Enrollment
259
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180017802602 Charter school
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech — Merrillville, IN
Federal NCES profile for Higher Institute of Arts & Tech, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 6
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 →
School address
District: Higher Institute of Arts & Tech · 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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-35% 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
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
Higher Institute of Arts & Tech reports 259 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 35% 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 15.9:1, it is 35% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 79.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 61% above the Indiana average and 54% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Higher Institute of Arts & Tech spends $12,813 per pupil district-wide, below the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 0.2% from local sources (property taxes), 65.9% from the state, and 33.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Higher Institute of Arts & Tech 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 35% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.8% | ▲ 61% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 259 | top 16% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
79.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 61% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.4:1
students per teacher
— 35% below state mean
Top 5% in Indiana — lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
37.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,813
per pupil, district-wide
— below Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 259 Top 16% in Indiana — larger than 84% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 10.4:1 -35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 79.8% +61% vs state
NCES ID 180017802602
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.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.8%
In-school suspensions 53
Out-of-school suspensions 34
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Higher Institute of Arts & Tech, which includes Higher Institute of Arts & Tech.
$12,813
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
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.
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 a 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 10.4:1, which is 35% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 35% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 31/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.