Enrollment
521
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Spencer, IN
Spencer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Spencer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181095001794
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spencer Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Spencer · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 57.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Spencer Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spencer Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Spencer, IN.
School address
District: Spencer-Owen Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 181095001794 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.3%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spencer Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spencer Elementary School
Spencer Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Spencer, Indiana, enrolling 521 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 521 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 487 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Spencer-Owen Community Schools also operates Owen Valley Community High School (628 students) and Mccormick's Creek Elementary Sch (390 students) alongside Spencer 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 Spencer Elementary School compares
Spencer 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.3% | ▲ 16% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 20% in Indiana - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,508
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 89.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 1.5%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.2, Spencer 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 Spencer-Owen Community Schools, which includes Spencer Elementary School.
$12,508
Per student
+4%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 56.0%
Federal 13.8%
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 Spencer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Valley Community High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mccormick's Creek Elementary Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Owen Valley Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gosport Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Patricksburg Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spencer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 321
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 149
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 147
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~521 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spencer Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Spencer Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Spencer-Owen Community 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 Spencer Elementary School
How many students attend Spencer Elementary School?
Spencer Elementary School has 521 students enrolled. It is a public school in Spencer, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spencer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Spencer Elementary School is 13:1, which is 18% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 17% 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 Spencer Elementary School?
57.3% of students at Spencer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spencer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Spencer Elementary School is White at 89.1% of enrollment, in Spencer, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spencer Elementary School?
Spencer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (higher 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 Spencer Elementary School rank among public schools in Spencer?
By Resource Investment Index, Spencer Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Spencer, 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 Spencer on the city page.
Is Spencer Elementary School a good school?
Spencer Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of 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 Spencer-Owen Community Schools?
Besides Spencer Elementary School, Spencer-Owen Community Schools also operates Owen Valley Community High School (628 students), Mccormick's Creek Elementary Sch (390 students), and Owen Valley Middle School (321 students). See the Spencer-Owen Community 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.