Enrollment
286
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gary, IN
Steel City Academy
Federal NCES profile for Steel City Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180017102614Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Steel City Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana schools.
- #4 of 7
- schools in Gary · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- small classes for Indiana
- 91.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Steel City Academy has class sizes smaller than 80% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Steel City Academy ranks #4 of 7 schools in Gary, IN.
School address
District: Steel City Academy · Indiana
NCES ID 180017102614 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Steel City Academy compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Steel City Academy
Steel City Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Gary, Indiana, enrolling 286 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 is high: 91.0% of students qualify for free meals, 84% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 286 puts it in the smaller third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 107 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #88, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 36.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 124 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 286 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gary's public schools, it stands alongside 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary (1,180 students): Steel City Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13:1 vs 10.3:1).
Steel City Academy is a single-school charter district, so Steel City Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Steel City Academy compares
Steel City Academy 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 | 91.0% | ▲ 84% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 81% | - | - |
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.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% 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
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
57.7%
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
$13,328
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints 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 + 124 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 92.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
White 1.7%
Largest group: African American at 92.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.1, Steel City Academy is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Steel City Academy, which includes Steel City Academy.
$13,328
Per student
+10%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.2%
State 62.2%
Federal 36.6%
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 Gary
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary
Standard public school
1,180 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Gary Lighthouse Charter School
Standard public school
1,138 students 15:1 students per teacher
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Standard public school
773 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy
Standard public school
472 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr
Standard public school
231 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
Gary Virtual Academy
Standard public school
45 students 15:1 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 (~286 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Steel City Academy's federal record.
- Compare Steel City Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Steel City Academy'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 Steel City Academy
How many students attend Steel City Academy?
Steel City Academy has 286 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Steel City Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Steel City Academy 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 Steel City Academy?
91.0% of students at Steel City Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Steel City Academy?
The largest demographic group at Steel City Academy is African American at 92.0% of enrollment, in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Steel City Academy?
Steel City Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Steel City Academy rank among schools in Gary?
By Resource Investment Index, Steel City Academy ranks #4 of 7 schools in Gary, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gary on the city page.
Is Steel City Academy a good school?
Steel City Academy earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts 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 Steel City Academy?
None; Steel City Academy is a single-school charter district, and Steel City Academy 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.