Enrollment
175
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 180023002735 Charter school
The Nature School of Central Indiana — Indianapolis, IN
Federal NCES profile for The Nature School of Central Indiana, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 19
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 72
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Nature School of Central Indiana earns a D Resource Investment Index (40/100), with class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools.
- D
- Resource Index · 40/100
- 20.3:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 7.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 175
- students enrolled
School address
District: The Nature School of Central Indiana · Indiana
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Nature School of Central Indiana compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
The Nature School of Central Indiana reports 175 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 7.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% above the Indiana state mean of 16.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 29% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 7.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 86% below the Indiana average and 86% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 11.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding The Nature School of Central Indiana spends $7,421 per pupil district-wide, below the Indiana average of $12,079 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 3.0% from local sources (property taxes), 87.2% from the state, and 9.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How The Nature School of Central Indiana compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Indiana state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.3:1 | ▲ 26% | 16.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.0% | ▼ 86% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 175 | top 7% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
20 smaller classes than 15% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
175 larger than 17% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
7.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 86% 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
20.3:1
students per teacher
— 26% above state mean
Top 94% in Indiana — lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
11.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$7,421
per pupil, district-wide
— below Indiana avg of $12,079
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 175 Top 7% in Indiana — larger than 93% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 7.0
Students per teacher 20.3:1 +26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 7.0% -86% vs state
NCES ID 180023002735
Student demographics
White 78.3%
Two or More 13.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
African American 2.3%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 11.4%
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for The Nature School of Central Indiana, which includes The Nature School of Central Indiana.
$7,421
Per student
-39%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-55%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.0%
State 87.2%
Federal 9.8%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Indianapolis
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Lillie Idella Kitley Intermediate
Standard public school
1,365 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Edgewood Intermediate School
Standard public school
1,300 students 18:1 students per teacher
Creston Intermediate & Middle Schl
Standard public school
1,106 students 15:1 students per teacher
Raymond Park Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,079 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle
Standard public school
1,043 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Paramount Brookside
Standard public school
843 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare The Nature School of Central Indiana side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about The Nature School of Central Indiana
How many students attend The Nature School of Central Indiana?
The Nature School of Central Indiana has 175 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Nature School of Central Indiana?
The student-teacher ratio at The Nature School of Central Indiana is 20.3:1, which is 26% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at The Nature School of Central Indiana?
7.0% of students at The Nature School of Central Indiana are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Nature School of Central Indiana?
The largest demographic group at The Nature School of Central Indiana is White at 78.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Indianapolis, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Nature School of Central Indiana?
The Nature School of Central Indiana has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is The Nature School of Central Indiana a good school?
The Nature School of Central Indiana earns a D Resource Investment Index (40/100), with class sizes larger than 94% of Indiana schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.