Enrollment
37
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Anderson, IN
Compass Alternative School
Federal NCES profile for Compass Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180015002623
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Compass Alternative School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Indiana.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Anderson · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.4:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 89.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Compass Alternative School has class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Alternative School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Anderson, IN.
School address
District: Anderson Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180015002623 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+80% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Compass Alternative School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Compass Alternative School
Compass Alternative School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Anderson, Indiana, enrolling 37 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.4:1, Compass Alternative School is leaner than roughly 99% of Indiana schools and 53% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 89.2% of students qualify for free meals, 80% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Indiana schools, with 37 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 54 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 37 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Anderson's public schools, it stands alongside Anderson Preparatory Academy (777 students): Compass Alternative School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.4:1 vs 12.3:1).
Anderson Community School Corp also operates Anderson High School (1,768 students) and Highland Middle School (916 students) alongside Compass Alternative 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 Compass Alternative School compares
Compass Alternative 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 | 7.4:1 | ▼ 53% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.2% | ▲ 80% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 37 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
37
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 80% 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
7.4:1
students per teacher
- 53% below state mean
Top 1% in Indiana - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$14,345
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 32.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 145.9 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anderson Community School Corp, which includes Compass Alternative School.
$14,345
Per student
+19%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 58.4%
Federal 17.8%
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 Compass Alternative School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tenth Street Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Anderson Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Compass Alternative School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,768
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 581
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 496
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Anderson
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~37 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Compass Alternative School's federal record.
- Compare Compass Alternative School against another school. Compare schools
- Anderson 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 Compass Alternative School
How many students attend Compass Alternative School?
Compass Alternative School has 37 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Anderson, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Compass Alternative School?
The student-teacher ratio at Compass Alternative School is 7.4:1, which is 53% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 53% 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 Compass Alternative School?
89.2% of students at Compass Alternative School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Compass Alternative School?
Compass Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Compass Alternative School rank among schools in Anderson?
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Alternative School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Anderson, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Anderson on the city page.
Is Compass Alternative School a good school?
Compass Alternative School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Indiana. 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 Anderson Community School Corp?
Besides Compass Alternative School, Anderson Community School Corp also operates Anderson High School (1,768 students), Highland Middle School (916 students), and Eastside Elementary School (581 students). See the Anderson 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.