Enrollment
246
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for George Washington Carver School 87, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
The verdict
George Washington Carver School 87 earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
George Washington Carver School 87 has class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, George Washington Carver School 87 ranks #8 of 90 schools in Indianapolis, IN.
NCES ID 180477002555 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Enrollment
246
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+4% vs state
How George Washington Carver School 87 compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
Smaller classes than state median
8.8:1 - 7.1 below the Indiana state median of 15.9:1, indicating smaller average class loads than typical schools in the state.
George Washington Carver School 87 is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Indianapolis, Indiana, enrolling 246 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, George Washington Carver School 87 is leaner than roughly 97% of Indiana schools and 45% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.3% lands close to the Indiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 246 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #41.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and African American (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Indianapolis Public Schools spends $19,511 per pupil, 62% above the Indiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Indianapolis's public schools, it stands alongside Indiana Connections Academy (5,376 students): George Washington Carver School 87 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.8:1 vs 36.6:1).
Indianapolis Public Schools also operates Arsenal Technical High School (2,360 students) and Crispus Attucks High School (1,269 students) alongside George Washington Carver School 87.
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
George Washington Carver School 87 on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.8:1 | ▼ 45% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▲ 4% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
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.
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.2% of enrollment.
Simpson diversity index - at 70.5, George Washington Carver School 87 is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indianapolis Public Schools, which includes George Washington Carver School 87.
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.
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal Technical High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crispus Attucks High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shortridge High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George Washington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest Community Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to George Washington Carver School 87's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on George Washington Carver School 87's federal record.
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.
George Washington Carver School 87 has 246 students enrolled. It is a public school in Indianapolis, IN.
The student-teacher ratio at George Washington Carver School 87 is 8.8:1, which is 45% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 44% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
51.3% of students at George Washington Carver School 87 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
The largest demographic group at George Washington Carver School 87 is Hispanic or Latino at 36.2% of enrollment, in Indianapolis, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.5/100.
George Washington Carver School 87 has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
By Resource Investment Index, George Washington Carver School 87 ranks #8 of 90 schools in Indianapolis, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Indianapolis on the city page.
George Washington Carver School 87 earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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.
Besides George Washington Carver School 87, Indianapolis Public Schools also operates Arsenal Technical High School (2,360 students), Crispus Attucks High School (1,269 students), and Shortridge High School (1,206 students). See the Indianapolis Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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.
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PlainSchools, “George Washington Carver School 87, Indianapolis IN.” Compiled from NCES Common Core of Data, Civil Rights Data Collection, and the NCES F-33 finance survey; data as of June 2026. https://plainschools.com/schools/george-washington-carver-school-87-in
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