Enrollment
458
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wabash, IN
Southwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181218001947
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwood Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #5 of 7
- schools in Wabash · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 41.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwood Elementary School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwood Elementary School ranks #5 of 7 schools in Wabash, IN.
School address
District: Msd Wabash County Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 181218001947 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwood Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwood Elementary School
Southwood Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Wabash, Indiana, enrolling 458 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 458 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 573 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #260.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 458 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Wabash's public schools, it stands alongside Southwood Jr-Sr High School (445 students): Southwood Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 14.4:1).
Msd Wabash County Schools also operates Southwood Jr-Sr High School (445 students) and Northfield Jr-Sr High School (429 students) alongside Southwood Elementary 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 Southwood Elementary School compares
Southwood 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.8% | ▼ 16% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 458 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
458
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 63% in Indiana - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,250
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 458 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 90.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 90.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.9, Southwood 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 Msd Wabash County Schools, which includes Southwood Elementary School.
$11,250
Per student
-7%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.5%
State 57.3%
Federal 14.2%
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 Southwood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwood Jr-Sr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northfield Jr-Sr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| White's Jr-Sr High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Metro North Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sharp Creek Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 28.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 285
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 270
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in Wabash
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Southwood Jr-Sr High School
Standard public school
445 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Northfield Jr-Sr High School
Standard public school
429 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
O J Neighbours Elementary School
Standard public school
385 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
White's Jr-Sr High School
Standard public school
369 students 28.4:1 students per teacher
Metro North Elementary School
Standard public school
285 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Lh Carpenter Early Learning Center
Standard public school
176 students 19.6:1 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 (~458 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Msd Wabash County Schools'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 Southwood Elementary School
How many students attend Southwood Elementary School?
Southwood Elementary School has 458 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wabash, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwood Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwood Elementary School?
41.8% of students at Southwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southwood Elementary School is White at 90.4% of enrollment, in Wabash, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwood Elementary School?
Southwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Southwood Elementary School rank among schools in Wabash?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwood Elementary School ranks #5 of 7 schools in Wabash, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wabash on the city page.
Is Southwood Elementary School a good school?
Southwood Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. 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 Msd Wabash County Schools?
Besides Southwood Elementary School, Msd Wabash County Schools also operates Southwood Jr-Sr High School (445 students), Northfield Jr-Sr High School (429 students), and White's Jr-Sr High School (369 students). See the Msd Wabash County Schools 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.