Enrollment
535
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Merrillville, IN
Homer Iddings Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Homer Iddings Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180969001583
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Homer Iddings Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Merrillville · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 61.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Homer Iddings Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Homer Iddings Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Merrillville, IN.
School address
District: Merrillville Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180969001583 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Homer Iddings Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Homer Iddings Elementary School
Homer Iddings Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Merrillville, Indiana, enrolling 535 students.
At 15.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 535 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 444 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #326, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 55/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Merrillville's public schools, it stands alongside Jonas E Salk Elementary School (565 students): Homer Iddings Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.7:1 vs 15.7:1).
Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Merrillville High School (2,115 students) and Pierce Middle School (878 students) alongside Homer Iddings 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 Homer Iddings Elementary School compares
Homer Iddings 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 | 15.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.1% | ▲ 23% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 535 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Indiana - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.4%
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
37
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 63.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.1%
White 11.0%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.9, Homer Iddings 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 Homer Iddings 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 Homer Iddings Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrillville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pierce Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Merrillville Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jonas E Salk Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Henry P Fieler Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Homer Iddings 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
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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
Henry P Fieler Elementary School
Standard public school
466 students 17.3:1 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 (~535 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Homer Iddings Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Homer Iddings 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 Homer Iddings Elementary School
How many students attend Homer Iddings Elementary School?
Homer Iddings Elementary School has 535 students enrolled. It is a public school in Merrillville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Homer Iddings Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Homer Iddings Elementary School is 15.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 0% higher 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 Homer Iddings Elementary School?
61.1% of students at Homer Iddings Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Homer Iddings Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Homer Iddings Elementary School is African American at 63.4% of enrollment, in Merrillville, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Homer Iddings Elementary School?
Homer Iddings Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Homer Iddings Elementary School rank among schools in Merrillville?
By Resource Investment Index, Homer Iddings Elementary School ranks #3 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 Homer Iddings Elementary School a good school?
Homer Iddings Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 Homer Iddings 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.