Gold Academy

Summary:

Gold Academy is an elementary school in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving 591 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. It is part of the MSD Decatur Township school district, which is ranked 280 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

Gold Academy has consistently underperformed compared to other schools in the area. It has a higher percentage of White students (53.64%) than nearby schools, and significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates (18.4%) than the surrounding schools, which range from 13.2% to 31.2%. Academically, Gold Academy's test scores are consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 18.27% of Gold Academy students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 23.51% for the district and 38.6% for the state. In math, 26.91% of Gold Academy students were proficient or better, compared to 22.74% for the district and 52.4% for the state. Additionally, Gold Academy has a very high percentage of students (74.79%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Gold Academy to other schools in the same district, such as West Newton Elementary and Lynwood Elementary, Gold Academy consistently underperforms on key metrics like test scores and chronic absenteeism. It is also interesting to note that Gold Academy and Blue Academy are located right next to each other, yet Blue Academy outperforms Gold Academy on most measures, including test scores, chronic absenteeism, and free and reduced lunch rates. Addressing the underlying issues of high chronic absenteeism and economic disadvantage at Gold Academy could be crucial in improving student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-6

5650 Mann Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46221

(317) 856-0400

District: MSD Decatur Township

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,158

Students who attend Gold Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Decatur Middle School
High:	Decatur Central High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 591

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.6%

African American:

24.4%

Hispanic:

11.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 74.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Gold Academy ranks worse than 81.8% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the MSD Decatur Township School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.88. (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: White (53.6%), African American (24.4%), Hispanic (11.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 74.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gold Academy is 14.8, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the MSD Decatur Township School District! (See more...)

Compare Gold Academy employs 39.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gold Academy is $10,158, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 elementary schools in the MSD Decatur Township School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Gold Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

MSD Decatur Township:

SchoolDigger ranks MSD Decatur Township 279^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Gold Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2007	26.56	805^th	985	18.3%
2008	27.20	817^th	996	18.0%
2009	30.77	786^th	1003	21.6%
2010	33.13	775^th	1009	23.2%
2011	41.31	733^rd	1025	28.5%
2012	32.51	794^th	1015	21.8%
2013	21.81	903^rd	1035	12.8%
2014	23.32	897^th	1036	13.4%
2015	39.18	727^th	1040	30.1%
2016	33.61	792^nd	1046	24.3%
2017	27.61	821^st	1033	20.5%
2018	29.14	799^th	1027	22.2%
2019	18.33	876^th	1031	15.0%
2021	20.44	808^th	1016	20.5%
2022	20.39	819^th	1020	19.7%
2023	21.74	804^th	1016	20.9%
2024	18.88	826^th	1010	18.2%

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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Enrollment information for Gold Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2006	430	53	3	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	507
2007	415	38	2	22	1	n/a	n/a	8	486
2008	402	55	2	25	0	n/a	n/a	13	497
2009	417	64	3	32	2	n/a	n/a	15	533
2010	397	51	2	31	1	n/a	n/a	18	500
2011	559	39	0	38	2	0	31	0	669
2012	515	35	0	37	1	0	35	0	623
2013	490	48	1	48	1	0	47	0	635
2014	432	51	1	43	2	1	43	0	573
2015	438	70	0	44	1	1	37	0	591
2016	417	63	0	46	2	1	38	0	567
2017	432	61	0	52	3	1	39	0	588
2018	440	80	0	66	2	1	44	0	633
2019	442	86	1	73	2	1	39	0	644
2020	405	109	4	86	2	0	41	0	647
2021	376	128	3	80	2	0	40	0	629
2022	358	149	3	85	1	0	42	0	638
2023	317	144	5	70	1	1	53	0	591

