Belzer Middle School

Summary:

Belzer Middle School is a public middle school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 1,183 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the MSD Lawrence Township school district, which is ranked 279 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Belzer Middle School stands out from nearby schools in several key ways. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American (52.66%) and Hispanic (29.16%) students compared to the surrounding area. Academically, Belzer consistently performs below the state and district averages in ILEARN English Language Arts and Math proficiency rates, with only 18.65% of students proficient in ELA and 9.07% proficient in Math in 2023-2024. The school also has a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 40.5% and an exceptionally high percentage (80.73%) of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Fall Creek Valley Middle School, which is in the same district, Belzer Middle School is an underperforming outlier. Fall Creek Valley has significantly higher proficiency rates in both ELA and Math, as well as a lower chronic absenteeism rate. The challenges faced by Belzer Middle School, including high poverty levels and chronic absenteeism, may be contributing factors to its low academic performance. However, the data suggests that there is room for improvement, and targeted interventions and support could potentially lead to better outcomes for the students at this school.

Detail:

Public 7-8

7555 E 56th St
Indianapolis, IN 46226

(317) 964-6200

District: MSD Lawrence Township

SchoolDigger Rank:
413^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,349

Students who attend Belzer Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lawrence Central High School

Feeder schools for Belzer Middle School:

Elementary:	Amy Beverland Elementary
	Brook Park Elementary School
	Harrison Hill Elementary School
	Skiles Test Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 1,139

Racial breakdown:

African American:

52.2%

Hispanic:

31.9%

White:

9.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.6%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Belzer Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Belzer Middle School ranks worse than 85.2% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.7. (See more...)

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 (52.2%), Hispanic (31.9%), White (9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Belzer Middle School is 16.5. (See more...)

Compare Belzer Middle School employs 68.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Belzer Middle School is $10,349.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Belzer Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Belzer Middle School 413^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Belzer Middle School in the ranking list.)

MSD Lawrence Township:

SchoolDigger ranks MSD Lawrence Township 282^nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Belzer Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	47.09	129^th	222	41.9%
2005	46.11	245^th	370	33.8%
2006	48.09	241^st	375	35.7%
2007	46.35	256^th	382	33.0%
2008	48.39	246^th	392	37.2%
2009	30.33	340^th	423	19.6%
2010	34.08	336^th	428	21.5%
2011	38.59	341^st	451	24.4%
2012	52.47	252^nd	447	43.6%
2013	57.71	207^th	444	53.4%
2014	48.19	299^th	470	36.4%
2015	51.44	264^th	485	45.6%
2016	45.80	312^th	494	36.8%
2017	30.68	364^th	472	22.9%
2018	31.90	359^th	473	24.1%
2019	30.14	350^th	470	25.5%
2021	12.37	423^rd	483	12.4%
2022	13.82	420^th	490	14.3%
2023	13.22	428^th	489	12.5%
2024	14.70	413^th	485	14.8%

See the entire list of Indiana Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Belzer Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	702	222	11	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	940
1989	723	251	17	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	998
1990	860	297	12	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	1180
1991	950	365	12	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	1345
1992	1080	380	12	31	4	n/a	n/a	0	1507
1993	1141	422	14	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	1607
1994	809	331	13	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	1171
1995	804	287	18	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	1119
1996	804	287	18	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	1119
1997	819	323	16	16	1	n/a	n/a	2	1177
1998	860	303	16	22	0	n/a	n/a	1	1202
1999	785	325	24	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	1152
2000	803	347	20	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	1188
2001	786	392	22	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	1219
2002	868	486	18	58	3	n/a	n/a	0	1433
2003	868	486	18	58	3	n/a	n/a	0	1433
2004	859	500	19	36	5	n/a	n/a	0	1419
2005	796	538	21	61	3	n/a	n/a	0	1419
2006	762	523	24	53	3	n/a	n/a	0	1365
2007	679	484	18	73	2	n/a	n/a	77	1333
2008	641	443	16	94	3	n/a	n/a	79	1276
2009	564	415	14	111	2	n/a	n/a	82	1188
2010	531	398	13	119	1	n/a	n/a	92	1154
2011	444	483	17	145	1	1	95	0	1186
2012	383	488	14	158	2	1	91	0	1137
2013	348	524	16	167	3	2	80	0	1140
2014	333	522	12	194	1	0	78	0	1140
2015	301	553	7	212	1	0	85	0	1159
2016	264	585	11	218	0	2	82	0	1162
2017	244	594	12	229	1	1	76	0	1157
2018	248	610	9	253	3	0	84	0	1207
2019	211	578	11	289	3	0	87	0	1179
2020	175	564	9	310	1	0	87	0	1146
2021	146	586	9	310	0	0	81	0	1132
2022	133	628	5	325	0	0	88	0	1179
2023	142	623	6	345	0	0	67	0	1183
2024	102	595	4	363	0	1	74	0	1139

