Enrollment
259
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Merrillville, IN
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech
Federal NCES profile for Higher Institute of Arts & Tech, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180017802602Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 81% of Indiana schools.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Merrillville · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.9:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 79.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech has class sizes smaller than 81% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Higher Institute of Arts & Tech ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Merrillville, IN.
School address
District: Higher Institute of Arts & Tech · Indiana
NCES ID 180017802602 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Higher Institute of Arts & Tech compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Higher Institute of Arts & Tech
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Merrillville, Indiana, enrolling 259 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 79.8% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 259 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 129 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #105, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 33.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 87 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 259 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Merrillville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Merrillville Intermediate School (788 students): Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.9:1 vs 13.4:1).
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is a single-school charter district, so Higher Institute of Arts & Tech 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 Higher Institute of Arts & Tech compares
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 19% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.8% | ▲ 61% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 259 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
259
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 19% in Indiana - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.8%
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
$12,787
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
53
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.6 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 85.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Two or More 5.4%
White 3.1%
Largest group: African American at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.5, Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Higher Institute of Arts & Tech, which includes Higher Institute of Arts & Tech.
$12,787
Per student
+6%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.2%
State 65.9%
Federal 33.9%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Merrillville
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~259 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Higher Institute of Arts & Tech's federal record.
- Compare Higher Institute of Arts & Tech against another school. Compare schools
- Higher Institute of Arts & Tech'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 Higher Institute of Arts & Tech
How many students attend Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech has 259 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Merrillville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
The student-teacher ratio at Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is 12.9:1, which is 19% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 18% 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 Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
79.8% of students at Higher Institute of Arts & Tech are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
The largest demographic group at Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is African American at 85.3% of enrollment, in Merrillville, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Higher Institute of Arts & Tech rank among public schools in Merrillville?
By Resource Investment Index, Higher Institute of Arts & Tech ranks #8 of 9 public 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 public schools in Merrillville on the city page.
Is Higher Institute of Arts & Tech a good school?
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Higher Institute of Arts & Tech?
None; Higher Institute of Arts & Tech is a single-school charter district, and Higher Institute of Arts & Tech 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.