Enrollment
241
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 180477000883
Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 27/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Indianapolis Public Schools · Indiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.2%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 reports 241 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% below the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 82.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 66% above the Indiana average and 59% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 46.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Indianapolis Public Schools spends $26,790 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.1% from local sources (property taxes), 53.5% from the state, and 12.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.2% | ▲ 66% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 241 | top 14% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
82.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 66% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 24% below state mean
Top 11% in Indiana — lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
46.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$26,790
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 241 Top 14% in Indiana — larger than 86% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 -24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 82.2% +66% vs state
NCES ID 180477000883
Student demographics
African American 47.7%
Hispanic or Latino 30.3%
White 13.3%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 47.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 46.5%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 31
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Indianapolis Public Schools, which includes Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58.
$26,790
Per student
+84%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
+37%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 53.5%
Federal 12.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,360
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
Similar other schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Indiana Connections Academy
Standard public school
5,376 students 39.3:1 students per teacher
Hoosier College and Career Academy
Standard public school
1,484 students 28.5:1 students per teacher
Early Learning Center
Standard public school
1,313 students 24:1 students per teacher
Victory College Prep Academy
Standard public school
1,058 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Forest Glen Elementary School
Standard public school
971 students 23.2:1 students per teacher
Indiana Connections Career Academy
Standard public school
942 students 39.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58
How many students attend Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58?
Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 has 241 students enrolled. It is a other school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 is 12.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58?
82.2% of students at Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58?
The largest demographic group at Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 is African American at 47.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58?
Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.