Enrollment
295
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelbyville, IN
Golden Bear Preschool
Federal NCES profile for Golden Bear Preschool, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181014002687
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Bear Preschool earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Indiana schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Shelbyville · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.1:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 48.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Bear Preschool has class sizes larger than 93% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Bear Preschool ranks #3 of 4 schools in Shelbyville, IN.
School address
District: Shelbyville Central Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 181014002687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Bear Preschool compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden Bear Preschool
Golden Bear Preschool is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shelbyville, Indiana, enrolling 295 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.1:1 is larger than about 93% of Indiana schools and 33% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 48.2% lands close to the Indiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 295 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 367 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #363, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 37/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Shelbyville's public schools, it stands alongside Southwestern Elementary School (405 students): Golden Bear Preschool is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.1:1 vs 16.9:1).
Shelbyville Central Schools also operates Shelbyville Sr High School (1,068 students) and Shelbyville Middle School (886 students) alongside Golden Bear Preschool.
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 Golden Bear Preschool compares
Golden Bear Preschool on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.1:1 | ▲ 33% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.2% | ▼ 3% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 295 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
295
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 93% in Indiana - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$11,104
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 78.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
African American 3.4%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.5, Golden Bear Preschool is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelbyville Central Schools, which includes Golden Bear Preschool.
$11,104
Per student
-8%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 63.3%
Federal 10.7%
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 Golden Bear Preschool Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbyville Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shelbyville Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William F Loper Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas a Hendricks Elementary Sch | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coulston Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden Bear Preschool's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 886
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 619
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Shelbyville
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~295 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Bear Preschool's federal record.
- Compare Golden Bear Preschool against another school. Compare schools
- Shelbyville Central 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 Golden Bear Preschool
How many students attend Golden Bear Preschool?
Golden Bear Preschool has 295 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelbyville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Bear Preschool?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Bear Preschool is 21.1:1, which is 33% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 34% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Golden Bear Preschool?
48.2% of students at Golden Bear Preschool are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Bear Preschool?
The largest demographic group at Golden Bear Preschool is White at 78.3% of enrollment, in Shelbyville, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Bear Preschool?
Golden Bear Preschool has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower 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).
How does Golden Bear Preschool rank among schools in Shelbyville?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Bear Preschool ranks #3 of 4 schools in Shelbyville, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Shelbyville on the city page.
Is Golden Bear Preschool a good school?
Golden Bear Preschool earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Shelbyville Central Schools?
Besides Golden Bear Preschool, Shelbyville Central Schools also operates Shelbyville Sr High School (1,068 students), Shelbyville Middle School (886 students), and William F Loper Elementary School (619 students). See the Shelbyville Central 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.