Enrollment
163
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180022802733 Charter school
Indy Steam Academy — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Indy Steam Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 16
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 →
The verdict
Indy Steam Academy earns an F Resource Investment Index (36/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 36/100
- 9.1:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 74.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 163
- students enrolled
School address
District: Indy Steam Academy · 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)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.1:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Indy Steam Academy 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
Indy Steam Academy reports 163 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 43% 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 15.7:1, it is 42% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% above the Indiana average and 44% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 33.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Indy Steam Academy spends $17,470 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $12,079 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 16.5% from local sources (property taxes), 36.3% from the state, and 47.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Indy Steam Academy 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 | 9.1:1 | ▼ 43% | 16.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.8% | ▲ 51% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 163 | top 6% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
9 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 93% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
163 larger than 16% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
74.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 51% 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
9.1:1
students per teacher
— 43% below state mean
Top 3% in Indiana — lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$17,470
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $12,079
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Overview
Enrollment 163 Top 6% in Indiana — larger than 94% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 9.1:1 -43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.8% +51% vs state
NCES ID 180022802733
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 33.7%
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indy Steam Academy, which includes Indy Steam Academy.
$17,470
Per student
+45%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 36.3%
Federal 47.2%
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 Indianapolis
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lillie Idella Kitley Intermediate
Standard public school
1,365 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Edgewood Intermediate School
Standard public school
1,300 students 18:1 students per teacher
Creston Intermediate & Middle Schl
Standard public school
1,106 students 15:1 students per teacher
Raymond Park Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,079 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,043 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Paramount Brookside
Standard public school
843 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
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 Indy Steam Academy
How many students attend Indy Steam Academy?
Indy Steam Academy has 163 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Indy Steam Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Indy Steam Academy is 9.1:1, which is 43% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 42% 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 Indy Steam Academy?
74.8% of students at Indy Steam Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Indy Steam Academy?
Indy Steam Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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.
Is Indy Steam Academy a good school?
Indy Steam Academy earns an F Resource Investment Index (36/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 97% of Indiana schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.