Enrollment
566
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ossian, IN
Ossian Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ossian Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180822001411
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ossian Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Ossian · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 30.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ossian Elementary has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ossian Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Ossian, IN.
School address
District: Northern Wells Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180822001411 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ossian Elementary compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ossian Elementary
Ossian Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Ossian, Indiana, enrolling 566 students.
At 15.7:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 30.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 566 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 454 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #403, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 566 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Norwell High School (753 students) and Norwell Middle School (561 students) alongside Ossian Elementary.
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 Ossian Elementary compares
Ossian Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.9% | ▼ 38% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 566 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
566
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 55% in Indiana - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.9%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 566 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 90.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 2.5%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 90.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.4, Ossian Elementary 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 Ossian Elementary.
$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 Ossian Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Norwell Middle School | 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 Ossian Elementary'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
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 533
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~566 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ossian Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ossian Elementary 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 Ossian Elementary
How many students attend Ossian Elementary?
Ossian Elementary has 566 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ossian, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ossian Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ossian Elementary is 15.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 0% 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 Ossian Elementary?
30.9% of students at Ossian Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ossian Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ossian Elementary is White at 90.1% of enrollment, in Ossian, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ossian Elementary?
Ossian Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Ossian Elementary rank among public schools in Ossian?
By Resource Investment Index, Ossian Elementary ranks #3 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 Ossian Elementary a good school?
Ossian Elementary earns 37/100 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 Ossian Elementary, Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Norwell High School (753 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.