Enrollment
1,814
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 180432000736
Hammond Central High School — Hammond, IN
Federal NCES profile for Hammond Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 22
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 42
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: School City of Hammond · Indiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
96.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hammond Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Hammond Central High School reports 1,814 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 96.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 20% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 22% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 69.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 40% above the Indiana average and 34% above the national baseline. The school offers 2 Advanced Placement courses, a stronger academic pipeline indicator than enrollment alone. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 202 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding School City of Hammond spends $16,325 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.5% from local sources (property taxes), 53.8% from the state, and 19.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Hammond Central High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.4:1 | ▲ 20% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.4% | ▲ 40% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,814 | top 97% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
69.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 40% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.4:1
students per teacher
— 20% above state mean
Top 90% in Indiana — lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,325
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors9.0 FTE
Per 202 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
216
in-school suspensions + 242 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,814 Top 97% in Indiana — larger than 3% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 96.0
Students per teacher 19.4:1 +20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 69.4% +40% vs state
NCES ID 180432000736
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 53.6%
African American 36.8%
White 5.7%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 9.0
Students per counselor 202:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 23.1%
In-school suspensions 216
Out-of-school suspensions 242
Expulsions 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for School City of Hammond, which includes Hammond Central High School.
$16,325
Per student
+12%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 53.8%
Federal 19.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,446
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Enrollment
- 705
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
Similar high schools in Hammond
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Hammond Central High School
How many students attend Hammond Central High School?
Hammond Central High School has 1,814 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hammond, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hammond Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hammond Central High School is 19.4:1, which is 20% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hammond Central High School?
69.4% of students at Hammond Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hammond Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Hammond Central High School is Hispanic or Latino at 53.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hammond, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hammond Central High School?
Hammond Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.