Enrollment
396
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Whiting, IN
Nathan Hale Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Nathan Hale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181320002081
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nathan Hale Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Whiting · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 68.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Nathan Hale Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nathan Hale Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Whiting, IN.
School address
District: School City of Whiting · Indiana
NCES ID 181320002081 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nathan Hale Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nathan Hale Elementary School
Nathan Hale Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Whiting, Indiana, enrolling 396 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 396 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 355 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #71.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (80%) and White (15%) (diversity index 34/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Whiting's public schools, it stands alongside Benjamin Franklin Elementary Sch (283 students): Nathan Hale Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 14.9:1).
School City of Whiting also operates Whiting High School (445 students) and Whiting Middle School (250 students) alongside Nathan Hale 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 Nathan Hale Elementary School compares
Nathan Hale 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.8% | ▲ 39% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in Indiana - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$11,472
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 79.5%
White 15.2%
African American 2.5%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.4, Nathan Hale 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 School City of Whiting, which includes Nathan Hale Elementary School.
$11,472
Per student
-5%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 66.0%
Federal 13.9%
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 Nathan Hale Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiting High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whiting Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nathan Hale Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Whiting
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~396 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nathan Hale Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Nathan Hale Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- School City of Whiting'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 Nathan Hale Elementary School
How many students attend Nathan Hale Elementary School?
Nathan Hale Elementary School has 396 students enrolled. It is a public school in Whiting, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nathan Hale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nathan Hale Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 1% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nathan Hale Elementary School?
68.8% of students at Nathan Hale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nathan Hale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Nathan Hale Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 79.5% of enrollment, in Whiting, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nathan Hale Elementary School?
Nathan Hale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Nathan Hale Elementary School rank among public schools in Whiting?
By Resource Investment Index, Nathan Hale Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Whiting, 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 Whiting on the city page.
Is Nathan Hale Elementary School a good school?
Nathan Hale Elementary School earns 51/100 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 School City of Whiting?
Besides Nathan Hale Elementary School, School City of Whiting also operates Whiting High School (445 students) and Whiting Middle School (250 students). See the School City of Whiting 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.