Enrollment
386
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Valparaiso, IN
Union Center Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Union Center Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 181170001872
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 96
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Center Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Indiana schools.
- #6 of 15
- elementary schools in Valparaiso · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 15.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Center Elementary School has class sizes larger than 75% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Center Elementary School ranks #6 of 15 elementary schools in Valparaiso, IN.
School address
District: Union Township School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 181170001872 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.3%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Center Elementary School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Center Elementary School
Union Center Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Valparaiso, Indiana, enrolling 386 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Indiana schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.3% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Indiana average.
With 386 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #30.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 386 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Valparaiso's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cooks Corners Elementary School (487 students): Union Center Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 23.2:1).
Union Township School Corp also operates Wheeler High School (387 students) and Union Township Middle School (333 students) alongside Union Center Elementary School.
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 Union Center Elementary School compares
Union Center Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.3% | ▼ 69% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 386 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
386
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Indiana - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
1.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,353
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 386 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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 81.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 2.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 81.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.7, Union Center Elementary School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Township School Corp, which includes Union Center Elementary School.
$12,353
Per student
+2%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.3%
State 53.7%
Federal 6.0%
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 Union Center Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Union Township Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Simatovich Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Center Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 280
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 23.2:1 students per teacher
Heavilin Elementary School
Standard public school
479 students 16:1 students per teacher
Flint Lake Elementary School
Standard public school
476 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Memorial Elementary School
Standard public school
434 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Jackson Elementary School
Standard public school
348 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Washington Twp Elementary School
Standard public school
339 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~386 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Center Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Union Center Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Union Township School 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 Union Center Elementary School
How many students attend Union Center Elementary School?
Union Center Elementary School has 386 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Valparaiso, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Center Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Center Elementary School is 17.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union Center Elementary School?
15.3% of students at Union Center Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Center Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Union Center Elementary School is White at 81.6% of enrollment, in Valparaiso, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Center Elementary School?
Union Center Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Union Center Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Valparaiso?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Center Elementary School ranks #6 of 15 elementary schools in Valparaiso, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Valparaiso on the city page.
Is Union Center Elementary School a good school?
Union Center Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Union Township School Corp?
Besides Union Center Elementary School, Union Township School Corp also operates Wheeler High School (387 students), Union Township Middle School (333 students), and John Simatovich Elementary School (280 students). See the Union Township School 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.