Enrollment
240
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 180477000854
James Whitcomb Riley School 43 — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for James Whitcomb Riley School 43, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
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: Indianapolis Public Schools · 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)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Whitcomb Riley School 43 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 School 43 reports 240 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 25% 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 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 86.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 74% above the Indiana average and 66% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 240 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 79.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Indianapolis Public Schools spends $26,790 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.1% from local sources (property taxes), 53.5% from the state, and 12.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), 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 School 43 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 25% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.2% | ▲ 74% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 240 | top 13% | — | — |
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
86.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 74% 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
12:1
students per teacher
— 25% below state mean
Top 10% in Indiana — lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
79.6%
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
$26,790
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 240 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
135
in-school suspensions + 335 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 56.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 195.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 240 Top 13% in Indiana — larger than 87% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 12:1 -25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 86.2% +74% vs state
NCES ID 180477000854
Student demographics
African American 74.2%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
White 4.6%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: African American at 74.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 240:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 79.6%
In-school suspensions 135
Out-of-school suspensions 335
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indianapolis Public Schools, which includes James Whitcomb Riley School 43.
$26,790
Per student
+84%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
+37%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 53.5%
Federal 12.3%
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
- 2,360
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
Similar other schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Indiana Connections Academy
Standard public school
5,376 students 39.3:1 students per teacher
Hoosier College and Career Academy
Standard public school
1,484 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Early Learning Center
Standard public school
1,313 students 24:1 students per teacher
Victory College Prep Academy
Standard public school
1,058 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Forest Glen Elementary School
Standard public school
971 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Indiana Connections Career Academy
Standard public school
942 students 39.2:1 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 School 43
How many students attend James Whitcomb Riley School 43?
James Whitcomb Riley School 43 has 240 students enrolled. It is a other school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Whitcomb Riley School 43?
The student-teacher ratio at James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is 12:1, which is 25% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Whitcomb Riley School 43?
86.2% of students at James Whitcomb Riley School 43 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Whitcomb Riley School 43?
The largest demographic group at James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is African American at 74.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Whitcomb Riley School 43?
James Whitcomb Riley School 43 has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) 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.