Spencer Elementary School

Q: Is Spencer Elementary School a good school?

Spencer Elementary School ranks 634 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Spencer Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Spencer, Indiana, with a student population of 557. The school is part of the Spencer-Owen Community Schools district, which is ranked 176 out of 381 districts in Indiana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite some recent improvements, Spencer Elementary faces several challenges. The school has had very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.8% to 50.0% in recent years, significantly higher than the 7.6% to 21.0% rates at other nearby schools in the district. Additionally, Spencer Elementary's test scores on the ILEARN assessments are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 29.12% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38.11% for the district, and 38.6% were proficient or better in math, compared to 38.42% for the district.

When compared to other schools in the area, Spencer Elementary lags behind. Patricksburg Elementary and Gosport Elementary, which are also in the Spencer-Owen district, have higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates than Spencer Elementary. Additionally, schools in the neighboring Monroe County Community School Corp district, such as Marlin Elementary and Arlington Heights Elementary, have significantly higher test scores than Spencer Elementary, despite serving more diverse student populations.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

151 Hillside Ave
Spencer, IN 47460

(812) 829-2253

District: Spencer-Owen Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
634^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,735

Students who attend Spencer Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Owen Valley Middle School
High:	Owen Valley Community High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 557

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.0%

Hispanic:

3.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.1%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Spencer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Spencer Elementary School ranks worse than 62.8% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Spencer-Owen Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.71. (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 Spencer Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Spencer-Owen Community Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (91%), Hispanic (3.8%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spencer Elementary School is 14.7. 2 elementary schools in the Spencer-Owen Community Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Spencer Elementary School employs 37.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spencer Elementary School is $9,735, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Spencer-Owen Community Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Spencer Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Spencer-Owen Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Spencer-Owen Community Schools 184^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Spencer Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	25.49	287^th	326	12.0%
2005	55.74	477^th	959	50.3%
2006	54.74	487^th	961	49.3%
2007	54.57	517^th	985	47.5%
2008	57.50	478^th	996	52.0%
2009	38.38	717^th	1003	28.5%
2010	39.70	716^th	1009	29.0%
2011	61.06	456^th	1025	55.5%
2012	59.20	470^th	1015	53.7%
2013	56.78	530^th	1035	48.8%
2014	48.77	647^th	1036	37.5%
2015	36.08	753^rd	1040	27.6%
2016	41.81	714^th	1046	31.7%
2017	38.69	718^th	1033	30.5%
2018	31.45	779^th	1027	24.1%
2019	46.42	608^th	1031	41.0%
2021	50.96	542^nd	1016	46.7%
2022	43.15	619^th	1020	39.3%
2023	37.55	659^th	1016	35.1%
2024	39.71	634^th	1010	37.2%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary 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 Spencer Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	887	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	890
1989	924	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	925
1990	904	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	905
1991	947	1	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	951
1992	928	0	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	931
1993	997	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	997
1994	1033	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1033
1995	1083	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1083
1996	1083	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1083
1997	1128	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1128
1998	1089	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1089
1999	1041	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1043
2000	1026	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1028
2001	716	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	716
2002	684	0	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	689
2003	684	0	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	689
2004	681	2	4	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	691
2005	676	2	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	685
2006	620	2	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	630
2007	673	2	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	2	685
2008	675	4	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	6	693
2009	677	2	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	4	692
2010	673	3	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	4	692
2011	676	2	0	11	3	0	6	0	698
2012	635	2	0	11	1	0	15	0	664
2013	638	5	1	7	1	0	16	0	668
2014	683	4	2	10	1	0	10	0	710
2015	678	3	4	14	2	0	12	0	713
2016	644	3	3	15	1	0	13	0	679
2017	647	5	4	11	0	0	18	0	685
2018	637	8	5	15	0	0	17	0	682
2019	633	6	6	13	0	0	23	0	681
2020	620	2	3	10	0	0	24	0	659
2021	556	1	3	10	0	0	14	0	584
2022	559	3	3	6	1	0	19	0	591
2023	525	1	3	8	2	0	18	0	557
2024	507	1	8	21	0	0	20	0	557

