Enrollment
495
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · East Chicago, IN
East Chicago Lighthouse
Federal NCES profile for East Chicago Lighthouse, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180005402235Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Chicago Lighthouse earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #6 of 6
- elementary schools in East Chicago · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 98.1%
- free-lunch eligible
East Chicago Lighthouse has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Chicago Lighthouse ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in East Chicago, IN.
School address
District: East Chicago Lighthouse Charter · Indiana
NCES ID 180005402235 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+98% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Chicago Lighthouse compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Chicago Lighthouse
East Chicago Lighthouse is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in East Chicago, Indiana, enrolling 495 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 98.1% of students qualify for free meals, 98% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 495 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 63 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #45.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (41%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 495 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 34.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among East Chicago's elementary schools, it stands alongside William Mckinley Elementary School (509 students): East Chicago Lighthouse is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 15.4:1).
East Chicago Lighthouse Charter is a single-school charter district, so East Chicago Lighthouse operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 East Chicago Lighthouse compares
East Chicago Lighthouse on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.1% | ▲ 98% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 495 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
495
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 98% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Indiana - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.9%
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
$12,022
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 495 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 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
African American 54.9%
Hispanic or Latino 41.4%
Two or More 2.8%
White 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 54.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.6, East Chicago Lighthouse is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Chicago Lighthouse Charter, which includes East Chicago Lighthouse.
$12,022
Per student
0%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.1%
State 62.9%
Federal 34.0%
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.
Similar elementary schools in East Chicago
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
William Mckinley Elementary School
Standard public school
509 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
George Washington Elementary Sch
Standard public school
433 students 14:1 students per teacher
East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy
Standard public school
424 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Benjamin Harrison Elementary Sch
Standard public school
400 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
Standard public school
282 students 12.3:1 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 (~495 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Chicago Lighthouse's federal record.
- Compare East Chicago Lighthouse against another school. Compare schools
- East Chicago Lighthouse Charter'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 East Chicago Lighthouse
How many students attend East Chicago Lighthouse?
East Chicago Lighthouse has 495 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in East Chicago, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Chicago Lighthouse?
The student-teacher ratio at East Chicago Lighthouse is 16.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Chicago Lighthouse?
98.1% of students at East Chicago Lighthouse are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Chicago Lighthouse?
The largest demographic group at East Chicago Lighthouse is African American at 54.9% of enrollment, in East Chicago, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Chicago Lighthouse?
East Chicago Lighthouse has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 East Chicago Lighthouse rank among elementary schools in East Chicago?
By Resource Investment Index, East Chicago Lighthouse ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in East Chicago, 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 East Chicago on the city page.
Is East Chicago Lighthouse a good school?
East Chicago Lighthouse earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 East Chicago Lighthouse Charter?
None; East Chicago Lighthouse Charter is a single-school charter district, and East Chicago Lighthouse is its only campus.
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.