Enrollment
1,052
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 180288002272
East Chicago Central High School — East Chicago, IN
Federal NCES profile for East Chicago Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 44
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: School City of East Chicago · Indiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Chicago Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
East Chicago Central High School reports 1,052 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 77.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% below the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 76.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 54% above the Indiana average and 47% above the national baseline. The school offers 8 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 263 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 46.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding School City of East Chicago spends $16,489 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 19.9% from local sources (property taxes), 57.9% from the state, and 22.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How East Chicago Central High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 13% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.2% | ▲ 54% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,052 | top 92% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
76.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 54% 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
14:1
students per teacher
— 13% below state mean
Top 28% in Indiana — lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
46.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,489
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 263 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
151
in-school suspensions + 285 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 41.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,052 Top 92% in Indiana — larger than 8% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 77.0
Students per teacher 14:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 76.2% +54% vs state
NCES ID 180288002272
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 54.8%
African American 42.4%
Two or More 1.9%
White 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 263:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 46.1%
In-school suspensions 151
Out-of-school suspensions 285
Expulsions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School City of East Chicago, which includes East Chicago Central High School.
$16,489
Per student
+13%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 57.9%
Federal 22.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 282
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about East Chicago Central High School
How many students attend East Chicago Central High School?
East Chicago Central High School has 1,052 students enrolled. It is a high school in East Chicago, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Chicago Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at East Chicago Central High School is 14:1, which is 13% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Chicago Central High School?
76.2% of students at East Chicago Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Chicago Central High School?
The largest demographic group at East Chicago Central High School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in East Chicago, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Chicago Central High School?
East Chicago Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.