Enrollment
342
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Crawfordsville, IN
Lester B Sommer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lester B Sommer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180790002322
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lester B Sommer Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Indiana schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Crawfordsville · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 38.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lester B Sommer Elementary School has class sizes larger than 71% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lester B Sommer Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Crawfordsville, IN.
School address
District: North Montgomery Com Sch Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180790002322 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lester B Sommer Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lester B Sommer Elementary School
Lester B Sommer Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Crawfordsville, Indiana, enrolling 342 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 342 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 428 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #209.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Crawfordsville's public schools, it stands alongside Pleasant Hill Elementary School (287 students): Lester B Sommer Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 15.9:1).
North Montgomery Com Sch Corp also operates North Montgomery High School (547 students) and North Montgomery Middle School (400 students) alongside Lester B Sommer 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 Lester B Sommer Elementary School compares
Lester B Sommer 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 | 17.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.6% | ▼ 22% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 71% in Indiana - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,667
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 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 87.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.3, Lester B Sommer 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 North Montgomery Com Sch Corp, which includes Lester B Sommer Elementary School.
$11,667
Per student
-3%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.5%
State 54.1%
Federal 9.4%
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.
How Lester B Sommer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Montgomery High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Montgomery Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pleasant Hill Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sugar Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lester B Sommer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 287
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Crawfordsville
3 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 (~342 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lester B Sommer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lester B Sommer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- North Montgomery Com Sch 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 Lester B Sommer Elementary School
How many students attend Lester B Sommer Elementary School?
Lester B Sommer Elementary School has 342 students enrolled. It is a public school in Crawfordsville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lester B Sommer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lester B Sommer Elementary School is 17.1:1, which is 8% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lester B Sommer Elementary School?
38.6% of students at Lester B Sommer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lester B Sommer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lester B Sommer Elementary School is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Crawfordsville, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lester B Sommer Elementary School?
Lester B Sommer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Lester B Sommer Elementary School rank among schools in Crawfordsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Lester B Sommer Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Crawfordsville, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Crawfordsville on the city page.
Is Lester B Sommer Elementary School a good school?
Lester B Sommer Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 North Montgomery Com Sch Corp?
Besides Lester B Sommer Elementary School, North Montgomery Com Sch Corp also operates North Montgomery High School (547 students), North Montgomery Middle School (400 students), and Pleasant Hill Elementary School (287 students). See the North Montgomery Com Sch 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.