Enrollment
773
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gary, IN
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180002501807Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Indiana schools.
- #5 of 7
- schools in Gary · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 70.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy ranks #5 of 7 schools in Gary, IN.
School address
District: Thea Bowman Leadership Academy · Indiana
NCES ID 180002501807 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.1%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thea Bowman Leadership Academy compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is a higher-need, large charter combined-grade school in Gary, Indiana, enrolling 773 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 above the state's typical profile, with 70.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 773 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,862 Indiana schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 237 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #219, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 387 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 36.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 332 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 773 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Gary's public schools, it stands alongside 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary (1,180 students): Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 10.3:1).
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is a single-school charter district, so Thea Bowman Leadership 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 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy compares
Thea Bowman Leadership 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▲ 42% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 773 | top 14% | - | - |
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.
773
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
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
49.9%
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
$10,602
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 387 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
166
in-school suspensions + 166 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.9 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
African American 92.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 2.3%
Largest group: African American at 92.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.6, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, which includes Thea Bowman Leadership Academy.
$10,602
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.2%
State 62.0%
Federal 36.8%
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 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
Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy
Standard public school
472 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Steel City Academy
Standard public school
286 students 13:1 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 (~773 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thea Bowman Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Thea Bowman Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Thea Bowman Leadership 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 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy
How many students attend Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy has 773 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy 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 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
70.1% of students at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is African American at 92.8% of enrollment, in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy rank among schools in Gary?
By Resource Investment Index, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy ranks #5 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 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy a good school?
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Thea Bowman Leadership Academy?
None; Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is a single-school charter district, and Thea Bowman Leadership 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.