Enrollment
878
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Merrillville, IN
Pierce Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Pierce Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 180969001588
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pierce Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Merrillville · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 59.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pierce Middle School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pierce Middle School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Merrillville, IN.
School address
District: Merrillville Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180969001588 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pierce Middle School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pierce Middle School
Pierce Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Merrillville, Indiana, enrolling 878 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 59.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 878 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.
Against 245 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #146.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 639 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 878 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 14 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Merrillville High School (2,115 students) and Merrillville Intermediate School (788 students) alongside Pierce Middle 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 Pierce Middle School compares
Pierce Middle 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.7% | ▲ 21% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 878 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
878
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 31% in Indiana - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.6%
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
$11,764
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 439 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
374
in-school suspensions + 265 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 42.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 72.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 14 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
African American 66.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
White 6.6%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Pierce Middle School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Merrillville Community School Corp, which includes Pierce Middle School.
$11,764
Per student
-3%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 55.4%
Federal 9.9%
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 Pierce Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrillville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Merrillville Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jonas E Salk Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Homer Iddings Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Henry P Fieler Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pierce Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,115
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~878 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pierce Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Pierce Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Merrillville 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 Pierce Middle School
How many students attend Pierce Middle School?
Pierce Middle School has 878 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Merrillville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pierce Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pierce Middle School is 13.9:1, which is 13% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 11% 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 Pierce Middle School?
59.7% of students at Pierce Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pierce Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Pierce Middle School is African American at 66.2% of enrollment, in Merrillville, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pierce Middle School?
Pierce Middle 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 Pierce Middle School rank among public schools in Merrillville?
By Resource Investment Index, Pierce Middle School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Merrillville, 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 Merrillville on the city page.
Is Pierce Middle School a good school?
Pierce Middle 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 Merrillville Community School Corp?
Besides Pierce Middle School, Merrillville Community School Corp also operates Merrillville High School (2,115 students), Merrillville Intermediate School (788 students), and Jonas E Salk Elementary School (565 students). See the Merrillville 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.