Enrollment
231
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gary, IN
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr
Federal NCES profile for Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180387000640
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Indiana schools.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Gary · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.1:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 74.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr has class sizes larger than 97% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr ranks #6 of 7 schools in Gary, IN.
School address
District: Gary Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180387000640 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Gary, Indiana, enrolling 231 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.1:1 is larger than about 97% of Indiana schools and 45% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 74.4% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 231 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 135 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #128, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Gary Community School Corp spends $19,820 per pupil, 64% above the Indiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Gary's public schools, it stands alongside 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary (1,180 students): Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.1:1 vs 10.3:1).
Gary Community School Corp also operates West Side Leadership Academy (1,232 students) and Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn (566 students) alongside Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr.
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 Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr compares
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.1:1 | ▲ 45% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.4% | ▲ 50% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 231 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
231
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 45% 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
33.8%
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
$19,820
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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.
Student demographics
African American 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 3.0%
White 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gary Community School Corp, which includes Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr.
$19,820
Per student
+64%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.4%
State 50.2%
Federal 21.4%
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 Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Side Leadership Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beveridge Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 25.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar other schools in Gary
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary
Standard public school
1,180 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Gary Lighthouse Charter School
Standard public school
1,138 students 15:1 students per teacher
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Standard public school
773 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy
Standard public school
472 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Steel City Academy
Standard public school
286 students 13:1 students per teacher
Gary Virtual Academy
Standard public school
45 students 15:1 students per teacher
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 (~231 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr's federal record.
- Compare Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr against another school. Compare schools
- Gary Community School 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 Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr
How many students attend Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr?
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr has 231 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is 23.1:1, which is 45% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr?
74.4% of students at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr?
The largest demographic group at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is African American at 87.4% of enrollment, in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr?
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr rank among schools in Gary?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr ranks #6 of 7 schools in Gary, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gary on the city page.
Is Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr a good school?
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Gary Community School Corp?
Besides Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr, Gary Community School Corp also operates West Side Leadership Academy (1,232 students), Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn (566 students), and Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy (472 students). See the Gary Community School 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.