Enrollment
647
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cedar Lake, IN
Hanover Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Hanover Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 180435001908
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 95
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hanover Central Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Cedar Lake · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 21.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Hanover Central Middle School has class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hanover Central Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Cedar Lake, IN.
School address
District: Hanover Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180435001908 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hanover Central Middle School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hanover Central Middle School
Hanover Central Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Cedar Lake, Indiana, enrolling 647 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.8% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Indiana average.
Enrollment of 647 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 288 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #34.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 324 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Hanover Community School Corp also operates Hanover Central High School (857 students) and Red Cedars Elementary (666 students) alongside Hanover Central Middle School.
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 Hanover Central Middle School compares
Hanover Central Middle 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 7% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.8% | ▼ 56% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 647 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
647
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 70% in Indiana - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
1.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,334
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 324 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 70.6%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
African American 5.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Hanover Central Middle School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hanover Community School Corp, which includes Hanover Central Middle School.
$10,334
Per student
-14%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 53.4%
Federal 4.6%
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 Hanover Central Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Cedars Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jane Ball Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hanover Central Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 666
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar middle 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 (~647 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hanover Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Hanover Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hanover Community School Corp'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 Hanover Central Middle School
How many students attend Hanover Central Middle School?
Hanover Central Middle School has 647 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cedar Lake, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hanover Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hanover Central Middle School is 17:1, which is 7% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hanover Central Middle School?
21.8% of students at Hanover Central Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hanover Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Hanover Central Middle School is White at 70.6% of enrollment, in Cedar Lake, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hanover Central Middle School?
Hanover Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hanover Central Middle School rank among public schools in Cedar Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Hanover Central Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Cedar Lake, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cedar Lake on the city page.
Is Hanover Central Middle School a good school?
Hanover Central Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Hanover Community School Corp?
Besides Hanover Central Middle School, Hanover Community School Corp also operates Hanover Central High School (857 students), Red Cedars Elementary (666 students), and Jane Ball Elementary School (356 students). See the Hanover Community School Corp 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.