Enrollment
274
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 180022500867 Charter school
Louis B Russell Jr School 48 — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Louis B Russell Jr School 48, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 21/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Louis B Russell Jr School 48 compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Louis B Russell Jr School 48 reports 274 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 5% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 84.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 70% above the Indiana average and 62% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 81.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Phalen Leadership Academy at Louis B Russell School 48 spends $17,896 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 21.7% from local sources (property taxes), 32.6% from the state, and 45.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Louis B Russell Jr School 48 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.7:1 | ▲ 4% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.0% | ▲ 70% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 18% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
84.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 70% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 68% in Indiana — lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
81.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,896
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 274 Top 18% in Indiana — larger than 82% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 16.7:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 84.0% +70% vs state
NCES ID 180022500867
Student demographics
African American 77.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 8.0%
White 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 77.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 81.8%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 55
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Phalen Leadership Academy at Louis B Russell School 48, which includes Louis B Russell Jr School 48.
$17,896
Per student
+23%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 32.6%
Federal 45.7%
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.
Similar other schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Indiana Connections Academy
Standard public school
5,376 students 39.3:1 students per teacher
Hoosier College and Career Academy
Standard public school
1,484 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Early Learning Center
Standard public school
1,313 students 24:1 students per teacher
Victory College Prep Academy
Standard public school
1,058 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Forest Glen Elementary School
Standard public school
971 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Indiana Connections Career Academy
Standard public school
942 students 39.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Louis B Russell Jr School 48
How many students attend Louis B Russell Jr School 48?
Louis B Russell Jr School 48 has 274 students enrolled. It is a other school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Louis B Russell Jr School 48?
The student-teacher ratio at Louis B Russell Jr School 48 is 16.7:1, which is 4% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Louis B Russell Jr School 48?
84.0% of students at Louis B Russell Jr School 48 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Louis B Russell Jr School 48?
The largest demographic group at Louis B Russell Jr School 48 is African American at 77.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Louis B Russell Jr School 48?
Louis B Russell Jr School 48 has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.