Enrollment
608
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Liberty Township, OH
Independence Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Independence Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 390461100450
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Ohio schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Liberty Township · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.3:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 9.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Elementary School has class sizes larger than 93% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Liberty Township, OH.
School address
District: Lakota Local · Ohio
NCES ID 390461100450 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.5%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Elementary School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Elementary School
Independence Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Liberty Township, Ohio, enrolling 608 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Ohio schools and 39% above the 18.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.5% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Ohio average.
Enrollment of 608 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 451 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #128.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and African American (9%) (diversity index 49/100).
13.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Liberty Township's elementary schools, it stands alongside Vangorden Elementary School (670 students): Independence Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.3:1 vs 23.9:1).
Lakota Local also operates Lakota West High School (2,968 students) and Lakota East High School (2,660 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.3:1 | ▲ 39% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.5% | ▼ 70% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 608 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
608
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 93% in Ohio - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
13.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,070
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
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
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 69.6%
African American 9.2%
Asian 9.0%
Two or More 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Independence Elementary School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lakota Local, which includes Independence Elementary School.
$12,070
Per student
-18%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.6%
Federal 7.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakota West High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakota East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakota Plains Junior School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Endeavor Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
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
- 2,968
- Students per teacher
- 27:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 2,660
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 791
- Students per teacher
- 25.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 745
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 26.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Liberty Township
2 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 Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~608 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Independence Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lakota Local'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 608 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Liberty Township, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary School is 25.3:1, which is 39% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Independence Elementary School?
9.5% of students at Independence Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Independence Elementary School is White at 69.6% of enrollment, in Liberty Township, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Elementary School?
Independence Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Independence Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Liberty Township?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Liberty Township, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Liberty Township on the city page.
Is Independence Elementary School a good school?
Independence Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of 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 Lakota Local?
Besides Independence Elementary School, Lakota Local also operates Lakota West High School (2,968 students), Lakota East High School (2,660 students), and Cherokee Elementary School (791 students). See the Lakota Local 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.