Enrollment
452
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chesterton, IN
Liberty Intermediate School
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Intermediate School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180280000336
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Intermediate School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Indiana schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Chesterton · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 22.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Intermediate School has class sizes larger than 92% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Intermediate School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Chesterton, IN.
School address
District: Duneland School Corporation · Indiana
NCES ID 180280000336 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Intermediate School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Intermediate School
Liberty Intermediate School is a mid-sized elementary school in Chesterton, Indiana, enrolling 452 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.5:1 is larger than about 92% of Indiana schools and 29% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.8% free-meal eligibility runs 54% below the Indiana average.
With 452 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 295 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #190.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 452 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Chesterton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Liberty Elementary School (491 students): Liberty Intermediate School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.5:1 vs 16.4:1).
Duneland School Corporation also operates Chesterton Senior High School (1,937 students) and Liberty Elementary School (491 students) alongside Liberty Intermediate 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 Intermediate School compares
Liberty Intermediate 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 | 20.5:1 | ▲ 29% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.8% | ▼ 54% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in Indiana - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
5.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 452 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 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 73.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.2%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.5%
African American 1.3%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.8, Liberty Intermediate 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 Intermediate 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 Intermediate School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterton Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower 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 | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Intermediate 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
- 491
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- 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 Elementary School
Standard public school
491 students 16.4:1 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 (~452 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Intermediate School's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Intermediate 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 Intermediate School
How many students attend Liberty Intermediate School?
Liberty Intermediate School has 452 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chesterton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Intermediate School?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Intermediate School is 20.5:1, which is 29% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Intermediate School?
22.8% of students at Liberty Intermediate School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Intermediate School?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Intermediate School is White at 73.2% of enrollment, in Chesterton, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Intermediate School?
Liberty Intermediate School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Intermediate School rank among elementary schools in Chesterton?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Intermediate School ranks #4 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 Intermediate School a good school?
Liberty Intermediate School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Duneland School Corporation?
Besides Liberty Intermediate School, Duneland School Corporation also operates Chesterton Senior High School (1,937 students), Liberty Elementary School (491 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.