Enrollment
753
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ossian, IN
Norwell High School
Federal NCES profile for Norwell High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180822001410
👥 S:T ratio 23
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Norwell High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Ossian · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 22.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Norwell High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Norwell High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Ossian, IN.
School address
District: Northern Wells Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180822001410 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Norwell High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Norwell High School
Norwell High School is a large high school in Ossian, Indiana, enrolling 753 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.3:1 is larger than about 88% of Indiana schools and 21% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.1% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the Indiana average.
Enrollment of 753 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 269 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #216, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Ossian Elementary (566 students) and Norwell Middle School (561 students) alongside Norwell High 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 Norwell High School compares
Norwell High 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 21% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.1% | ▼ 55% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 753 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
753
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 88% in Indiana - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,685
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
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 89.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Two or More 1.9%
African American 1.3%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.9, Norwell High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northern Wells Community Schools, which includes Norwell High School.
$10,685
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 59.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Norwell High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ossian Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Norwell Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lancaster Central School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Norwell High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 533
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar high 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 (~753 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Norwell High School's federal record.
- Compare Norwell High School against another school. Compare schools
- Northern Wells Community 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 Norwell High School
How many students attend Norwell High School?
Norwell High School has 753 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ossian, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Norwell High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Norwell High School is 19.3:1, which is 21% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Norwell High School?
22.1% of students at Norwell High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Norwell High School?
The largest demographic group at Norwell High School is White at 89.8% of enrollment, in Ossian, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Norwell High School?
Norwell High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Norwell High School rank among public schools in Ossian?
By Resource Investment Index, Norwell High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Ossian, 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 Ossian on the city page.
Is Norwell High School a good school?
Norwell High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Northern Wells Community Schools?
Besides Norwell High School, Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Ossian Elementary (566 students), Norwell Middle School (561 students), and Lancaster Central School (533 students). See the Northern Wells Community 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.