Enrollment
981
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Indianapolis, IN
Herron High School
Federal NCES profile for Herron High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 68/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180005802315Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 55
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Herron High School earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Indiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #1 of 32
- high schools in Indianapolis · Resource Index
- 68
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 39.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Herron High School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Herron High School ranks #1 of 32 high schools in Indianapolis, IN.
School address
District: Herron Charter · Indiana
NCES ID 180005802315 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Herron High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Herron High School
Herron High School is a large charter high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, enrolling 981 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Herron High School is leaner than roughly 91% of Indiana schools and 29% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 91% of state schools at 981 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 230 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Indianapolis's high schools, it stands alongside North Central High School (3,682 students): Herron High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 16.3:1).
Herron Charter is a single-school charter district, so Herron High School operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Herron High School compares
Herron High 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 29% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.4% | ▼ 20% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 981 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
981
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 9% in Indiana - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,900
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 196 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 45.7%
African American 24.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.6%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 45.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.3, Herron High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Herron Charter, which includes Herron High School.
$9,900
Per student
-18%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 8.3%
State 71.2%
Federal 20.5%
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.
Similar high schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Central High School
Standard public school
3,682 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Franklin Central High School
Standard public school
3,438 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Warren Central High School
Standard public school
3,391 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Ben Davis High School
Standard public school
3,315 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Pike High School
Standard public school
3,188 students 16:1 students per teacher
Lawrence North High School
Standard public school
2,799 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~981 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Herron High School's federal record.
- Compare Herron High School against another school. Compare schools
- Herron Charter'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 Herron High School
How many students attend Herron High School?
Herron High School has 981 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Herron High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Herron High School is 11.3:1, which is 29% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Herron High School?
39.4% of students at Herron High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Herron High School?
The largest demographic group at Herron High School is White at 45.7% of enrollment, in Indianapolis, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Herron High School?
Herron High School has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Herron High School rank among high schools in Indianapolis?
By Resource Investment Index, Herron High School ranks #1 of 32 high 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 high schools in Indianapolis on the city page.
Is Herron High School a good school?
Herron High School earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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.
What other schools are in Herron Charter?
None; Herron Charter is a single-school charter district, and Herron High School is its only campus.
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.