bend
Standard public school
296 students 29.6:1 students per teacher
Rise Up Academy at Eggleston
Standard public school
149 students 9.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~628 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clay High School's federal record.
- Compare Clay High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Bend 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 Clay High School
How many students attend Clay High School?
Clay High School has 628 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Bend, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clay High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clay High School is 9.5:1, which is 40% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 39% 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 Clay High School?
62.7% of students at Clay High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clay High School?
Clay High School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Clay High School rank among high schools in South Bend?
By Resource Investment Index, Clay High School ranks #3 of 8 high schools in South Bend, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in South Bend on the city page.
Is Clay High School a good school?
Clay High School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 South Bend Community School Corp?
Besides Clay High School, South Bend Community School Corp also operates Adams High School (1,966 students), Riley High School (1,238 students), and Washington High School (795 students). See the South Bend 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.