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 Gold Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	507	25.4	20.0	50.7
2007	486	n/a	n/a	50.2
2008	497	28.0	17.8	55.4
2009	533	27.7	19.2	59.1
2010	500	27.1	18.4	66.6
2011	669	31.3	21.3	66.4
2012	623	29.0	21.4	66.1
2013	635	28.0	22.6	70.1
2014	573	29.0	19.7	72.3
2015	591	33.0	17.9	74.1
2016	567	31.0	18.2	75.5
2017	588	32.0	18.3	72.6
2018	633	34.0	18.6	72.8
2019	644	36.0	17.8	71.4
2020	647	35.0	18.4	74.2
2021	629	37.0	17.0	63.4
2022	638	34.7	18.3	68.2
2023	591	39.7	14.8	74.8

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 Gold Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	507	25.4	20.0	50.7
2007	486	n/a	n/a	50.2
2008	497	28.0	17.8	55.4
2009	533	27.7	19.2	59.1
2010	500	27.1	18.4	66.6
2011	669	31.3	21.3	66.4
2012	623	29.0	21.4	66.1
2013	635	28.0	22.6	70.1
2014	573	29.0	19.7	72.3
2015	591	33.0	17.9	74.1
2016	567	31.0	18.2	75.5
2017	588	32.0	18.3	72.6
2018	633	34.0	18.6	72.8
2019	644	36.0	17.8	71.4
2020	647	35.0	18.4	74.2
2021	629	37.0	17.0	63.4
2022	638	34.7	18.3	68.2
2023	591	39.7	14.8	74.8

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 Gold Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$625 (7.1%)	$8,176 (92.9%)	$8,801
2020	$1,059 (11.4%)	$8,236 (88.6%)	$9,295
2021	$1,022 (10.9%)	$8,369 (89.1%)	$9,391
2022	$1,368 (13.5%)	$8,790 (86.5%)	$10,158

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gold 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 876^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 804^th of 1016 Elementary schools	5.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gold Academy)	18.8	22.5	3.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (MSD Decatur Township)	30	19.7	10.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Gold Academy)	34.1	42.5	8.4%
3rd Grade Math (MSD Decatur Township)	41.4	29.7	11.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gold Academy)	22.8	14.5	8.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Decatur Township)	33.2	22.4	10.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Gold Academy)	37.6	25.3	12.3%
4th Grade Math (MSD Decatur Township)	43.2	30	13.2%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Gold Academy)	23.8	3.6	20.2%
4th Grade Science (MSD Decatur Township)	32.4	14.4	18.1%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Gold Academy)	20.8	18.2	2.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Decatur Township)	27.4	23.5	3.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Gold Academy)	31.3	20.5	10.9%
5th Grade Math (MSD Decatur Township)	29.7	19.7	10%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Gold Academy)	21.9	27.3	5.4%
5th Grade Social Studies (MSD Decatur Township)	21.2	20.9	0.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Gold Academy)	33.3	29.1	4.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Decatur Township)	31	32.2	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Gold Academy)	31.6	20.5	11.1%
6th Grade Math (MSD Decatur Township)	31	25.7	5.4%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Gold Academy)	29.8	16.5	13.3%
6th Grade Science (MSD Decatur Township)	27.6	19.9	7.7%
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	644	591	8.2%
African American	86	144	67.4%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	1	5	400%
Hispanic	73	70	4.1%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	442	317	28.3%
Two or More Races	39	53	35.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71.4%	74.8%	3.4%