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 Spencer Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	890	43.8	20.3	16.1
1989	925	47.3	19.5	19.8
1990	905	45.7	19.8	18.7
1991	951	48.1	19.7	20
1992	931	45.7	20.3	24.6
1993	997	56.3	17.7	26.5
1994	1033	57.7	17.9	28.1
1995	1083	60.5	17.9	25.8
1996	1083	60.5	17.9	25.8
1997	1128	61.0	18.5	26.2
1998	1089	61.4	17.7	25
1999	1043	61.8	16.9	31.4
2000	1028	60.0	17.1	32.3
2001	716	40.1	17.9	35.2
2002	689	39.9	17.3	37.2
2003	689	39.9	17.3	37.2
2004	691	38.0	18.2	38.1
2005	685	38.6	17.7	34.2
2006	630	38.7	16.3	37.5
2007	685	n/a	n/a	42.3
2008	693	39.9	17.4	43.1
2009	692	41.4	16.7	40.7
2010	692	37.0	18.7	46.9
2011	698	29.4	23.7	41.3
2012	664	32.0	20.7	51.8
2013	668	27.2	24.5	53.6
2014	710	25.0	28.4	55.1
2015	713	25.0	28.5	59.9
2016	679	25.0	27.1	48.6
2017	685	24.0	28.5	51.4
2018	682	25.0	27.2	54.7
2019	681	26.2	25.9	53.6
2020	659	27.0	24.4	54.9
2021	584	31.6	18.4	50
2022	591	38.6	15.2	42
2023	557	40.9	13.6	61.6
2024	557	37.7	14.7	60.1

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 Spencer Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	890	43.8	20.3	16.1
1989	925	47.3	19.5	19.8
1990	905	45.7	19.8	18.7
1991	951	48.1	19.7	20
1992	931	45.7	20.3	24.6
1993	997	56.3	17.7	26.5
1994	1033	57.7	17.9	28.1
1995	1083	60.5	17.9	25.8
1996	1083	60.5	17.9	25.8
1997	1128	61.0	18.5	26.2
1998	1089	61.4	17.7	25
1999	1043	61.8	16.9	31.4
2000	1028	60.0	17.1	32.3
2001	716	40.1	17.9	35.2
2002	689	39.9	17.3	37.2
2003	689	39.9	17.3	37.2
2004	691	38.0	18.2	38.1
2005	685	38.6	17.7	34.2
2006	630	38.7	16.3	37.5
2007	685	n/a	n/a	42.3
2008	693	39.9	17.4	43.1
2009	692	41.4	16.7	40.7
2010	692	37.0	18.7	46.9
2011	698	29.4	23.7	41.3
2012	664	32.0	20.7	51.8
2013	668	27.2	24.5	53.6
2014	710	25.0	28.4	55.1
2015	713	25.0	28.5	59.9
2016	679	25.0	27.1	48.6
2017	685	24.0	28.5	51.4
2018	682	25.0	27.2	54.7
2019	681	26.2	25.9	53.6
2020	659	27.0	24.4	54.9
2021	584	31.6	18.4	50
2022	591	38.6	15.2	42
2023	557	40.9	13.6	61.6
2024	557	37.7	14.7	60.1

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 Spencer Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$624 (7.7%)	$7,467 (92.3%)	$8,091
2020	$434 (5.2%)	$7,847 (94.8%)	$8,281
2021	$884 (9.1%)	$8,829 (90.9%)	$9,714
2022	$1,148 (11.8%)	$8,587 (88.2%)	$9,735

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spencer Elementary 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 608^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 659^th of 1016 Elementary schools	5.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary School)	47.3	32.4	14.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	48.2	40.1	8.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Spencer Elementary School)	59.5	46.5	13%
3rd Grade Math (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	62.5	56.6	5.9%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary School)	33.8	31.8	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	36	33.1	2.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Spencer Elementary School)	47.5	43.9	3.6%
4th Grade Math (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	51.3	51.3
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Spencer Elementary School)	33.8	30.3	3.5%
4th Grade Science (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	32.9	34.4	1.5%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary School)	46.8	23.3	23.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	45.9	37.7	8.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Spencer Elementary School)	42.9	23.3	19.6%
5th Grade Math (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	52.5	37.7	14.8%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Spencer Elementary School)	33.8	21.9	11.9%
5th Grade Social Studies (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	38.3	31.5	6.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer Elementary School)	50.7	30.7	20%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	46.1	39.5	6.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Spencer Elementary School)	52	34.7	17.3%
6th Grade Math (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Spencer Elementary School)	38.7	28	10.7%
6th Grade Science (Spencer-Owen Community Schools)	40	36.4	3.6%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	681	557	18.2%
African American	6	1	83.3%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	6	3	50%
Hispanic	13	8	38.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	633	525	17.1%
Two or More Races	23	18	21.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	53.6%	61.6%	8%

