Steel City Academy

Summary:

Steel City Academy is an alternative public charter school located in Gary, Indiana, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 343 students. The school has a predominantly African American student population, with over 94% of students identifying as such in the 2022-2023 school year.

While Steel City Academy has seen some fluctuations in its four-year graduation rates, ranging from a high of 80% in 2019-2020 to a low of 54% in 2020-2021, the most recent 2022-2023 school year saw an improvement to 65.3%. However, this is still significantly lower than the nearby Trojan Virtual Academy (93.7%) and Gary Lighthouse Charter School (94.6%). Additionally, Steel City Academy has a high chronic absenteeism rate, reaching 55% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is significantly higher than the nearby Trojan Virtual Academy (38.8%) and Gary Lighthouse Charter School (30.3%).

Academically, Steel City Academy's performance, as measured by ILEARN and SAT proficiency rates, is significantly lower than the state and nearby school averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.33% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 38.6% to 42.6% for the same grades. In ILEARN Math, the proficiency rate was just 6.67%, compared to the state average of 31.4% to 52.4%. These academic challenges, coupled with the school's high percentage of students (over 90%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, suggest that Steel City Academy could benefit from a focused effort to address chronic absenteeism, improve graduation rates, and raise academic proficiency levels, particularly in core subjects like English Language Arts and Math.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Alternative K-12

2650 W 35th Avenue
Gary, IN 46408

(219) 750-1010

District: Steel City Academy

SchoolDigger Rank:
998^th of 1,010 Indiana Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,910

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 343

Racial breakdown:

African American:

94.8%

Two or more races:

3.2%

Hispanic:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Steel City Academy ranks worse than 98.8% of elementary schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.84. (See more...)

Compare Details Steel City Academy ranks worse than 79% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.25. (See more...)

Compare Details Steel City Academy ranks worse than 83.8% of high schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.73. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Steel City Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (94.8%), two or more races (3.2%), Hispanic (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Steel City Academy is 15.5. (See more...)

Compare Steel City Academy employs 22 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Steel City Academy is $12,910.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Steel City Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Steel City Academy 998^th of 1010 Indiana public elementary schools. (See Steel City Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Steel City Academy 383^rd of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Steel City Academy in the ranking list.)

SchoolDigger ranks Steel City Academy 361^st of 431 Indiana public high schools. (See Steel City Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

African American students:

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Rank History for Steel City Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	8.06	951^st	1020	6.8%
2023	4.90	998^th	1016	1.8%
2024	4.84	998^th	1010	1.2%

See the entire list of Indiana Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Steel City Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2019	3.76	459^th	470	2.3%
2021	14.64	411^th	483	14.9%
2022	18.69	397^th	490	19.0%
2023	21.66	381^st	489	22.1%
2024	20.25	383^rd	485	21.0%

See the entire list of Indiana Alternative School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Steel City Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Steel City Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2021	55.89	137^th	388	64.7%
2022	6.69	378^th	409	7.6%
2023	7.22	373^rd	398	6.3%
2024	16.73	361^st	431	16.2%

See the entire list of Indiana Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Steel City Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	10.15	355^th	379	6.3%
2024	26.93	291^st	377	22.8%

See the entire list of Best Indiana Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Steel City Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	7.14	373^rd	388	3.9%
2024	16.90	331^st	392	15.6%

See the entire list of Best Indiana Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Steel City Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	30.69	79^th	125	36.8%
2023	22.31	105^th	125	16.0%
2024	45.13	51^st	132	61.4%

See the entire list of Best Indiana Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Steel City Academy

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2017	3	142	4	0	3	152
2018	3	272	7	0	14	296
2019	3	415	11	0	14	443
2020	9	440	11	0	15	475
2021	5	390	10	0	10	415
2022	3	384	12	1	12	412
2023	2	325	5	0	11	343

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Steel City Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	152	10.0	15.2	100
2018	296	n/a	n/a	100
2019	443	n/a	n/a	100
2020	475	n/a	n/a	75.4
2021	415	13.0	31.9	76.4
2022	412	31.0	13.2	79.6
2023	343	22.0	15.5	91

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Steel City Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	152	10.0	15.2	100
2018	296	n/a	n/a	100
2019	443	n/a	n/a	100
2020	475	n/a	n/a	75.4
2021	415	13.0	31.9	76.4
2022	412	31.0	13.2	79.6
2023	343	22.0	15.5	91

