James Whitcomb Riley School 43

Set in Indianapolis, Indiana, James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is a low-enrollment K-5 school, part of Indianapolis Public Schools. It hosts 240 students across grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 45% leaner than the typical public school in Indiana, which averages around 436 students.

James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is one of 49 schools operated by Indianapolis Public Schools, a district that caters to 21,055 students overall.

Demographically, James Whitcomb Riley School 43 reports that Black students make up the majority at 74%. The remainder breaks down as 11% multiracial, 9% Hispanic, 5% White. By comparison, Marion County as a whole is about 27% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, James Whitcomb Riley School 43 logs 28 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 8.7:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 15.5:1 average. Around 73% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Marion County (around 60%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is in the bottom 10% of Indiana public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 24.2%; James Whitcomb Riley School 43 posts 4.6%, -19.6 points below that line.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Marion County put median household earnings sit near $66,346, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. In all, Marion County runs 274 public schools (combined enrollment of about 161,456 students), of which James Whitcomb Riley School 43 is one.

Shortridge High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts James Whitcomb Riley School 43 at 6th of 6; the average score across the group is 33.7%.

The campus sits in a downtown setting.

Five-year trend. James Whitcomb Riley School 43's enrollment has decreased 55% since 2018, when it stood at 532 (now 240). Class-load math has fell: from 13.9:1 in 2018 to 8.7:1 in 2025.

On allk12, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.