Enrollment
430
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fort Wayne, IN
Deer Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Deer Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180003002329
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Deer Ridge Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana schools.
- #14 of 20
- elementary schools in Fort Wayne · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 10.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Deer Ridge Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Deer Ridge Elementary ranks #14 of 20 elementary schools in Fort Wayne, IN.
School address
District: Msd Southwest Allen County Schls · Indiana
NCES ID 180003002329 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.5%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Deer Ridge Elementary compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Deer Ridge Elementary
Deer Ridge Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, enrolling 430 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.5% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Indiana average.
With 430 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 112 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #50.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (7%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Fort Wayne's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prince Chapman Academy (819 students): Deer Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.2:1 vs 14.9:1).
Msd Southwest Allen County Schls also operates Homestead High School (2,382 students) and Woodside Middle School (1,032 students) alongside Deer Ridge Elementary.
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 Deer Ridge Elementary compares
Deer Ridge Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.5% | ▼ 79% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
430
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in Indiana - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,387
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 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 76.0%
Two or More 6.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Asian 5.6%
African American 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 76.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.9, Deer Ridge Elementary is about as mixed as the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Msd Southwest Allen County Schls, which includes Deer Ridge Elementary.
$10,387
Per student
-14%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 60.6%
Federal 7.2%
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 Deer Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homestead High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodside Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Summit Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Covington Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Meadow School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Deer Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,382
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,032
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Fort Wayne
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Prince Chapman Academy
Standard public school
819 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Cedarville Elementary School
Standard public school
764 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Covington Elementary School
Standard public school
746 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Weisser Park Elementary School
Standard public school
632 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Fred H Croninger Elementary School
Standard public school
619 students 21.3:1 students per teacher
Jeff H Towles Intermediate School
Standard public school
600 students 14.3:1 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 (~430 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Deer Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Deer Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Msd Southwest Allen County Schls'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 Deer Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Deer Ridge Elementary?
Deer Ridge Elementary has 430 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fort Wayne, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Deer Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Deer Ridge Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 8% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Deer Ridge Elementary?
10.5% of students at Deer Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Deer Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Deer Ridge Elementary is White at 76.0% of enrollment, in Fort Wayne, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Deer Ridge Elementary?
Deer Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Deer Ridge Elementary rank among elementary schools in Fort Wayne?
By Resource Investment Index, Deer Ridge Elementary ranks #14 of 20 elementary schools in Fort Wayne, 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 Fort Wayne on the city page.
Is Deer Ridge Elementary a good school?
Deer Ridge Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Msd Southwest Allen County Schls?
Besides Deer Ridge Elementary, Msd Southwest Allen County Schls also operates Homestead High School (2,382 students), Woodside Middle School (1,032 students), and Summit Middle School (789 students). See the Msd Southwest Allen County Schls 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.