Enrollment
1,232
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Gary, IN
West Side Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for West Side Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 180387000648
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Side Leadership Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Indiana schools.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Gary · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.1:1
- large classes for Indiana
- 84.5%
- free-lunch eligible
West Side Leadership Academy has class sizes larger than 98% of Indiana schools. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Side Leadership Academy ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Gary, IN.
School address
District: Gary Community School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180387000648 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.5%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
+71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Side Leadership Academy compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Side Leadership Academy
West Side Leadership Academy is a high-poverty, large high school in Gary, Indiana, enrolling 1,232 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.1:1 is larger than about 98% of Indiana schools and 58% above the 15.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 84.5% of students qualify for free meals, 71% above the Indiana average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,232 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 27 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #14.
Its student body is predominantly African American (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 308 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
The surrounding Gary Community School Corp spends $19,820 per pupil, 64% above the Indiana average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 982 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,232 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gary's high schools, it stands alongside Calumet New Tech High School (620 students): West Side Leadership Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.1:1 vs 16.3:1).
Gary Community School Corp also operates Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn (566 students) and Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy (472 students) alongside West Side Leadership Academy.
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 West Side Leadership Academy compares
West Side 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 | 25.1:1 | ▲ 58% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.5% | ▲ 71% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,232 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.1:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,232
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% above the Indiana average of 49.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.1:1
students per teacher
- 58% above state mean
Top 98% in Indiana - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$19,820
per pupil, district-wide
- above Indiana avg of $12,079
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 308 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
380
in-school suspensions + 602 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 30.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 79.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
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 89.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 3.7%
White 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.5, West Side Leadership Academy is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gary Community School Corp, which includes West Side Leadership Academy.
$19,820
Per student
+64%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
+19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.4%
State 50.2%
Federal 21.4%
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 West Side Leadership Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beveridge Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gary Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Side Leadership Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 374
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high schools in Gary
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,232 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Side Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare West Side Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Gary Community 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 West Side Leadership Academy
How many students attend West Side Leadership Academy?
West Side Leadership Academy has 1,232 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gary, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Side Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at West Side Leadership Academy is 25.1:1, which is 58% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Side Leadership Academy?
84.5% of students at West Side Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Side Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at West Side Leadership Academy is African American at 89.4% of enrollment, in Gary, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Side Leadership Academy?
West Side Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West Side Leadership Academy rank among high schools in Gary?
By Resource Investment Index, West Side Leadership Academy ranks #4 of 4 high 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 high schools in Gary on the city page.
Is West Side Leadership Academy a good school?
West Side Leadership Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Gary Community School Corp?
Besides West Side Leadership Academy, Gary Community School Corp also operates Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn (566 students), Frankie Woods Mccullough Academy (472 students), and Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch (450 students). See the Gary Community 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.