Enrollment
2,926
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Saint John, IN
Lake Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Lake Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180545000984
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Central High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Saint John · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 19.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Central High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Central High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Saint John, IN.
School address
District: Lake Central School Corporation · Indiana
NCES ID 180545000984 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
152.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Central High School
Lake Central High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Saint John, Indiana, enrolling 2,926 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.3:1 is larger than about 88% of Indiana schools and 21% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.4% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the Indiana average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,926 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 20 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #20, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lake Central School Corporation also operates Hal E Clark Middle School (1,032 students) and Kahler Middle School (971 students) alongside Lake Central High 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 Lake Central High School compares
Lake Central High 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 21% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.4% | ▼ 61% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,926 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,926
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% 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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 88% in Indiana - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 120 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 64.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
African American 8.3%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, Lake Central High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Central School Corporation, which includes Lake Central High 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 Lake Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hal E Clark Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kahler Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Michael Grimmer Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| James H Watson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Protsman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,032
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- 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 high 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 (~2,926 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Lake Central High 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 Lake Central High School
How many students attend Lake Central High School?
Lake Central High School has 2,926 students enrolled. It is a high school in Saint John, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Central High School is 19.3:1, which is 21% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lake Central High School?
19.4% of students at Lake Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Lake Central High School is White at 64.1% of enrollment, in Saint John, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Central High School?
Lake Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lake Central High School rank among public schools in Saint John?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Central High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Saint John, 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 Saint John on the city page.
Is Lake Central High School a good school?
Lake Central High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Indiana. 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 Lake Central High School, Lake Central School Corporation also operates Hal E Clark Middle School (1,032 students), Kahler Middle School (971 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.