Enrollment
561
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ossian, IN
Norwell Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Norwell Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 180822002159
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Norwell Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Ossian · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 27.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Norwell Middle School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Norwell Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Ossian, IN.
School address
District: Northern Wells Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180822002159 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Norwell Middle School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Norwell Middle School
Norwell Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Ossian, Indiana, enrolling 561 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 561 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 395 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #190.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 281 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Norwell High School (753 students) and Ossian Elementary (566 students) alongside Norwell Middle 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 Middle School compares
Norwell Middle 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.2% | ▼ 45% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 561 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
561
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Indiana - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 281 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 91.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.1, Norwell Middle School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northern Wells Community Schools, which includes Norwell Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ossian Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lancaster Central School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Norwell Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 533
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle 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 (~561 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Norwell Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Norwell Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Norwell Middle School?
Norwell Middle School has 561 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ossian, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Norwell Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Norwell Middle School is 14.4:1, which is 9% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 8% lower 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 Norwell Middle School?
27.2% of students at Norwell Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Norwell Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Norwell Middle School is White at 91.4% of enrollment, in Ossian, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Norwell Middle School?
Norwell Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Norwell Middle School rank among public schools in Ossian?
By Resource Investment Index, Norwell Middle School ranks #1 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 Middle School a good school?
Norwell Middle School earns 48/100 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 Northern Wells Community Schools?
Besides Norwell Middle School, Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Norwell High School (753 students), Ossian Elementary (566 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.