Enrollment
450
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Petersburg, IN
Pike Central High School
Federal NCES profile for Pike Central High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180890001482
👥 S:T ratio 55
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pike Central High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Indiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Petersburg · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 41.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Pike Central High School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pike Central High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Petersburg, IN.
School address
District: Pike County School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180890001482 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.5%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pike Central High School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pike Central High School
Pike Central High School is a mid-sized high school in Petersburg, Indiana, enrolling 450 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Pike Central High School is leaner than roughly 91% of Indiana schools and 29% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 450 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 574 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #223.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 225 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Pike County School Corp also operates Petersburg Elementary School (460 students) and Pike Central Middle School (383 students) alongside Pike Central 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 Pike Central High School compares
Pike Central 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 29% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.5% | ▼ 16% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 9% in Indiana - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.4%
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
$13,549
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 225 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 94.9%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 94.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.8, Pike Central High School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pike County School Corp, which includes Pike Central High School.
$13,549
Per student
+12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.9%
State 57.1%
Federal 10.9%
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 Pike Central High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pike Central Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winslow Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pike Central High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 460
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar high 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 (~450 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pike Central High School's federal record.
- Compare Pike Central High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pike County 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 Pike Central High School
How many students attend Pike Central High School?
Pike Central High School has 450 students enrolled. It is a high school in Petersburg, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pike Central High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pike Central High School is 11.3:1, which is 29% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 28% 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 Pike Central High School?
41.5% of students at Pike Central High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pike Central High School?
The largest demographic group at Pike Central High School is White at 94.9% of enrollment, in Petersburg, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pike Central High School?
Pike Central High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Pike Central High School rank among public schools in Petersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Pike Central High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Petersburg, 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 Petersburg on the city page.
Is Pike Central High School a good school?
Pike Central High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Indiana schools. It is also less 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 Pike County School Corp?
Besides Pike Central High School, Pike County School Corp also operates Petersburg Elementary School (460 students), Pike Central Middle School (383 students), and Winslow Elementary School (268 students). See the Pike County 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.