Enrollment
288
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aurora, IN
South Dearborn Middle School
Federal NCES profile for South Dearborn Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 73/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 180024000958
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Dearborn Middle School earns 73/100 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.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Aurora · Resource Index
- 73
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 45.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South Dearborn Middle School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Dearborn Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Aurora, IN.
School address
District: South Dearborn Community Sch Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180024000958 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Dearborn Middle School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Dearborn Middle School
South Dearborn Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Aurora, Indiana, enrolling 288 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, South Dearborn Middle School is leaner than roughly 91% of Indiana schools and 28% under the state's 15.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.1% lands close to the Indiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 288 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 357 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
South Dearborn Community Sch Corp also operates South Dearborn High School (625 students) and Aurora Elementary School (524 students) alongside South Dearborn 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 South Dearborn Middle School compares
South Dearborn 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 28% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.1% | ▼ 9% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 288 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
288
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% 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
1.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,424
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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 93.8%
Two or More 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 93.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.9, South Dearborn Middle School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Dearborn Community Sch Corp, which includes South Dearborn Middle School.
$12,424
Per student
+3%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 55.1%
Federal 11.9%
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 South Dearborn Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dearborn High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aurora Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dillsboro Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Dearborn Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 524
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 145
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~288 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Dearborn Middle School's federal record.
- Compare South Dearborn Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- South Dearborn Community Sch 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 South Dearborn Middle School
How many students attend South Dearborn Middle School?
South Dearborn Middle School has 288 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aurora, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Dearborn Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Dearborn Middle School is 11.5:1, which is 28% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 27% 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 South Dearborn Middle School?
45.1% of students at South Dearborn Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Dearborn Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Dearborn Middle School is White at 93.8% of enrollment, in Aurora, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Dearborn Middle School?
South Dearborn Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 73/100 (higher 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 South Dearborn Middle School rank among public schools in Aurora?
By Resource Investment Index, South Dearborn Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Aurora, 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 Aurora on the city page.
Is South Dearborn Middle School a good school?
South Dearborn Middle School earns 73/100 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 South Dearborn Community Sch Corp?
Besides South Dearborn Middle School, South Dearborn Community Sch Corp also operates South Dearborn High School (625 students), Aurora Elementary School (524 students), and Dillsboro Elementary School (267 students). See the South Dearborn Community Sch 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.