Enrollment
893
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pendleton, IN
Pendleton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pendleton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181044001713
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 90
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pendleton Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Pendleton · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.4:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Pendleton Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pendleton Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Pendleton, IN.
School address
District: South Madison Com Sch Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 181044001713 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pendleton Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pendleton Elementary School
Pendleton Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Pendleton, Indiana, enrolling 893 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Indiana schools and 22% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 90% of state schools at 893 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #101.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 447 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Pendleton's public schools, it stands alongside Maple Ridge Elementary School (858 students): Pendleton Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.4:1 vs 21.4:1).
South Madison Com Sch Corp also operates Pendleton Heights High School (1,502 students) and Maple Ridge Elementary School (858 students) alongside Pendleton 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 Pendleton Elementary School compares
Pendleton 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▼ 35% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 893 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
893
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% 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
4.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$9,834
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 447 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 88.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.7, Pendleton 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 South Madison Com Sch Corp, which includes Pendleton Elementary School.
$9,834
Per student
-19%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.6%
State 65.9%
Federal 7.5%
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 Pendleton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton Heights High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maple Ridge Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pendleton Heights Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pendleton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,502
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 858
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Pendleton
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~893 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pendleton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pendleton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- South Madison Com Sch 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 Pendleton Elementary School
How many students attend Pendleton Elementary School?
Pendleton Elementary School has 893 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pendleton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pendleton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pendleton Elementary School is 19.4:1, which is 22% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pendleton Elementary School?
32.1% of students at Pendleton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pendleton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pendleton Elementary School is White at 88.2% of enrollment, in Pendleton, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pendleton Elementary School?
Pendleton Elementary 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 Pendleton Elementary School rank among schools in Pendleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Pendleton Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Pendleton, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pendleton on the city page.
Is Pendleton Elementary School a good school?
Pendleton Elementary School earns 48/100 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 South Madison Com Sch Corp?
Besides Pendleton Elementary School, South Madison Com Sch Corp also operates Pendleton Heights High School (1,502 students), Maple Ridge Elementary School (858 students), and Pendleton Heights Middle School (730 students). See the South Madison Com Sch 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.