Enrollment
182
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elkhart, IN
Elkhart Alternative Education
Federal NCES profile for Elkhart Alternative Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180327002585
👥 S:T ratio 73
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Elkhart Alternative Education earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools.
- #1 of 11
- schools in Elkhart · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6.7:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 74.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Elkhart Alternative Education has class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Elkhart Alternative Education ranks #1 of 11 schools in Elkhart, IN.
School address
District: Elkhart Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180327002585 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elkhart Alternative Education compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Elkhart Alternative Education
Elkhart Alternative Education is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Elkhart, Indiana, enrolling 182 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.7:1, Elkhart Alternative Education is leaner than roughly 99% of Indiana schools and 58% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 74.7% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Indiana schools, with 182 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 80 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 182 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 53 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 182 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Elkhart's public schools, it stands alongside Roosevelt Steam Academy (531 students): Elkhart Alternative Education is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.7:1 vs 16.6:1).
Elkhart Community Schools also operates Elkhart High School (3,073 students) and West Side Middle School (569 students) alongside Elkhart Alternative Education.
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 Elkhart Alternative Education compares
Elkhart Alternative Education on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.7:1 | ▼ 58% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.7% | ▲ 51% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 182 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
182
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
6.7:1
students per teacher
- 58% 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
$13,618
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 182 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.1 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
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elkhart Community Schools, which includes Elkhart Alternative Education.
$13,618
Per student
+13%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.4%
State 56.8%
Federal 16.8%
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 Elkhart Alternative Education Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Side Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Side Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Steam Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cleveland Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Elkhart Alternative Education's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,073
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Elkhart
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Roosevelt Steam Academy
Standard public school
531 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Mary Daly Elementary School
Standard public school
476 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Mary Feeser Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Osolo Elementary School
Standard public school
452 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Riverview Elementary School
Standard public school
439 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Woodland Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~182 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Elkhart Alternative Education's federal record.
- Compare Elkhart Alternative Education against another school. Compare schools
- Elkhart Community 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 Elkhart Alternative Education
How many students attend Elkhart Alternative Education?
Elkhart Alternative Education has 182 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elkhart, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elkhart Alternative Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Elkhart Alternative Education is 6.7:1, which is 58% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 57% 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 Elkhart Alternative Education?
74.7% of students at Elkhart Alternative Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elkhart Alternative Education?
Elkhart Alternative Education has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Elkhart Alternative Education rank among schools in Elkhart?
By Resource Investment Index, Elkhart Alternative Education ranks #1 of 11 schools in Elkhart, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Elkhart on the city page.
Is Elkhart Alternative Education a good school?
Elkhart Alternative Education earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% 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 Elkhart Community Schools?
Besides Elkhart Alternative Education, Elkhart Community Schools also operates Elkhart High School (3,073 students), West Side Middle School (569 students), and North Side Middle School (563 students). See the Elkhart Community 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.