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 Belzer Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	940	56.7	16.5	9.4
1989	998	56.3	17.7	10.1
1990	1180	68.1	17.3	9.2
1991	1345	74.3	18.1	94.9
1992	1507	87.0	17.3	14.8
1993	1607	97.3	16.5	23.6
1994	1171	73.5	15.9	16.8
1995	1119	65.7	17.0	18
1996	1119	65.7	17.0	18
1997	1177	67.5	17.4	20.7
1998	1202	74.0	16.2	19.8
1999	1152	73.3	15.7	28.6
2000	1188	74.0	16.1	27.3
2001	1219	68.7	17.7	29.3
2002	1433	75.6	19.0	33.4
2003	1433	75.6	19.0	33.4
2004	1419	76.0	18.7	34.7
2005	1419	76.0	18.7	40.2
2006	1365	78.0	17.5	44
2007	1333	n/a	n/a	45.8
2008	1276	74.3	17.2	49.5
2009	1188	65.8	18.1	51.2
2010	1154	61.5	18.7	58.7
2011	1186	36.2	32.7	55.5
2012	1137	59.0	19.2	60
2013	1140	64.0	17.8	64.6
2014	1140	61.0	18.6	66.1
2015	1159	61.0	19.0	70.1
2016	1162	60.0	19.3	69.5
2017	1157	62.0	18.6	68
2018	1207	63.0	19.1	72.7
2019	1179	63.9	18.4	72.5
2020	1146	68.0	16.8	72.9
2021	1132	64.0	17.6	72.6
2022	1179	70.3	16.7	67.1
2023	1183	62.3	18.9	80.7
2024	1139	68.8	16.5	83.6

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 Belzer Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	940	56.7	16.5	9.4
1989	998	56.3	17.7	10.1
1990	1180	68.1	17.3	9.2
1991	1345	74.3	18.1	94.9
1992	1507	87.0	17.3	14.8
1993	1607	97.3	16.5	23.6
1994	1171	73.5	15.9	16.8
1995	1119	65.7	17.0	18
1996	1119	65.7	17.0	18
1997	1177	67.5	17.4	20.7
1998	1202	74.0	16.2	19.8
1999	1152	73.3	15.7	28.6
2000	1188	74.0	16.1	27.3
2001	1219	68.7	17.7	29.3
2002	1433	75.6	19.0	33.4
2003	1433	75.6	19.0	33.4
2004	1419	76.0	18.7	34.7
2005	1419	76.0	18.7	40.2
2006	1365	78.0	17.5	44
2007	1333	n/a	n/a	45.8
2008	1276	74.3	17.2	49.5
2009	1188	65.8	18.1	51.2
2010	1154	61.5	18.7	58.7
2011	1186	36.2	32.7	55.5
2012	1137	59.0	19.2	60
2013	1140	64.0	17.8	64.6
2014	1140	61.0	18.6	66.1
2015	1159	61.0	19.0	70.1
2016	1162	60.0	19.3	69.5
2017	1157	62.0	18.6	68
2018	1207	63.0	19.1	72.7
2019	1179	63.9	18.4	72.5
2020	1146	68.0	16.8	72.9
2021	1132	64.0	17.6	72.6
2022	1179	70.3	16.7	67.1
2023	1183	62.3	18.9	80.7
2024	1139	68.8	16.5	83.6

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 Belzer Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$332 (3.4%)	$9,534 (96.6%)	$9,866
2020	$351 (3.6%)	$9,398 (96.4%)	$9,749
2021	$624 (5.9%)	$9,917 (94.1%)	$10,541
2022	$809 (7.8%)	$9,540 (92.2%)	$10,349

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Belzer Middle School

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 350^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 428^th of 489 Middle schools	13.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Belzer Middle School)	38.8	16.9	21.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Lawrence Township)	38.9	25.8	13.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Belzer Middle School)	29.6	10.5	19.1%
7th Grade Math (MSD Lawrence Township)	29.6	13.6	16%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Belzer Middle School)	38.8	20	18.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Lawrence Township)	40.9	26.2	14.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Belzer Middle School)	24.4	4.9	19.5%
8th Grade Math (MSD Lawrence Township)	23.9	7.8	16.1%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%
End of Course Biology (Belzer Middle School)	85.7	74.3	11.4%
End of Course Biology (MSD Lawrence Township)	26.8	14.4	12.4%
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	1179	1183	0.3%
African American	578	623	7.8%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	11	6	45.5%
Hispanic	289	345	19.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	211	142	32.7%
Two or More Races	87	67	23%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72.5%	80.7%	8.2%

