Enrollment
666
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180435002751
Red Cedars Elementary — Cedar Lake, IN
Federal NCES profile for Red Cedars Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 25
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: Hanover Community School Corp · 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)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Red Cedars Elementary 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
Red Cedars Elementary reports 666 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 17% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 24.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% below the Indiana average and 53% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hanover Community School Corp spends $13,715 per pupil district-wide, below the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.0% from local sources (property taxes), 53.4% from the state, and 4.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F), calculated from 1 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 Red Cedars Elementary 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 51% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 666 | top 80% | — | — |
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
24.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 51% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
— 17% above state mean
Top 87% in Indiana — lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$13,715
per pupil, district-wide
— below Indiana avg of $14,559
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 666 Top 80% in Indiana — larger than 20% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 18.8:1 +17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 24.1% -51% vs state
NCES ID 180435002751
Student demographics
White 70.3%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
African American 6.2%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hanover Community School Corp, which includes Red Cedars Elementary.
$13,715
Per student
-6%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 53.4%
Federal 4.6%
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
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 26.5:1
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
Similar elementary schools in Cedar Lake
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 Red Cedars Elementary
How many students attend Red Cedars Elementary?
Red Cedars Elementary has 666 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Cedar Lake, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Red Cedars Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Red Cedars Elementary is 18.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Red Cedars Elementary?
24.1% of students at Red Cedars Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Red Cedars Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Red Cedars Elementary is White at 70.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Cedar Lake, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Red Cedars Elementary?
Red Cedars Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.