Enrollment
24
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clayton, IN
Little Cadets Preschool
Federal NCES profile for Little Cadets Preschool, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180666002681
👥 S:T ratio 4
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 81
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Little Cadets Preschool earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Indiana.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Clayton · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 20.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Little Cadets Preschool has class sizes larger than 97% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Little Cadets Preschool ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Clayton, IN.
School address
District: Mill Creek Community Sch Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180666002681 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Little Cadets Preschool compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Little Cadets Preschool
Little Cadets Preschool is a small combined-grade school in Clayton, Indiana, enrolling 24 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24:1 is larger than about 97% of Indiana schools and 51% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.8% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the Indiana average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Indiana schools, with 24 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 96 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Mill Creek Community Sch Corp also operates Cascade Senior High School (537 students) and Mill Creek East Elementary (359 students) alongside Little Cadets Preschool.
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 Little Cadets Preschool compares
Little Cadets Preschool on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24:1 | ▲ 51% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.8% | ▼ 58% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 24 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
24
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
24:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 97% in Indiana - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.5%
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
$10,881
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mill Creek Community Sch Corp, which includes Little Cadets Preschool.
$10,881
Per student
-10%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.2%
State 57.8%
Federal 9.0%
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 Little Cadets Preschool Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek East Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek West Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cascade Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Little Cadets Preschool's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 344
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~24 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Little Cadets Preschool's federal record.
- Compare Little Cadets Preschool against another school. Compare schools
- Mill Creek Community 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 Little Cadets Preschool
How many students attend Little Cadets Preschool?
Little Cadets Preschool has 24 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clayton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Little Cadets Preschool?
The student-teacher ratio at Little Cadets Preschool is 24:1, which is 51% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 53% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Little Cadets Preschool?
20.8% of students at Little Cadets Preschool are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Little Cadets Preschool?
Little Cadets Preschool has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Little Cadets Preschool rank among public schools in Clayton?
By Resource Investment Index, Little Cadets Preschool ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Clayton, 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 Clayton on the city page.
Is Little Cadets Preschool a good school?
Little Cadets Preschool earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Mill Creek Community Sch Corp?
Besides Little Cadets Preschool, Mill Creek Community Sch Corp also operates Cascade Senior High School (537 students), Mill Creek East Elementary (359 students), and Mill Creek West Elementary (344 students). See the Mill Creek Community 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.