Enrollment
278
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · New Castle, IN
Parker Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Parker Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180744002157
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parker Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #6 of 7
- schools in New Castle · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 72.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Parker Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parker Elementary School ranks #6 of 7 schools in New Castle, IN.
School address
District: New Castle Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180744002157 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.9%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Parker Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Parker Elementary School
Parker Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in New Castle, Indiana, enrolling 278 students.
At 14.6:1, 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 72.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 278 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.
Against 210 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #119.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among New Castle's public schools, it stands alongside Blue River Valley Elementary Sch (331 students): Parker Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 15:1).
New Castle Community School Corp also operates New Castle High School (828 students) and New Castle Middle School (627 students) alongside Parker 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 Parker Elementary School compares
Parker 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.9% | ▲ 47% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 41% in Indiana - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
55.4%
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
$13,350
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
30
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.5 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 81.7%
Two or More 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
African American 2.5%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 81.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.0, Parker 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 New Castle Community School Corp, which includes Parker Elementary School.
$13,350
Per student
+11%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.4%
State 56.6%
Federal 19.0%
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 Parker Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Castle Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilbur Wright Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastwood Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westwood Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parker Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 828
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 257
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 256
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in New Castle
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Blue River Valley Elementary Sch
Standard public school
331 students 15:1 students per teacher
Wilbur Wright Elementary School
Standard public school
305 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High Sch
Standard public school
289 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Eastwood Elementary School
Standard public school
257 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Westwood Elementary School
Standard public school
256 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School
Standard public school
246 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~278 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Parker Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Parker Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- New Castle Community School Corp'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 Parker Elementary School
How many students attend Parker Elementary School?
Parker Elementary School has 278 students enrolled. It is a public school in New Castle, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parker Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Parker Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 8% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 7% 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 Parker Elementary School?
72.9% of students at Parker Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Parker Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Parker Elementary School is White at 81.7% of enrollment, in New Castle, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parker Elementary School?
Parker Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Parker Elementary School rank among schools in New Castle?
By Resource Investment Index, Parker Elementary School ranks #6 of 7 schools in New Castle, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in New Castle on the city page.
Is Parker Elementary School a good school?
Parker Elementary School earns 39/100 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 New Castle Community School Corp?
Besides Parker Elementary School, New Castle Community School Corp also operates New Castle High School (828 students), New Castle Middle School (627 students), and Wilbur Wright Elementary School (305 students). See the New Castle Community School Corp 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.