Enrollment
64
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Wayne, IN
Smith Academy for Excellence
Federal NCES profile for Smith Academy for Excellence, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180013102539Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith Academy for Excellence earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Indiana.
- #31 of 32
- schools in Fort Wayne · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.1:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 76.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Smith Academy for Excellence has class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Academy for Excellence ranks #31 of 32 schools in Fort Wayne, IN.
School address
District: Smith Academy for Excellence · Indiana
NCES ID 180013102539 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith Academy for Excellence compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith Academy for Excellence
Smith Academy for Excellence is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, enrolling 64 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.1:1, Smith Academy for Excellence is leaner than roughly 99% of Indiana schools and 55% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 76.7% of students qualify for free meals, 55% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Indiana schools, with 64 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 41 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 64 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Fort Wayne's public schools, it stands alongside Southwick Elementary School (724 students): Smith Academy for Excellence is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.1:1 vs 16.8:1).
Smith Academy for Excellence is a single-school charter district, so Smith Academy for Excellence operates independently rather than alongside district-mates. At 64 students, it is also a small operation, on the smaller end of Indiana's single-school districts.
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 Smith Academy for Excellence compares
Smith Academy for Excellence on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.1:1 | ▼ 55% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.7% | ▲ 55% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 64 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.1:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
64
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.1:1
students per teacher
- 55% 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.
Engagement
70.3%
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
$13,187
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 64.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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 42.2%
White 25.0%
Two or More 18.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Largest group: African American at 42.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.4, Smith Academy for Excellence is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Smith Academy for Excellence, which includes Smith Academy for Excellence.
$13,187
Per student
+9%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.8%
State 69.9%
Federal 23.3%
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.
Similar other schools in Fort Wayne
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Southwick Elementary School
Standard public school
724 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Harrison Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
612 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
J Wilbur Haley Elementary School
Standard public school
583 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Forest Park Elementary School
Standard public school
558 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Washington Center Elementary Sch
Standard public school
553 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Northcrest Elementary School
Standard public school
536 students 17.9:1 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 (~64 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith Academy for Excellence's federal record.
- Compare Smith Academy for Excellence against another school. Compare schools
- Smith Academy for Excellence'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 Smith Academy for Excellence
How many students attend Smith Academy for Excellence?
Smith Academy for Excellence has 64 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Wayne, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith Academy for Excellence?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith Academy for Excellence is 7.1:1, which is 55% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 55% 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 Smith Academy for Excellence?
76.7% of students at Smith Academy for Excellence are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smith Academy for Excellence?
The largest demographic group at Smith Academy for Excellence is African American at 42.2% of enrollment, in Fort Wayne, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith Academy for Excellence?
Smith Academy for Excellence has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smith Academy for Excellence rank among schools in Fort Wayne?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Academy for Excellence ranks #31 of 32 schools in Fort Wayne, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fort Wayne on the city page.
Is Smith Academy for Excellence a good school?
Smith Academy for Excellence earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Indiana schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Indiana. 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 Smith Academy for Excellence?
None; Smith Academy for Excellence is a single-school charter district, and Smith Academy for Excellence 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.