Schools Near Belzer Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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
Belzer Middle School	Public	7-8	7555 E 56th St	Indianapolis	46226	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-6200	1,139	69	16.5	83.6%	102 (9.0%)	595 (52.2%)	363 (31.9%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	74 (6.5%)	14.7	413^th of 485 public middle schools	14.8%		13.2	428^th of 489 public middle schools	12.5%	15					17.7	19.5	18.7					10.1	8.2	9.1		83.0	$10,349	$809	$9,540
Circle City Preparatory Middle School	Public, Charter	6-7	4002 N. Franklin Rd.	Indianapolis	46226	Marion County	Circle City Prep Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(317) 643-4209	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Fall Creek Valley Middle School	Public	7-8	9701 E 63rd St	Indianapolis	46236	Marion County	MSD Lawrence Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 964-6600	1,319	66	20.1	71.3%	245 (18.6%)	569 (43.1%)	413 (31.3%)	8 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (6.3%)	37.5	315^th of 485 public middle schools	35.1%		30.5	342^nd of 489 public middle schools	30.1%	27					36.1	38.0	37.0					18.1	12.3	15.2		73.2	$9,124	$761	$8,363
James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	7-8	4352 Mitthoeffer Road	Indianapolis	46235	Marion County	James & Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy Middle School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 552-1600	266	22	12.0	75.6%	5 (1.9%)	182 (68.4%)	65 (24.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	10 (3.8%)	11.9	430^th of 485 public middle schools	11.3%		9.5	452^nd of 489 public middle schools	7.6%	22					11.8	8.8	10.1					15.3	6.8	10.6			$19,622	$5,219	$14,403
Eastwood Middle School	Public	6-8	4401 E 62nd St	Indianapolis	46220	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 259-5401	822	58	14.2	47.2%	302 (36.7%)	340 (41.4%)	125 (15.2%)	12 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.1%)	50.3	240^th of 485 public middle schools	50.5%		50.2	241^st of 489 public middle schools	50.7%	1				37.4	39.4	39.1	38.6				32.5	28.9	21.0	27.4		80.0	$11,998	$1,238	$10,760
Avondale Meadows Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	3980 Meadows Dr	Indianapolis	46205	Marion County	Avondale Meadows Middle School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 550-3363	201	16	12.5	93.5%	1 (0.5%)	182 (90.5%)	9 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.5%)	18.1	396^th of 485 public middle schools	18.4%		21.5	382^nd of 489 public middle schools	21.9%	14			5.9	15.6	15.4	41.3	19.1			9.8	6.7	3.9	4.3	6.2	9.8		$11,225	$3,627	$7,599
Merle Sidener Gifted Academy	Public	2-8	2424 Kessler Blvd E Dr	Indianapolis	46220	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 226-4259	304	20	15.5	45.4%	115 (37.8%)	91 (29.9%)	64 (21.1%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.9%)	98	4^th of 485 public middle schools	99.2%		99	2^nd of 489 public middle schools	99.6%	2	61.9	72.5	68.8	72.7	75.0	83.3	72.1	81.0	72.5	68.8	77.3	59.6	61.1	69.9	83.3	66.7	$15,516	$1,968	$13,547
Stonybrook Intermediate & Middle	Public	5-8	11300 Stonybrook Dr	Indianapolis	46229	Marion County	MSD Warren Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 532-8800	1,074	74	14.5	71.7%	76 (7.1%)	638 (59.4%)	285 (26.5%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (6.5%)	12	428^th of 485 public middle schools	11.8%		9.4	453^rd of 489 public middle schools	7.4%	25			14.8	13.6	17.3	22.6	17.2			11.0	8.3	3.8	3.7	6.5	9.8		$11,183	$1,377	$9,807
Irvington Community Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	6040 E. Pleasant Run Parkway	Indianapolis	46219	Marion County	Irvington Community School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(317) 357-1170	214			65.4%	132 (61.7%)	27 (12.6%)	35 (16.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.9%)	33.7	328^th of 485 public middle schools	32.4%					(n/a)				22.7	38.4	36.6	32.9				15.2	13.7	19.7	16.2
KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	1740 E 30th St	Indianapolis	46218	Marion County	KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 547-5477	369	17	21.7	97.3%	11 (3.0%)	295 (79.9%)	57 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.6%)	8.2	463^rd of 485 public middle schools	4.5%		7.2	471^st of 489 public middle schools	3.7%	8				10.3	11.4	12.4	11.4				7.7	4.1	2.3	4.6			$12,283	$4,398	$7,885

Frequently Asked Questions about Belzer Middle School

Is Belzer Middle School a good school?

Belzer Middle School ranks in the bottom 14.8% of Indiana middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Belzer Middle School?

Students at Belzer Middle School are 52% African American, 32% Hispanic, 9% White, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Belzer Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,139 students attended Belzer Middle School.

What district is Belzer Middle School in?

MSD Lawrence Township

What high school do graduates of Belzer Middle School attend?

Students who attend Belzer Middle School usually go on to attend Lawrence Central High School

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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.