Enrollment
246
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 180744001286
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School — New Castle, IN
Federal NCES profile for James Whitcomb Riley Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 32
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 →
School address
District: New Castle Community School Corp · 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)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Whitcomb Riley Elem School 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
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School reports 246 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 46.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 5% below the Indiana average and 10% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 246 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 27.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding New Castle Community School Corp spends $16,583 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 24.4% from local sources (property taxes), 56.6% from the state, and 19.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 James Whitcomb Riley Elem School 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 4% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.8% | ▼ 5% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 14% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
46.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 5% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 69% in Indiana — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.2%
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
$16,583
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 246 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 246 Top 14% in Indiana — larger than 86% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 16.8:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 46.8% -5% vs state
NCES ID 180744001286
Student demographics
White 88.6%
Two or More 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Asian 2.8%
African American 1.2%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 246:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 27.2%
In-school suspensions 18
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for New Castle Community School Corp, which includes James Whitcomb Riley Elem School.
$16,583
Per student
+14%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 56.6%
Federal 19.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 278
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 257
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
Similar other schools in New Castle
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Blue River Valley Elementary Sch
Standard public school
331 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Wilbur Wright Elementary School
Standard public school
305 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch
Standard public school
289 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Parker Elementary School
Standard public school
278 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Eastwood Elementary School
Standard public school
257 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Westwood Elementary School
Standard public school
256 students 15.3:1 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 James Whitcomb Riley Elem School
How many students attend James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School has 246 students enrolled. It is a other school in New Castle, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is 16.8:1, which is 4% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
46.8% of students at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
The largest demographic group at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is White at 88.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in New Castle, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.