Enrollment
373
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180462000779
John I Meister Elementary School — Hobart, IN
Federal NCES profile for John I Meister Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 54
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: River Forest Community Sch 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)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John I Meister Elementary 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
John I Meister Elementary School reports 373 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% 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 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 80.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 63% above the Indiana average and 56% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 18.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding River Forest Community Sch Corp spends $13,055 per pupil district-wide, below the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 23.6% from local sources (property taxes), 65.0% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), 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 John I Meister Elementary 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 11% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.9% | ▲ 63% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 373 | top 35% | — | — |
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
80.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 63% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 34% in Indiana — lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$13,055
per pupil, district-wide
— below Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 13 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 373 Top 35% in Indiana — larger than 65% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 80.9% +63% vs state
NCES ID 180462000779
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 45.0%
White 36.5%
African American 10.7%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 18.5%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Expulsions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for River Forest Community Sch Corp, which includes John I Meister Elementary School.
$13,055
Per student
-10%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 65.0%
Federal 11.4%
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
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
Similar elementary schools in Hobart
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 John I Meister Elementary School
How many students attend John I Meister Elementary School?
John I Meister Elementary School has 373 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Hobart, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John I Meister Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at John I Meister Elementary School is 14.4:1, which is 11% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 9% 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 John I Meister Elementary School?
80.9% of students at John I Meister Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John I Meister Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at John I Meister Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 45.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hobart, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John I Meister Elementary School?
John I Meister Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) 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.