Schools Near Gold Academy

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
Gold Academy	Public	K-6	5650 Mann Rd	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 856-0400	591	40	14.8	74.8%	317 (53.6%)	144 (24.4%)	70 (11.8%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (9.0%)	18.9	826^th of 1010 public elementary schools	18.2%		21.7	804^th of 1016 public elementary schools	20.9%	22	20.0	21.1	11.6	19.7	18.3	40.0	34.2	13.0	18.4	26.9	7.3	$10,158	$1,368	$8,790
Blue Academy	Public	K-6	5650 Mann Rd	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 856-4100	686	42	16.3	71.3%	321 (46.8%)	239 (34.8%)	79 (11.5%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.7%)	32	708^th of 1010 public elementary schools	29.9%		30.9	724^th of 1016 public elementary schools	28.7%	16	28.7	28.7	21.7	39.0	29.9	41.6	28.7	25.3	25.3	30.4	21.7	$9,922	$1,648	$8,275
Valley Mills Elementary School	Public	K-6	5101 S High School Rd	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 856-6363	654	40	16.4	79.5%	354 (54.1%)	166 (25.4%)	72 (11.0%)	8 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (7.6%)	18.8	828^th of 1010 public elementary schools	18.0%		22.2	802^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	21.1%	26	11.7	13.6	19.3	32.1	19.4	22.1	8.6	9.6	36.9	19.4	10.8	$9,247	$1,516	$7,731
Decatur High Ability Academy	Public	3-6	5106 South High School Road	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(317) 856-5265	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	99.3	1^st of 1010 public elementary schools	99.9%					(n/a)	68.0	91.3	91.7	80.0	82.4	100.0	95.7	95.8	100.0	98.0	100.0
Lynwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4640 Santa Fe Dr	Indianapolis	46241	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 243-7559	634	40	15.7	79.2%	291 (45.9%)	171 (27.0%)	107 (16.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (9.8%)	10.3	929^th of 1010 public elementary schools	8.0%		13.5	880^th of 1016 public elementary schools	13.4%	49	11.1	9.5	13.8	14.7	12.3	14.3	17.5	20.7	11.8	15.9	8.6	$9,661	$1,259	$8,402
Stephen Decatur Elementary School	Public	K-6	3425 S Foltz St	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 241-0183	448	29	15.5	81.9%	269 (60.0%)	48 (10.7%)	93 (20.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.0%)	14.4	874^th of 1010 public elementary schools	13.5%		17.5	843^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	17.0%	31	7.6	14.5	22.2	29.6	17.0	18.5	27.4	11.1	20.4	19.2	6.5	$10,759	$1,629	$9,130
West Newton Elementary School	Public	K-6	7529 Mooresville Rd	West Newton	46183	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 856-5237	597	37	16.3	67.0%	270 (45.2%)	197 (33.0%)	87 (14.6%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)	29.3	736^th of 1010 public elementary schools	27.1%		37.2	665^th of 1016 public elementary schools	34.5%	71	25.7	22.2	23.6	28.0	24.9	27.1	24.4	34.8	24.0	27.5	33.7	$10,453	$1,432	$9,020
Rosa Parks Kindergarten	Public	K-1	7525 Wellingshire Blvd.	Indianapolis	46217	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(317) 789-3771	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Rosa Parks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7525 Wellingshire Blvd	Indianapolis	46217	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 789-2900	670	47	14.1	57.9%	282 (42.1%)	37 (5.5%)	49 (7.3%)	256 (38.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.9%)	67.4	322^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	68.1%		74.1	245^th of 1016 public elementary schools	75.9%	77	42.3	49.0	49.3		47.0	50.4	47.7	57.6		51.9	44.4	$10,741	$1,151	$9,590
Stout Field Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3820 W Bradbury	Indianapolis	46241	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 988-6800	627	47	13.3	83.3%	325 (51.8%)	50 (8.0%)	211 (33.7%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.4%)	20.2	812^th of 1010 public elementary schools	19.6%		18.3	836^th of 1016 public elementary schools	17.7%	24	16.1	18.6	25.3	21.2	20.1	29.4	29.9	12.1	16.5	22.4	28.9	$12,128	$1,890	$10,238

Frequently Asked Questions about Gold Academy

Is Gold Academy a good school?

Gold Academy ranks in the bottom 18.2% of Indiana elementary schools.

What district is Gold Academy in?

MSD Decatur Township

How many students attend Gold Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 591 students attended Gold Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Gold Academy?

Students at Gold Academy are 54% White, 24% African American, 12% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Gold Academy attend?

Students who attend Gold Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Decatur Middle School
High : Decatur 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.