Enrollment
405
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shelbyville, IN
Southwestern Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southwestern Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181083001768
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwestern Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Shelbyville · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 38.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwestern Elementary School has class sizes larger than 70% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwestern Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Shelbyville, IN.
School address
District: Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co · Indiana
NCES ID 181083001768 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.3%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwestern Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwestern Elementary School
Southwestern Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shelbyville, Indiana, enrolling 405 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 405 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #282.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 405 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Shelbyville's public schools, it stands alongside Golden Bear Preschool (295 students): Southwestern Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 21.1:1).
Its district, Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co, also runs Southwestern High School (264 students).
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 Southwestern Elementary School compares
Southwestern Elementary 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.3% | ▼ 23% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 405 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
405
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 70% in Indiana - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,502
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 405 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 95.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Two or More 1.0%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 95.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.1, Southwestern Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co, which includes Southwestern Elementary School.
$10,502
Per student
-13%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 56.6%
Federal 9.1%
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 Southwestern Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwestern Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in Shelbyville
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~405 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwestern Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southwestern Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co'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 Southwestern Elementary School
How many students attend Southwestern Elementary School?
Southwestern Elementary School has 405 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shelbyville, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwestern Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwestern Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 6% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwestern Elementary School?
38.3% of students at Southwestern Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwestern Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southwestern Elementary School is White at 95.3% of enrollment, in Shelbyville, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwestern Elementary School?
Southwestern Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southwestern Elementary School rank among schools in Shelbyville?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwestern Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Shelbyville, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Shelbyville on the city page.
Is Southwestern Elementary School a good school?
Southwestern Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co?
Besides Southwestern Elementary School, Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co also operates Southwestern High School (264 students). See the Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co 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.