Enrollment
272
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lima, OH
Independence Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Independence Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 390442205280
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio schools.
- #8 of 8
- schools in Lima · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 272
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 schools in Lima, OH.
School address
What stands out at Independence Elementary School
Independence Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lima, Ohio, enrolling 272 students.
Enrollment of 272 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,574 Ohio schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lima City spends $18,078 per pupil, 23% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lima's public schools, it stands alongside Apollo Career Center (745 students): Independence Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Lima City also operates Lima Senior High School (1,004 students) and Heritage Elementary School (448 students) alongside Independence 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 Independence Elementary School compares
Independence Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 272 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
272
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Engagement
34.2%
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
$18,078
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 42.3%
African American 29.8%
Two or More 16.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Independence Elementary School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lima City, which includes Independence Elementary School.
$18,078
Per student
+23%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.9%
State 59.5%
Federal 21.6%
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 Independence Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lima Senior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Heritage Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Liberty Arts Magnet K-8 | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Lima West Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Lima North Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,004
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 6.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Lima
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Apollo Career Center
Vocational / career-technical school
745 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Elmwood Elementary School
Standard public school
508 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary School
Standard public school
448 students
Perry High School
Standard public school
296 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Unity Elementary School
Standard public school
241 students 8.6:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary School
Standard public school
235 students 7.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Independence Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lima City'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 Independence Elementary School
How many students attend Independence Elementary School?
Independence Elementary School has 272 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lima, OH.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Independence Elementary School is White at 42.3% of enrollment, in Lima, OH. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Elementary School?
Independence Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Independence Elementary School rank among schools in Lima?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary School ranks #8 of 8 schools in Lima, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lima on the city page.
Is Independence Elementary School a good school?
Independence Elementary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Ohio 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 Lima City?
Besides Independence Elementary School, Lima City also operates Lima Senior High School (1,004 students), Heritage Elementary School (448 students), and Liberty Arts Magnet K-8 (343 students). See the Lima City 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.