Enrollment
348
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Valparaiso, IN
Jackson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Jackson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180280000334
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jackson Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #9 of 15
- elementary schools in Valparaiso · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 14.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Jackson Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Elementary School ranks #9 of 15 elementary schools in Valparaiso, IN.
School address
District: Duneland School Corporation · Indiana
NCES ID 180280000334 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jackson Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jackson Elementary School
Jackson Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Valparaiso, Indiana, enrolling 348 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.6% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the Indiana average.
Enrollment of 348 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 105 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #44.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 348 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Valparaiso's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cooks Corners Elementary School (487 students): Jackson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 23.2:1).
Duneland School Corporation also operates Chesterton Senior High School (1,937 students) and Liberty Elementary School (491 students) alongside Jackson 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 Jackson Elementary School compares
Jackson 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.6% | ▼ 71% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 348 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
348
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 66% in Indiana - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,291
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 348 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 84.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.9%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 84.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.8, Jackson Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duneland School Corporation, which includes Jackson Elementary School.
$12,291
Per student
+2%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 56.9%
Federal 4.5%
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 Jackson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterton Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chesterton Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westchester Intermediate School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jackson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,937
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Valparaiso
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Cooks Corners Elementary School
Standard public school
487 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Heavilin Elementary School
Standard public school
479 students 16:1 students per teacher
Flint Lake Elementary School
Standard public school
476 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Memorial Elementary School
Standard public school
434 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Union Center Elementary School
Standard public school
386 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Washington Twp Elementary School
Standard public school
339 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~348 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jackson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Jackson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Duneland School Corporation'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 Jackson Elementary School
How many students attend Jackson Elementary School?
Jackson Elementary School has 348 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Valparaiso, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jackson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jackson Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jackson Elementary School?
14.6% of students at Jackson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jackson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Jackson Elementary School is White at 84.2% of enrollment, in Valparaiso, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jackson Elementary School?
Jackson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Jackson Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Valparaiso?
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Elementary School ranks #9 of 15 elementary schools in Valparaiso, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Valparaiso on the city page.
Is Jackson Elementary School a good school?
Jackson Elementary School earns 53/100 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 Duneland School Corporation?
Besides Jackson Elementary School, Duneland School Corporation also operates Chesterton Senior High School (1,937 students), Liberty Elementary School (491 students), and Liberty Intermediate School (452 students). See the Duneland School Corporation 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.