Enrollment
971
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dyer, IN
Kahler Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Kahler Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180545000982
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kahler Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Indiana schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Dyer · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Kahler Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kahler Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Dyer, IN.
School address
District: Lake Central School Corporation · Indiana
NCES ID 180545000982 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kahler Middle School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kahler Middle School
Kahler Middle School is a large elementary school in Dyer, Indiana, enrolling 971 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.9% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the Indiana average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 91% of state schools at 971 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 165 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #36.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Lake Central School Corporation also operates Lake Central High School (2,926 students) and Hal E Clark Middle School (1,032 students) alongside Kahler Middle 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 Kahler Middle School compares
Kahler Middle 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 13% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 56% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 971 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
971
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 80% in Indiana - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,785
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
Counselors2.9 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 59.3%
Hispanic or Latino 26.7%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Kahler Middle School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Central School Corporation, which includes Kahler Middle School.
$11,785
Per student
-2%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.2%
State 57.5%
Federal 6.3%
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.
How Kahler Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hal E Clark Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Michael Grimmer Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James H Watson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Protsman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kahler Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,926
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,032
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 660
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 (~971 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kahler Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Kahler Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Central 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 Kahler Middle School
How many students attend Kahler Middle School?
Kahler Middle School has 971 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dyer, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kahler Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kahler Middle School is 18:1, which is 13% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kahler Middle School?
21.9% of students at Kahler Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kahler Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Kahler Middle School is White at 59.3% of enrollment, in Dyer, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kahler Middle School?
Kahler Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Kahler Middle School rank among public schools in Dyer?
By Resource Investment Index, Kahler Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Dyer, 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 Dyer on the city page.
Is Kahler Middle School a good school?
Kahler Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Lake Central School Corporation?
Besides Kahler Middle School, Lake Central School Corporation also operates Lake Central High School (2,926 students), Hal E Clark Middle School (1,032 students), and Michael Grimmer Middle School (814 students). See the Lake Central 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.