Enrollment
428
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Shelbyville, IN
Coulston Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Coulston 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 181014001627
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Coulston Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Indiana schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Shelbyville · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 60.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Coulston Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Coulston Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Shelbyville, IN.
School address
District: Shelbyville Central Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 181014001627 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Coulston Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Coulston Elementary School
Coulston Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Shelbyville, Indiana, enrolling 428 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 60.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 428 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 447 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #194.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 428 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Shelbyville's elementary schools, it stands alongside William F Loper Elementary School (619 students): Coulston Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 15.1:1).
Shelbyville Central Schools also operates Shelbyville Sr High School (1,068 students) and Shelbyville Middle School (886 students) alongside Coulston 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 Coulston Elementary School compares
Coulston 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.8% | ▲ 23% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 428 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
428
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 25% in Indiana - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$11,104
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 428 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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 65.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.6%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 3.5%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.4, Coulston 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 Shelbyville Central Schools, which includes Coulston Elementary School.
$11,104
Per student
-8%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 63.3%
Federal 10.7%
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.
How Coulston Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shelbyville Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William F Loper Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Hendricks Elementary Sch | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Golden Bear Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Coulston Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 295
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Shelbyville
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 (~428 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Coulston Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Coulston Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Shelbyville Central 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 Coulston Elementary School
How many students attend Coulston Elementary School?
Coulston Elementary School has 428 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Shelbyville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Coulston Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Coulston Elementary School is 13.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 15% 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 Coulston Elementary School?
60.8% of students at Coulston Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Coulston Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Coulston Elementary School is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Shelbyville, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Coulston Elementary School?
Coulston 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 Coulston Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Shelbyville?
By Resource Investment Index, Coulston Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Shelbyville, 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 Shelbyville on the city page.
Is Coulston Elementary School a good school?
Coulston Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Shelbyville Central Schools?
Besides Coulston Elementary School, Shelbyville Central Schools also operates Shelbyville Sr High School (1,068 students), Shelbyville Middle School (886 students), and William F Loper Elementary School (619 students). See the Shelbyville Central 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.