During a recent presentation to the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board on the district’s Innovation 2028 program, administrators stated that HSE is the third-largest school district in Indiana, based on student enrollment. However, some publicly available sources list HSE as the fourth-largest district in the state. So which is correct?

The answer depends on how student enrollment is calculated for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).

HSE currently enrolls just over 21,000 students. Two districts clearly have higher enrollment figures: Fort Wayne Community Schools reports 29,843 students, and the Evansville‑Vanderburgh School Corporation lists approximately 22,299.

The question of ranking hinges on IPS. If you count only the students enrolled in district-run IPS schools, the total comes to 20,219—placing HSE ahead. But if you include students attending the district’s Innovation Network Charter Schools, the IPS enrollment rises to 31,255, making it larger than both Evansville and HSE.

So, by one method of counting, HSE ranks third. By another, it’s fourth.

Which number should you use? That’s up to you.