Public schools in Gary, IN

22 open public schools with an address in Gary, operated by 10 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

11,157

22 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

16.7:1

Indiana median 14.8:1

Charter schools

0 virtual

An overview of Gary public schools

The federal directory lists 22 public schools in Gary, IN: 9 elementary, 3 middle, 5 high, 5 combined or other. The 22 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 11,157 students, an average of 507 per school. The largest campus is West Side Leadership Academy (1,232 students), and the largest elementary school is Charter School of the Dunes (836).

Gary Community School Corp operates the most schools here (11), and 2 regular districts have at least one Gary campus, plus 8 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.

Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 16.7:1, higher than the statewide school median of 14.8:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.

School choice options include 8 charter schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 9 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 7 of 9 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

Independent charter agency

1 school in Gary

Elementary schools in Gary

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Aspire Charter Academy Aspire Charter Academy · Charter	KG–08	684	20.7:1
Banneker Elementary at Marquette Gary Community School Corp	KG–05	293	18:1
Beveridge Elementary School Gary Community School Corp	KG–05	374	16.7:1
Charter School of the Dunes Charter School of the Dunes · Charter	PK–08	836	17.8:1
Daniel Hale Williams Elem Sch Gary Community School Corp	KG–05	450	15.9:1
Frankie Woods McCullough Academy Gary Community School Corp	PK–05	472	15.6:1
Glen Park Acad for Excel in Lrn Gary Community School Corp	KG–05	566	15.3:1
Longfellow New Tech Elementary Sch Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	KG–04	483	19.3:1
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Ctr Gary Community School Corp	PK–KG	231	23.1:1

Middle schools in Gary

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Bailly Middle School Gary Community School Corp	06–08	355	12.8:1
Gary Middle School Gary Community School Corp	06–08	365	14.4:1
Lake Ridge New Tech Middle School Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	05–08	447	16.9:1

High schools in Gary

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Calumet New Tech High School Lake Ridge New Tech Schools	09–12	620	14.9:1
Excel Center - Gary Excel Center - Gary · Charter	09–12	125	15.6:1
Gary Career Center Gary Community School Corp · Career and Technical School	06–12	0	0:1
Gary Middle College Gary Middle College · Charter	09–12	202	—
West Side Leadership Academy Gary Community School Corp	09–12	1,232	18:1

Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Gary

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
21st Century Charter Sch of Gary 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary · Charter	KG–12	1,180	118:1
Gary Lighthouse Charter School Gary Lighthouse Charter School · Charter	KG–12	1,138	15.2:1
Gary Virtual Academy Gary Community School Corp	KG–12	45	20:1
Steel City Academy Steel City Academy · Charter	KG–12	286	8.9:1
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Thea Bowman Leadership Academy · Charter	KG–12	773	17.2:1

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White4.5%
Hispanic10%
Black81.4%
Asian0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
Multiracial3.9%

Enrollment-weighted across 21 Gary schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (11,157 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in Gary

How many public schools are in Gary, IN?

The current NCES directory lists 22 open public schools with a location address in Gary: 9 elementary, 3 middle, 5 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 11,157 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve Gary?

Schools with an address in Gary belong to 10 education agencies, led by Gary Community School Corp (11 schools), Lake Ridge New Tech Schools (3 schools), 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

What is the largest public high school in Gary?

West Side Leadership Academy reported the largest high-school enrollment in Gary, with 1,232 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in Gary?

Yes. 8 of the 22 public schools in Gary are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary, Aspire Charter Academy, Charter School of the Dunes. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Gary schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Gary public schools is 16.7:1, higher than the Indiana school median of 14.8:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

Does living in Gary guarantee a seat at a specific school?

No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.

Nearby Indiana cities

Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Indiana cities