Enrollment
285
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 181197001889
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School — Valparaiso, IN
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 58/100.
👥 Class size 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 76
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 →
School address
District: Valparaiso Community Schools · 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)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 16.1:1 Indiana avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.3%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Jefferson Elementary School 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
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School reports 285 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 15.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% 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 15.9:1, it is 14% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 40.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 19% below the Indiana average and 22% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 9.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Valparaiso Community Schools spends $14,719 per pupil district-wide, above the Indiana average of $14,559 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.7% from local sources (property taxes), 55.6% from the state, and 6.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C), 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 Thomas Jefferson Elementary School 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 16.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.3% | ▼ 19% | 49.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 19% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
40.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 19% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
— 13% above state mean
Top 83% in Indiana — lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$14,719
per pupil, district-wide
— above Indiana avg of $14,559
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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 285 Top 19% in Indiana — larger than 81% of 1,865 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 15.0
Students per teacher 18.2:1 +13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 40.3% -19% vs state
NCES ID 181197001889
Student demographics
White 65.3%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
African American 6.3%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 9.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valparaiso Community Schools, which includes Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
$14,719
Per student
+1%
vs Indiana
Avg $14,559
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 55.6%
Federal 6.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,089
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Valparaiso
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Cooks Corners Elementary School
Standard public school
487 students 22.4:1 students per teacher
Heavilin Elementary School
Standard public school
479 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Flint Lake Elementary School
Standard public school
476 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Memorial Elementary School
Standard public school
434 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Union Center Elementary School
Standard public school
386 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Jackson Elementary School
Standard public school
348 students 15:1 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.
Frequently asked questions about Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
How many students attend Thomas Jefferson Elementary School?
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School has 285 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Valparaiso, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School is 18.2:1, which is 13% higher than the Indiana average of 16.1:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School?
40.3% of students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School is White at 65.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Valparaiso, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Jefferson Elementary School?
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C) 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.