Enrollment
428
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180023102736 Charter school
Herron Preparatory Academy — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Herron Preparatory Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 57/100.
👥 Class size 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 83
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 →
The verdict
Herron Preparatory Academy earns a C Resource Investment Index (57/100), with class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools.
- C
- Resource Index · 57/100
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 37.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 428
- students enrolled
School address
District: Herron Preparatory Academy · 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)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Herron Preparatory Academy 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
Herron Preparatory Academy reports 428 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 40% below the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 38% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 37.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 24% below the Indiana average and 28% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 428 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 7.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Herron Preparatory Academy spends $17,483 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $12,079 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 29.0% from local sources (property taxes), 47.7% from the state, and 23.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C), calculated from 4 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 Herron Preparatory Academy 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 | 9.7:1 | ▼ 40% | 16.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.4% | ▼ 24% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 428 | top 45% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
10 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 91% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
428 larger than 52% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
37.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 24% 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
9.7:1
students per teacher
— 40% below state mean
Top 3% in Indiana — lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$17,483
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $12,079
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 428 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 428 Top 45% in Indiana — larger than 55% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 9.7:1 -40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 37.4% -24% vs state
NCES ID 180023102736
Student demographics
White 45.3%
African American 32.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 10.3%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 428:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 7.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Herron Preparatory Academy, which includes Herron Preparatory Academy.
$17,483
Per student
+45%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 47.7%
Federal 23.3%
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 elementary schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lillie Idella Kitley Intermediate
Standard public school
1,365 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Edgewood Intermediate School
Standard public school
1,300 students 18:1 students per teacher
Creston Intermediate & Middle Schl
Standard public school
1,106 students 15:1 students per teacher
Raymond Park Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,079 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,043 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Paramount Brookside
Standard public school
843 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
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.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Herron Preparatory Academy side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Herron Preparatory Academy
How many students attend Herron Preparatory Academy?
Herron Preparatory Academy has 428 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Herron Preparatory Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Herron Preparatory Academy is 9.7:1, which is 40% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 38% 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 Preparatory Academy?
37.4% of students at Herron Preparatory Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Herron Preparatory Academy?
The largest demographic group at Herron Preparatory Academy is White at 45.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Herron Preparatory Academy?
Herron Preparatory Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Herron Preparatory Academy a good school?
Herron Preparatory Academy earns a C Resource Investment Index (57/100), with class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.