Enrollment
422
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ft Wayne, IN
Paul Harding Jr High School
Federal NCES profile for Paul Harding Jr High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 180285002509
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul Harding Jr High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Indiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 86.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 422
- students enrolled
Paul Harding Jr High School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: East Allen County Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180285002509 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul Harding Jr High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul Harding Jr High School
Paul Harding Jr High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Ft Wayne, Indiana, enrolling 422 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.0% of students qualify for free meals, 74% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 422 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 213 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #67.
Its student body is led by Asian (50%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 181 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 422 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
East Allen County Schools also operates New Haven Jr/Sr High School (1,413 students) and Leo Junior/Senior High School (1,328 students) alongside Paul Harding Jr 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 Paul Harding Jr High School compares
Paul Harding Jr 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.0% | ▲ 74% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 27% in Indiana - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$11,444
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 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
93
in-school suspensions + 88 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
Asian 49.8%
African American 23.2%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
White 5.7%
Two or More 3.1%
Largest group: Asian at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Paul Harding Jr High School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Allen County Schools, which includes Paul Harding Jr High School.
$11,444
Per student
-5%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.1%
State 62.7%
Federal 15.2%
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 Paul Harding Jr High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven Jr/Sr High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leo Junior/Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prince Chapman Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cedarville Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage Jr/Sr High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul Harding Jr High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,413
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,328
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 819
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 764
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 748
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~422 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul Harding Jr High School's federal record.
- Compare Paul Harding Jr High School against another school. Compare schools
- East Allen County 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 Paul Harding Jr High School
How many students attend Paul Harding Jr High School?
Paul Harding Jr High School has 422 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ft Wayne, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul Harding Jr High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul Harding Jr High School is 13.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 13% 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 Paul Harding Jr High School?
86.0% of students at Paul Harding Jr High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul Harding Jr High School?
The largest demographic group at Paul Harding Jr High School is Asian at 49.8% of enrollment, in Ft Wayne, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul Harding Jr High School?
Paul Harding Jr High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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).
Is Paul Harding Jr High School a good school?
Paul Harding Jr High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Indiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 East Allen County Schools?
Besides Paul Harding Jr High School, East Allen County Schools also operates New Haven Jr/Sr High School (1,413 students), Leo Junior/Senior High School (1,328 students), and Prince Chapman Academy (819 students). See the East Allen County 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.