Enrollment
356
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Lake, IN
Jane Ball Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Jane Ball Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180435000754
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jane Ball Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Indiana schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Cedar Lake · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.4:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Jane Ball Elementary School has class sizes larger than 98% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jane Ball Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Cedar Lake, IN.
School address
District: Hanover Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180435000754 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+60% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jane Ball Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jane Ball Elementary School
Jane Ball Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedar Lake, Indiana, enrolling 356 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.4:1 is larger than about 98% of Indiana schools and 60% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 356 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 299 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #172.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 356 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cedar Lake's public schools, it stands alongside Douglas Macarthur Elem School (466 students): Jane Ball Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.4:1 vs 17.9:1).
Hanover Community School Corp also operates Hanover Central High School (857 students) and Red Cedars Elementary (666 students) alongside Jane Ball 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 Jane Ball Elementary School compares
Jane Ball 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 | 25.4:1 | ▲ 60% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 43% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 356 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
356
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 60% above state mean
Top 98% in Indiana - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,334
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 356 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 79.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.5%
African American 3.9%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.2, Jane Ball 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 Hanover Community School Corp, which includes Jane Ball Elementary School.
$10,334
Per student
-14%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 53.4%
Federal 4.6%
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 Jane Ball Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Red Cedars Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hanover Central Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jane Ball Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 666
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Similar other schools in Cedar Lake
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~356 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jane Ball Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Jane Ball Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hanover Community School Corp'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 Jane Ball Elementary School
How many students attend Jane Ball Elementary School?
Jane Ball Elementary School has 356 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Lake, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jane Ball Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jane Ball Elementary School is 25.4:1, which is 60% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jane Ball Elementary School?
28.0% of students at Jane Ball Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jane Ball Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Jane Ball Elementary School is White at 79.2% of enrollment, in Cedar Lake, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jane Ball Elementary School?
Jane Ball Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Jane Ball Elementary School rank among public schools in Cedar Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Jane Ball Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Cedar Lake, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cedar Lake on the city page.
Is Jane Ball Elementary School a good school?
Jane Ball Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Indiana 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 Hanover Community School Corp?
Besides Jane Ball Elementary School, Hanover Community School Corp also operates Hanover Central High School (857 students), Red Cedars Elementary (666 students), and Hanover Central Middle School (647 students). See the Hanover Community School Corp 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.