Is Valley Mills Elementary School a good school?

Valley Mills Elementary School ranks in the bottom 18.0% of Indiana elementary schools.

How many students attend Valley Mills Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 654 students attended Valley Mills Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Valley Mills Elementary School?

Students at Valley Mills Elementary School are 54% White, 25% African American, 11% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Valley Mills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Valley Mills Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Decatur Middle School High : Decatur Central High School

Valley Mills Elementary School

Summary:

Valley Mills Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades K-6 in the MSD Decatur Township district in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a student population of 654. Despite its location, the school has consistently been ranked in the bottom 20% of Indiana elementary schools by SchoolDigger, receiving a 1-star rating out of 5 for the past several years.

One key differentiator for Valley Mills Elementary is its racial makeup, with a higher percentage of White students (54.13%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. Additionally, the school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates reaching 31.2% in the 2022-2023 school year, and consistently underperforming on ILEARN assessments across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 19.38% of Valley Mills students were proficient or better in English Language Arts and Math, compared to 23.51% and 22.74% for the MSD Decatur Township district, respectively.

When compared to nearby schools, such as West Newton Elementary, Stephen Decatur Elementary, and Lynwood Elementary, which have more balanced racial makeups and significantly higher academic proficiency rates, it becomes clear that Valley Mills is the lowest-performing school in the district. This disparity suggests that the school may be underfunded, as it spends approximately $9,247 per student, lower than the spending at some of the higher-performing nearby schools, such as Stout Field Elementary ($12,128 per student) and Maplewood Elementary ($12,384 per student).

Detail:

Public K-6

5101 S High School Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46221

(317) 856-6363

District: MSD Decatur Township

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,247

Students who attend Valley Mills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Decatur Middle School
High:	Decatur Central High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 654

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.1%

African American:

25.4%

Hispanic:

11.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 79.5%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Valley Mills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Valley Mills Elementary School ranks worse than 82% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 4^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the MSD Decatur Township School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.78. (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 (54.1%), African American (25.4%), Hispanic (11%). (See more...)

Compare Details 79.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Valley Mills Elementary School is 16.4, which is the highest among 6 elementary schools in the MSD Decatur Township School District! (See more...)

Compare Valley Mills Elementary School employs 39.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Valley Mills Elementary School is $9,247, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the MSD Decatur Township School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Valley Mills Elementary School 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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Your rating for Valley Mills Elementary School?

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Rank History for Valley Mills Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	69.18	267^th	959	72.2%
2006	73.86	200^th	961	79.2%
2007	78.93	149^th	985	84.9%
2008	76.83	175^th	996	82.4%
2009	87.37	61^st	1003	93.9%
2010	74.93	218^th	1009	78.4%
2011	46.01	682^nd	1025	33.5%
2012	44.21	684^th	1015	32.6%
2013	39.54	750^th	1035	27.5%
2014	39.69	748^th	1036	27.8%
2015	34.97	763^rd	1040	26.6%
2016	41.51	717^th	1046	31.5%
2017	37.96	727^th	1033	29.6%
2018	29.30	797^th	1027	22.4%
2019	21.10	850^th	1031	17.6%
2021	27.74	761^st	1016	25.1%
2022	21.43	810^th	1020	20.6%
2023	22.21	802^nd	1016	21.1%
2024	18.78	828^th	1010	18.0%

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 Valley Mills Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	740	89	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	835
1989	742	92	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	841
1990	701	88	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	799
1991	689	99	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	801
1992	564	120	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	695
1993	529	55	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	588
1994	512	50	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	567
1995	552	58	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	2	616
1996	552	58	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	2	616
1997	588	57	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	654
1998	597	53	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	656
1999	514	64	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	583
2000	538	68	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	617
2001	499	72	2	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	580
2002	520	66	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	602
2003	520	66	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	602
2004	533	83	4	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	631
2005	595	71	4	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	692
2006	455	44	2	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	521
2007	467	33	6	22	0	n/a	n/a	17	545
2008	443	45	6	31	0	n/a	n/a	15	540
2009	522	21	8	28	1	n/a	n/a	26	606
2010	565	18	4	34	4	n/a	n/a	31	656
2011	515	34	4	51	1	0	14	0	619
2012	506	19	5	43	1	0	23	0	597
2013	496	19	3	42	2	0	24	0	586
2014	454	23	5	39	1	0	28	0	550
2015	448	25	4	46	0	0	27	0	550
2016	402	21	3	49	0	0	25	0	500
2017	444	21	3	50	0	0	22	0	540
2018	459	45	4	51	0	0	22	0	581
2019	477	56	3	63	1	0	39	0	639
2020	452	80	5	70	1	0	38	0	646
2021	410	84	3	69	1	1	46	0	614
2022	367	129	5	70	0	1	48	0	620
2023	354	166	8	72	3	1	50	0	654

