Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr

Located at 2367 E 21st Ave, in Gary, Indiana, Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is a low-enrollment elementary school that enrolls 231 students (grades pre-K through K), operated by Gary Community School Corp. By comparison, Indiana's public schools average about 436 students each, so Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr sits 47% leaner than that benchmark.

Gary Community School Corp comprises 10 schools with combined enrollment of 4,383 students; Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is among them.

On demographics, Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr records that nearly all students (87%) are Black; the rest looks like 8% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 23% Black, putting the school's mix considerably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr reports 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 23.1:1. The state averages around 15.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 44% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Across the wider county, Lake County reports that the typical household earns roughly $71,493 per year, 26% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr is one of 121 public schools in Lake County (combined enrollment of about 74,661 students).

The closest other public school is Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch, roughly 0.8 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr has edged down 55%, going from 510 students in 2018 to 231 in 2025. The Black share of enrollment shrank from 97% to 87% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 51.0:1 in 2018 to 23.1:1 in 2025.

On this page, the feed for Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.