Enrollment
466
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merrillville, IN
Henry P Fieler Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Henry P Fieler Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180969001582
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Henry P Fieler Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana schools.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Merrillville · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 74.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Henry P Fieler Elementary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Henry P Fieler Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 schools in Merrillville, IN.
School address
District: Merrillville Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180969001582 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Henry P Fieler Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Henry P Fieler Elementary School
Henry P Fieler Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Merrillville, Indiana, enrolling 466 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 74.7% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 466 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 342 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #310, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 51/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 125 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 466 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Merrillville's public schools, it stands alongside Jonas E Salk Elementary School (565 students): Henry P Fieler Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 15.7:1).
Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Merrillville High School (2,115 students) and Pierce Middle School (878 students) alongside Henry P Fieler Elementary 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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School compares
Henry P Fieler Elementary 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.7% | ▲ 51% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
466
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 73% in Indiana - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.7%
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
$11,764
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
75
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.8 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
African American 66.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
White 6.4%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 66.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Henry P Fieler Elementary School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrillville Community School Corp, which includes Henry P Fieler Elementary School.
$11,764
Per student
-3%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.9%
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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrillville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pierce Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Merrillville Intermediate School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jonas E Salk Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Homer Iddings Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Henry P Fieler Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,115
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Merrillville
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jonas E Salk Elementary School
Standard public school
565 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Homer Iddings Elementary School
Standard public school
535 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Edgar L Miller Elementary School
Standard public school
330 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
John Wood Elementary School
Standard public school
227 students 11.3:1 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 (~466 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Henry P Fieler Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Henry P Fieler Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrillville 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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School
How many students attend Henry P Fieler Elementary School?
Henry P Fieler Elementary School has 466 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merrillville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Henry P Fieler Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Henry P Fieler Elementary School is 17.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Henry P Fieler Elementary School?
74.7% of students at Henry P Fieler Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Henry P Fieler Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Henry P Fieler Elementary School is African American at 66.1% of enrollment, in Merrillville, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Henry P Fieler Elementary School?
Henry P Fieler Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School rank among schools in Merrillville?
By Resource Investment Index, Henry P Fieler Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 schools in Merrillville, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Merrillville on the city page.
Is Henry P Fieler Elementary School a good school?
Henry P Fieler Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Merrillville Community School Corp?
Besides Henry P Fieler Elementary School, Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Merrillville High School (2,115 students), Pierce Middle School (878 students), and Merrillville Intermediate School (788 students). See the Merrillville 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.