Enrollment
1,138
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gary, IN
Gary Lighthouse Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Gary Lighthouse Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180005202155Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gary Lighthouse Charter School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Gary · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Gary Lighthouse Charter School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gary Lighthouse Charter School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Gary, IN.
School address
District: Gary Lighthouse Charter School · Indiana
NCES ID 180005202155 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+102% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gary Lighthouse Charter School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gary Lighthouse Charter School
Gary Lighthouse Charter School is a high-poverty, large charter combined-grade school in Gary, Indiana, enrolling 1,138 students.
At 15:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 102% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,138 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Gary Lighthouse Charter School spends $14,966 per pupil, 24% above the Indiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 35.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gary's public schools, it stands alongside 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary (1,180 students): Gary Lighthouse Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15:1 vs 10.3:1).
Gary Lighthouse Charter School is a single-school charter district, so Gary Lighthouse Charter School 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 Gary Lighthouse Charter School compares
Gary Lighthouse Charter 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 102% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,138 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,138
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 102% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 45% in Indiana - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
57.3%
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
$14,966
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 158 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
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 86.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
Two or More 3.3%
White 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.1, Gary Lighthouse Charter School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gary Lighthouse Charter School, which includes Gary Lighthouse Charter School.
$14,966
Per student
+24%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.5%
State 64.6%
Federal 35.0%
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 other schools in Gary
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary
Standard public school
1,180 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Standard public school
773 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy
Standard public school
472 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Steel City Academy
Standard public school
286 students 13:1 students per teacher
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr
Standard public school
231 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Gary Virtual Academy
Standard public school
45 students 15:1 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 (~1,138 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gary Lighthouse Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Gary Lighthouse Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Gary Lighthouse Charter School'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 Gary Lighthouse Charter School
How many students attend Gary Lighthouse Charter School?
Gary Lighthouse Charter School has 1,138 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gary Lighthouse Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gary Lighthouse Charter School is 15:1, which is 6% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 4% 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 Gary Lighthouse Charter School?
100.0% of students at Gary Lighthouse Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gary Lighthouse Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Gary Lighthouse Charter School is African American at 86.6% of enrollment, in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gary Lighthouse Charter School?
Gary Lighthouse Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Gary Lighthouse Charter School rank among schools in Gary?
By Resource Investment Index, Gary Lighthouse Charter School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Gary, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gary on the city page.
Is Gary Lighthouse Charter School a good school?
Gary Lighthouse Charter School earns 38/100 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 Gary Lighthouse Charter School?
None; Gary Lighthouse Charter School is a single-school charter district, and Gary Lighthouse Charter School 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.