Enrollment
583
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia City, IN
Little Turtle Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Little Turtle Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 180228002135
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Little Turtle Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Columbia City · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- students per teacher
- 33.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Little Turtle Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Little Turtle Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Columbia City, IN.
School address
District: Whitley County Con Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180228002135 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Little Turtle Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Little Turtle Elementary School
Little Turtle Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Columbia City, Indiana, enrolling 583 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 583 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 490 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #312.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 583 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Columbia City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Northern Heights Elementary School (504 students): Little Turtle Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.7:1 vs 18:1).
Whitley County Con Schools also operates Columbia City High School (1,202 students) and Indian Springs Middle School (797 students) alongside Little Turtle 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 Little Turtle Elementary School compares
Little Turtle 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.9% | ▼ 32% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 583 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
583
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 67% in Indiana - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.1%
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
$10,149
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 583 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 88.9%
Two or More 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 88.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.5, Little Turtle 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 Whitley County Con Schools, which includes Little Turtle Elementary School.
$10,149
Per student
-16%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 59.3%
Federal 6.4%
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 Little Turtle Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian Springs Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northern Heights Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary Raber Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coesse School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Little Turtle Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,202
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Columbia City
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~583 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Little Turtle Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Little Turtle Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Whitley County Con Schools'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 Turtle Elementary School
How many students attend Little Turtle Elementary School?
Little Turtle Elementary School has 583 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia City, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Little Turtle Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Little Turtle Elementary School is 16.7:1, which is 5% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Little Turtle Elementary School?
33.9% of students at Little Turtle Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Little Turtle Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Little Turtle Elementary School is White at 88.9% of enrollment, in Columbia City, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Little Turtle Elementary School?
Little Turtle Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Little Turtle Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Columbia City?
By Resource Investment Index, Little Turtle Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Columbia City, 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 Columbia City on the city page.
Is Little Turtle Elementary School a good school?
Little Turtle Elementary School earns 44/100 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 Whitley County Con Schools?
Besides Little Turtle Elementary School, Whitley County Con Schools also operates Columbia City High School (1,202 students), Indian Springs Middle School (797 students), and Northern Heights Elementary School (504 students). See the Whitley County Con Schools 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.