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 Valley Mills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	835	39.0	21.4	18.6
1989	841	39.0	21.5	19.6
1990	799	37.0	21.5	18.8
1991	801	35.0	22.8	21.6
1992	695	27.0	25.7	21.3
1993	588	27.0	21.8	25.2
1994	567	26.0	21.8	21
1995	616	27.0	22.8	17.6
1996	616	27.0	22.8	17.6
1997	654	28.5	22.9	17.9
1998	656	28.5	23.0	15.1
1999	583	27.5	21.2	24
2000	617	29.0	21.3	25.9
2001	580	30.0	19.3	29.7
2002	602	31.0	19.4	28.1
2003	602	31.0	19.4	28.1
2004	631	32.0	19.7	34.7
2005	692	34.0	20.4	32.9
2006	521	27.0	19.3	38.4
2007	545	n/a	n/a	39.8
2008	540	27.9	19.4	41
2009	606	27.9	21.7	47.4
2010	656	27.8	23.5	53.8
2011	619	25.3	24.3	60.1
2012	597	26.0	22.9	62.3
2013	586	27.0	21.7	66.2
2014	550	26.5	20.7	66.2
2015	550	28.0	19.6	67.5
2016	500	28.0	17.8	66.4
2017	540	32.0	16.8	67.6
2018	581	31.0	18.7	67
2019	639	34.0	18.7	69.3
2020	646	34.0	19.0	70.6
2021	614	35.0	17.5	66.3
2022	620	41.5	14.9	54.4
2023	654	39.7	16.4	79.5

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 Valley Mills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	835	39.0	21.4	18.6
1989	841	39.0	21.5	19.6
1990	799	37.0	21.5	18.8
1991	801	35.0	22.8	21.6
1992	695	27.0	25.7	21.3
1993	588	27.0	21.8	25.2
1994	567	26.0	21.8	21
1995	616	27.0	22.8	17.6
1996	616	27.0	22.8	17.6
1997	654	28.5	22.9	17.9
1998	656	28.5	23.0	15.1
1999	583	27.5	21.2	24
2000	617	29.0	21.3	25.9
2001	580	30.0	19.3	29.7
2002	602	31.0	19.4	28.1
2003	602	31.0	19.4	28.1
2004	631	32.0	19.7	34.7
2005	692	34.0	20.4	32.9
2006	521	27.0	19.3	38.4
2007	545	n/a	n/a	39.8
2008	540	27.9	19.4	41
2009	606	27.9	21.7	47.4
2010	656	27.8	23.5	53.8
2011	619	25.3	24.3	60.1
2012	597	26.0	22.9	62.3
2013	586	27.0	21.7	66.2
2014	550	26.5	20.7	66.2
2015	550	28.0	19.6	67.5
2016	500	28.0	17.8	66.4
2017	540	32.0	16.8	67.6
2018	581	31.0	18.7	67
2019	639	34.0	18.7	69.3
2020	646	34.0	19.0	70.6
2021	614	35.0	17.5	66.3
2022	620	41.5	14.9	54.4
2023	654	39.7	16.4	79.5

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 Valley Mills Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$621 (8.0%)	$7,182 (92.0%)	$7,803
2020	$832 (10.4%)	$7,146 (89.6%)	$7,978
2021	$1,032 (12.1%)	$7,520 (87.9%)	$8,553
2022	$1,516 (16.4%)	$7,730 (83.6%)	$9,247

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Mills 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 850^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 802^nd of 1016 Elementary schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Valley Mills Elementary School)	31.8	18.2	13.6%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	38.8	22.7	16.1%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	33.6	19.3	14.3%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	42.1	21.4	20.8%
4th Grade Math (MSD Decatur Township)	43.2	30	13.2%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Valley Mills Elementary School)	38.3	10.1	28.2%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	31.4	29.8	1.6%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	26.5	13.5	13%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	19.6	24	4.4%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	26.1	33	6.9%
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 (Valley Mills Elementary School)	18.2	25	6.8%
6th Grade Math (MSD Decatur Township)	31	25.7	5.4%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Valley Mills Elementary School)	19.3	20.7	1.4%
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	639	654	2.3%
African American	56	166	196.4%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	3	8	166.7%
Hispanic	63	72	14.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	477	354	25.8%
Two or More Races	39	50	28.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	69.3%	79.5%	10.2%

Schools Near Valley Mills 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Maplewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1643 Dunlap Ave	Indianapolis	46241	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 988-6600	641	46	13.9	76.6%	247 (38.5%)	48 (7.5%)	301 (47.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.0%)	11.7	912^th of 1010 public elementary schools	9.7%		13.6	879^th of 1016 public elementary schools	13.5%	33	10.5	16.5	8.8	20.9	14.4	19.8	27.6	6.9	14.4	16.9	5.9	$12,384	$1,782	$10,602
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)

Valley Mills Elementary School

MSD Decatur Township:

What do you think?

Rank History for Valley Mills Elementary School

Enrollment information for Valley Mills Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Valley Mills Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Valley Mills Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Valley Mills Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Valley Mills Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Valley Mills Elementary School