Enrollment
260
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Indianapolis, IN
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180022202707Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 73
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #19 of 90
- schools in Indianapolis · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6.7:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 69.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy has class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy ranks #19 of 90 schools in Indianapolis, IN.
School address
District: Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy · Indiana
NCES ID 180022202707 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.4%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Indianapolis, Indiana, enrolling 260 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.7:1, Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is leaner than roughly 99% of Indiana schools and 58% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 260 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 190 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by African American (59%) and White (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 260 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy spends $6,260 per pupil, 48% below the Indiana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Indianapolis's public schools, it stands alongside Indiana Connections Academy (5,376 students): Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.7:1 vs 36.6:1).
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is a single-school charter district, so Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy compares
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.7:1 | ▼ 58% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.4% | ▲ 40% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
6.7:1
students per teacher
- 58% below state mean
Top 1% in Indiana - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$6,260
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 260 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 58.8%
White 16.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 7.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 58.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.4, Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy, which includes Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy.
$6,260
Per student
-48%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-62%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.9%
State 71.6%
Federal 22.4%
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.
Similar other schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Indiana Connections Academy
Standard public school
5,376 students 36.6:1 students per teacher
Hoosier College and Career Academy
Standard public school
1,484 students 57.1:1 students per teacher
Early Learning Center
Standard public school
1,313 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Victory College Prep Academy
Standard public school
1,058 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Forest Glen Elementary School
Standard public school
971 students 25.6:1 students per teacher
Indiana Connections Career Academy
Standard public school
942 students 49.6:1 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 (~260 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy'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 Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy
How many students attend Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy?
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy has 260 students enrolled. It is a public school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is 6.7:1, which is 58% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 57% 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 Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy?
69.4% of students at Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is African American at 58.8% of enrollment, in Indianapolis, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy?
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy rank among schools in Indianapolis?
By Resource Investment Index, Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy ranks #19 of 90 schools in Indianapolis, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Indianapolis on the city page.
Is Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy a good school?
Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% 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 Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy?
None; Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is a single-school charter district, and Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy is its only campus.
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.