Enrollment
577
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · New Palestine, IN
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch
Federal NCES profile for Sugar Creek Elementary Sch, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 181071001407
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Indiana schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in New Palestine · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 26.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch has class sizes larger than 91% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sugar Creek Elementary Sch ranks #3 of 5 public schools in New Palestine, IN.
School address
District: Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 181071001407 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.7%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sugar Creek Elementary Sch compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sugar Creek Elementary Sch
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch is a mid-sized combined-grade school in New Palestine, Indiana, enrolling 577 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.9:1 is larger than about 91% of Indiana schools and 25% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 26.7% free-meal eligibility runs 46% below the Indiana average.
Enrollment of 577 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 387 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #266.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 577 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among New Palestine's public schools, it stands alongside New Palestine Elementary School (579 students): Sugar Creek Elementary Sch is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.9:1 vs 22.3:1).
Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp also operates New Palestine High School (1,254 students) and New Palestine Jr High School (606 students) alongside Sugar Creek Elementary Sch.
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 Sugar Creek Elementary Sch compares
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.9:1 | ▲ 25% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.7% | ▼ 46% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 577 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
577
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 91% in Indiana - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,671
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 577 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 88.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 2.8%
Asian 0.9%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 88.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.3, Sugar Creek Elementary Sch is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp, which includes Sugar Creek Elementary Sch.
$10,671
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.1%
State 61.5%
Federal 7.3%
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 Sugar Creek Elementary Sch Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Palestine High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Palestine Jr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| New Palestine Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Palestine Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brandywine Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sugar Creek Elementary Sch's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,254
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 605
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar other schools in New Palestine
1 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 (~577 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sugar Creek Elementary Sch's federal record.
- Compare Sugar Creek Elementary Sch against another school. Compare schools
- Southern Hancock Co Com 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 Sugar Creek Elementary Sch
How many students attend Sugar Creek Elementary Sch?
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch has 577 students enrolled. It is a public school in New Palestine, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sugar Creek Elementary Sch?
The student-teacher ratio at Sugar Creek Elementary Sch is 19.9:1, which is 25% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sugar Creek Elementary Sch?
26.7% of students at Sugar Creek Elementary Sch are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sugar Creek Elementary Sch?
The largest demographic group at Sugar Creek Elementary Sch is White at 88.4% of enrollment, in New Palestine, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sugar Creek Elementary Sch?
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Sugar Creek Elementary Sch rank among public schools in New Palestine?
By Resource Investment Index, Sugar Creek Elementary Sch ranks #3 of 5 public schools in New Palestine, 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 New Palestine on the city page.
Is Sugar Creek Elementary Sch a good school?
Sugar Creek Elementary Sch earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp?
Besides Sugar Creek Elementary Sch, Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp also operates New Palestine High School (1,254 students), New Palestine Jr High School (606 students), and New Palestine Intermediate School (605 students). See the Southern Hancock Co Com 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.