Enrollment
297
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia City, IN
Mary Raber Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mary Raber Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180228002108
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Raber Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Indiana schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Columbia City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 42.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Raber Elementary School has class sizes larger than 90% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Raber Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Columbia City, IN.
School address
District: Whitley County Con Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180228002108 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.6%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Raber Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Raber Elementary School
Mary Raber Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia City, Indiana, enrolling 297 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.8:1 is larger than about 90% of Indiana schools and 25% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 297 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 357 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #308, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 594 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Whitley County Con Schools also operates Columbia City High School (1,202 students) and Indian Springs Middle School (797 students) alongside Mary Raber 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 Mary Raber Elementary School compares
Mary Raber 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 25% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.6% | ▼ 14% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 297 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
297
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 90% in Indiana - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 90.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 1.0%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.1, Mary Raber 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 Mary Raber 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 Mary Raber Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Indian Springs Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Little Turtle Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern Heights Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coesse School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Raber 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
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~297 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Raber Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mary Raber 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 Mary Raber Elementary School
How many students attend Mary Raber Elementary School?
Mary Raber Elementary School has 297 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia City, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Raber Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Raber Elementary School is 19.8:1, which is 25% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary Raber Elementary School?
42.6% of students at Mary Raber Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Raber Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mary Raber Elementary School is White at 90.9% of enrollment, in Columbia City, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Raber Elementary School?
Mary Raber Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Mary Raber Elementary School rank among public schools in Columbia City?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Raber Elementary School ranks #6 of 6 public 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 public schools in Columbia City on the city page.
Is Mary Raber Elementary School a good school?
Mary Raber Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Whitley County Con Schools?
Besides Mary Raber Elementary School, Whitley County Con Schools also operates Columbia City High School (1,202 students), Indian Springs Middle School (797 students), and Little Turtle Elementary School (583 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.