Enrollment
491
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chesterton, IN
Liberty Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180280000335
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Chesterton · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 29.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Chesterton, IN.
School address
District: Duneland School Corporation · Indiana
NCES ID 180280000335 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Elementary School
Liberty Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Chesterton, Indiana, enrolling 491 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 491 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 436 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #355, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 491 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Chesterton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Liberty Intermediate School (452 students): Liberty Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 20.5:1).
Duneland School Corporation also operates Chesterton Senior High School (1,937 students) and Liberty Intermediate School (452 students) alongside Liberty 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 Liberty Elementary School compares
Liberty 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.8% | ▼ 40% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 491 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
491
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Indiana - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,291
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 491 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 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 72.7%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.0, Liberty Elementary School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duneland School Corporation, which includes Liberty Elementary School.
$12,291
Per student
+2%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 56.9%
Federal 4.5%
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 Liberty Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterton Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chesterton Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westchester Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bailly Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,937
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Chesterton
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Liberty Intermediate School
Standard public school
452 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Westchester Intermediate School
Standard public school
404 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Bailly Elementary School
Standard public school
374 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Brummitt Elementary School
Standard public school
363 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~491 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Duneland 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 Liberty Elementary School
How many students attend Liberty Elementary School?
Liberty Elementary School has 491 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chesterton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Elementary School?
29.8% of students at Liberty Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Elementary School is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Chesterton, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Elementary School?
Liberty Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Liberty Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Chesterton?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Chesterton, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Chesterton on the city page.
Is Liberty Elementary School a good school?
Liberty Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 Duneland School Corporation?
Besides Liberty Elementary School, Duneland School Corporation also operates Chesterton Senior High School (1,937 students), Liberty Intermediate School (452 students), and Chesterton Middle School (423 students). See the Duneland 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.