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Steel City Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$960 (11.6%)	$7,286 (88.4%)	$8,246
2020	$2,424 (22.6%)	$8,295 (77.4%)	$10,719
2021	$4,001 (47.8%)	$4,365 (52.2%)	$8,366
2022	$6,518 (50.5%)	$6,391 (49.5%)	$12,910

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Steel City Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 459^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 381^st of 489 Middle schools	19.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Steel City Academy)	14	31.8	17.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Steel City Academy)	14	31.8	17.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Steel City Academy)	6	13.6	7.6%
7th Grade Math (Steel City Academy)	6	13.6	7.6%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Steel City Academy)	20.2	38.5	18.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Steel City Academy)	20.2	38.5	18.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Steel City Academy)	3.4	0	3.4%
8th Grade Math (Steel City Academy)	3.4	0	3.4%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%
End of Course Biology (Steel City Academy)	1.1	5.9	4.8%
End of Course Biology (Steel City Academy)	1.1	5.9	4.8%
End of Course Biology (Indiana)	38.6	29	9.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	443	343	22.6%
African American	415	325	21.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	11	5	54.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	2	33.3%
Two or More Races	14	11	21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	91%	9%

Schools Near Steel City Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)							ILEARN Math (2024)							ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	ILEARN Biology (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Steel City Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	2650 W 35th Avenue	Gary	46408	Lake County	Steel City Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 750-1010	343	22	15.5	91.0%	2 (0.6%)	325 (94.8%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)								(n/a)	35.3	0.0	8.7	9.1	0.0	10.7	21.4	34.8	13.3	4.4	4.6	0.0	7.1	7.1	17.4	6.7	0.0	19.1	$12,910	$6,519	$6,391
Gary Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1800 E 35th Ave	Gary	46409	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	Yes	No	(219) 881-5466	169	3	56.3	86.4%	1 (0.6%)	151 (89.3%)	9 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.1%)								(n/a)	0.0	0.0				0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0				0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0			$8,596	$3,784	$4,812
Gary Lighthouse Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	725 Clark Road	Gary	46406	Lake County	Gary Lighthouse Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 977-9583	1,127	76	14.8	100.0%	3 (0.3%)	1,000 (88.7%)	99 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (2.2%)								(n/a)	18.4	0.0	14.9	7.5	14.6	11.6	13.2	14.0	12.6	14.9	7.5	14.6	9.4	10.5	2.3	9.4	9.3	3.7	$14,595	$5,880	$8,715
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3401 W 5th Ave	Gary	46406	Lake County	Thea Bowman Leadership Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 944-3100	840	47	17.8	70.1%	6 (0.7%)	784 (93.3%)	37 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.5%)								(n/a)	21.7	0.0	17.7	15.4	12.8	13.3	21.3	31.9	19.6	25.0	12.5	4.3	8.7	7.5	1.3	9.8	10.9	14.5	$10,211	$4,725	$5,486
21st Century Charter School of Gary	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	556 Washington St	Gary	46402	Lake County	21st Century Charter School of Gary	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 886-9339	1,337	115	11.6	79.4%	2 (0.1%)	1,253 (93.7%)	51 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (2.2%)								(n/a)	26.1	2.2	21.8	20.9	17.0	13.3	12.7	21.7	18.2	30.8	20.9	18.9	9.3	4.2	3.6	14.6	7.6	10.1	$14,596	$5,257	$9,339
Eagle Park Community School	Public, Alternative	K-12	2150 W 97th Place	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	NW Indiana Special Education Coop	No	No	No	No	(219) 769-4000	0	9	11.6		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	0.0	0.0							0.0							0.0
Porter County Education Services	Public, Alternative	K-12	750 Ransom Rd	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Porter County Education Services	No	No	No	No	(219) 464-9607	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)									15.0							10.0
Trojan Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	601 W Morgan Ave	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	Yes	No	(219) 983-3743	95	3	36.5	36.8%	65 (68.4%)	4 (4.2%)	18 (18.9%)	2 (2.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.3%)								(n/a)	55.6	7.4					7.7	30.8	15.2					23.1	23.1	18.2		50.0	$13,024	$8,851	$4,173

Frequently Asked Questions about Steel City Academy

What is the racial makeup of Steel City Academy?

Students at Steel City Academy are 95% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% Hispanic.

Is Steel City Academy a good school?

Steel City Academy ranks in the bottom 1.2% of Indiana alternative schools.

What district is Steel City Academy in?

Steel City Academy

How many students attend Steel City Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 343 students attended Steel City Academy.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.