Schools Near Spencer Elementary 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)	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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Spencer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	151 Hillside Ave	Spencer	47460	Owen County	Spencer-Owen Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 829-2253	557	38	14.7	60.1%	507 (91.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.8%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	39.7	634^th of 1010 public elementary schools	37.2%		37.5	659^th of 1016 public elementary schools	35.1%	25	38.2	29.2	27.1	22.7	29.1	45.6	45.8	38.6	25.3	38.6	30.0	$9,735	$1,148	$8,587
McCormick's Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1601 Flatwoods Rd	Spencer	47460	Owen County	Spencer-Owen Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 828-6000	383	25	15.5	51.4%	360 (94.0%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	67.2	325^th of 1010 public elementary schools	67.8%		70.1	299^th of 1016 public elementary schools	70.6%	26	40.7	47.8	58.0	42.3	47.0	53.7	60.9	54.0	36.5	51.0	36.0	$11,132	$1,452	$9,679
Gosport Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9th St	Gosport	47433	Owen County	Spencer-Owen Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 879-4694	149	12	12.2	68.5%	136 (91.3%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.4%)	53.4	488^th of 1010 public elementary schools	51.7%		56.3	471^st of 1016 public elementary schools	53.6%	17	42.9	46.7	21.1	60.0	41.4	42.9	60.0	36.8	66.7	50.0	5.3	$12,701	$2,060	$10,640
Edgewood Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	8045 W Sr 46	Ellettsville	47429	Monroe County	Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	No	No	No	No	(812) 876-6325	97	2	48.5	22.7%	88 (90.7%)	2 (2.1%)	4 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.1%)								(n/a)												$9,566	$1,648	$7,918
Edgewood Primary School	Public	K-2	7700 W Reeves Rd	Bloomington	47404	Monroe County	Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 876-9600	659	45	14.6	34.4%	581 (88.2%)	12 (1.8%)	25 (3.8%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	34 (5.2%)								(n/a)												$9,603	$1,131	$8,472
Edgewood Intermediate School	Public	3-5	7600 W Reeves Rd	Bloomington	47404	Monroe County	Richland-Bean Blossom C S C	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 876-2219	597	40	15.1	39.0%	541 (90.6%)	3 (0.5%)	22 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.5%)	68.7	309^th of 1010 public elementary schools	69.4%		70.8	294^th of 1016 public elementary schools	71.1%	15	46.7	48.4	45.0		46.7	64.0	58.6	37.0		53.6	45.3	$9,795	$1,346	$8,449
Patricksburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	Hwy 246	Patricksburg	47455	Owen County	Spencer-Owen Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 859-4525	138	11	12.3	74.6%	131 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	39.8	632^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	37.4%		65.6	352^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	65.4%	280	25.0	41.2	11.1	37.5	28.2	60.0	52.9	16.7	37.5	42.3	11.1	$13,259	$2,843	$10,416
Paragon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	520 Old SR 67	Paragon	46166	Morgan County	MSD Martinsville Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 537-2276	203	16	12.7	63.5%	188 (92.6%)	2 (1.0%)	8 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.5%)	31.8	710^th of 1010 public elementary schools	29.7%		21.3	808^th of 1016 public elementary schools	20.5%	98	21.2	31.4			26.5	42.4	37.1			39.7		$11,625	$1,491	$10,134
Highland Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	900 Park Square Dr	Bloomington	47403	Monroe County	Monroe County Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 825-7673	344	32	10.6	65.4%	236 (68.6%)	35 (10.2%)	25 (7.3%)	11 (3.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (10.2%)	40.6	623^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	38.3%		37.2	664^th of 1016 public elementary schools	34.6%	41	21.7	37.5	28.0	46.0	33.2	28.3	46.9	20.0	40.0	32.6	32.0	$13,568	$1,976	$11,592
Hoosier Hills Childcare Center	Public	PK	3070 Prow Road	Bloomington	47404	Monroe County	Monroe County Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 330-7730	6	0	54.5		5 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (16.7%)								(n/a)												$3,590	$800	$2,790

Frequently Asked Questions about Spencer Elementary School

Is Spencer Elementary School a good school?

Spencer Elementary School ranks 634^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Spencer Elementary School?

Students at Spencer Elementary School are 91% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Spencer Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 557 students attended Spencer Elementary School.

What district is Spencer Elementary School in?

Spencer-Owen Community Schools

What schools do graduates of Spencer Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Spencer Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Owen Valley Middle School
High : Owen Valley Community 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.