David Turnham Education Center

Q: Is David Turnham Education Center a good school?

David Turnham Education Center ranks 226 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

David Turnham Education Center is an elementary school in Dale, Indiana, serving around 300 students in grades PK-6. It is part of the North Spencer County School Corporation, a highly-ranked school district in the state.

David Turnham Education Center stands out for its diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic students compared to nearby schools like Ireland Elementary School and Lynnville Elementary School. The school consistently performs in the top 10% of Indiana elementary schools, with strong ILEARN test scores, particularly in Math. However, it has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

While David Turnham Education Center outperforms the state averages, it lags behind the overall performance of the North Spencer County School Corporation. This suggests that the district as a whole is doing an excellent job in supporting student achievement. The school's slightly higher chronic absenteeism rate is an area for improvement, but its ability to support economically disadvantaged students while maintaining strong academic performance is a testament to the school's effectiveness.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

Dunn & Locust Sts
Dale, IN 47523

(812) 937-4300

District: North Spencer County School Corp

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,994

Students who attend David Turnham Education Center usually attend:

Middle:	Heritage Hills Middle School
High:	Heritage Hills High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 300

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.0%

Hispanic:

25.7%

Two or more races:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.7%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare David Turnham Education Center to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details David Turnham Education Center ranks better than 77.6% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks last among 4 ranked elementary schools in the North Spencer County School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.77. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 (72%), Hispanic (25.7%), two or more races (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the North Spencer County School Corp District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at David Turnham Education Center is 15.8, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the North Spencer County School Corp District! (See more...)

Compare David Turnham Education Center employs 18.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at David Turnham Education Center is $8,994. 2 elementary schools in the North Spencer County School Corp District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

David Turnham Education Center was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

North Spencer County School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks North Spencer County School Corp 13^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for David Turnham Education Center

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	63.15	120^th	326	63.2%
2005	87.96	51^st	959	94.7%
2006	81.75	113^th	961	88.2%
2007	78.91	150^th	985	84.8%
2008	82.07	109^th	996	89.1%
2009	77.78	179^th	1003	82.2%
2010	75.33	206^th	1009	79.6%
2011	80.77	117^th	1025	88.6%
2012	80.66	136^th	1015	86.6%
2013	85.88	58^th	1035	94.4%
2014	70.72	289^th	1036	72.1%
2015	68.23	326^th	1040	68.7%
2016	75.20	216^th	1046	79.3%
2017	72.76	268^th	1033	74.1%
2018	83.84	120^th	1027	88.3%
2019	86.97	92^nd	1031	91.1%
2021	92.38	53^rd	1016	94.8%
2022	89.75	74^th	1020	92.7%
2023	90.83	62^nd	1016	93.9%
2024	75.77	226^th	1010	77.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Friday, April 9, 2021

Best school ever! The best staff and students. Close Quote

Enrollment information for David Turnham Education Center

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	512	1	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1989	525	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	526
1990	517	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	517
1991	535	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	535
1992	518	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	524
1993	535	0	0	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	540
1994	294	1	0	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	304
1995	274	2	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	1	295
1996	274	2	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	1	295
1997	280	3	3	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
1998	284	0	2	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
1999	251	1	2	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
2000	247	0	1	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	270
2001	241	0	1	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
2002	219	0	1	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	254
2003	219	0	1	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	254
2004	199	0	0	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	239
2005	212	0	0	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	251
2006	201	0	1	48	0	n/a	n/a	0	250
2007	211	0	0	43	0	n/a	n/a	9	263
2008	209	0	1	52	0	n/a	n/a	7	269
2009	205	0	1	55	0	n/a	n/a	7	268
2010	190	0	3	50	0	n/a	n/a	5	248
2011	191	0	0	54	0	0	9	0	254
2012	179	0	0	62	0	0	8	0	249
2013	185	0	0	62	0	0	5	0	252
2014	209	1	1	76	4	0	8	0	299
2015	222	0	3	68	4	0	5	0	302
2016	225	2	3	75	4	0	4	0	313
2017	234	3	2	75	5	0	3	0	322
2018	231	2	0	66	5	0	3	0	307
2019	216	0	0	70	5	0	3	0	294
2020	208	1	0	70	5	0	5	0	289
2021	204	2	0	71	1	0	5	0	283
2022	209	1	0	73	1	0	2	0	286
2023	216	2	0	77	1	0	4	0	300

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 David Turnham Education Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	515	27.0	19.0	10.9
1989	526	28.2	18.6	7
1990	517	28.2	18.3	6.4
1991	535	27.3	19.5	8.8
1992	524	0.7	748.5	10.3
1993	540	27.8	19.4	9.3
1994	304	15.8	19.2	14.5
1995	295	15.2	19.4	16.3
1996	295	15.2	19.4	16.3
1997	301	15.4	19.5	19.6
1998	301	15.5	19.4	25.6
1999	275	16.6	16.6	32
2000	270	16.9	16.0	27.4
2001	269	16.2	16.6	32
2002	254	15.6	16.3	32.3
2003	254	15.6	16.3	32.3
2004	239	15.4	15.5	34.3
2005	251	15.6	16.1	31.1
2006	250	15.7	15.9	34.4
2007	263	n/a	n/a	38.6
2008	269	16.7	16.1	42.7
2009	268	16.1	16.6	43.3
2010	248	16.8	14.7	48.1
2011	254	15.7	16.1	47.6
2012	249	19.0	13.1	51.4
2013	252	19.0	13.2	46.4
2014	299	18.0	16.6	48.8
2015	302	19.0	15.8	50.3
2016	313	20.0	15.6	46
2017	322	20.0	16.1	49.7
2018	307	20.0	15.3	49.8
2019	294	21.0	14.0	49.7
2020	289	21.0	13.7	53.3
2021	283	22.1	12.7	48.4
2022	286	17.4	16.4	44.1
2023	300	18.9	15.8	51.7

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 David Turnham Education Center

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	515	27.0	19.0	10.9
1989	526	28.2	18.6	7
1990	517	28.2	18.3	6.4
1991	535	27.3	19.5	8.8
1992	524	0.7	748.5	10.3
1993	540	27.8	19.4	9.3
1994	304	15.8	19.2	14.5
1995	295	15.2	19.4	16.3
1996	295	15.2	19.4	16.3
1997	301	15.4	19.5	19.6
1998	301	15.5	19.4	25.6
1999	275	16.6	16.6	32
2000	270	16.9	16.0	27.4
2001	269	16.2	16.6	32
2002	254	15.6	16.3	32.3
2003	254	15.6	16.3	32.3
2004	239	15.4	15.5	34.3
2005	251	15.6	16.1	31.1
2006	250	15.7	15.9	34.4
2007	263	n/a	n/a	38.6
2008	269	16.7	16.1	42.7
2009	268	16.1	16.6	43.3
2010	248	16.8	14.7	48.1
2011	254	15.7	16.1	47.6
2012	249	19.0	13.1	51.4
2013	252	19.0	13.2	46.4
2014	299	18.0	16.6	48.8
2015	302	19.0	15.8	50.3
2016	313	20.0	15.6	46
2017	322	20.0	16.1	49.7
2018	307	20.0	15.3	49.8
2019	294	21.0	14.0	49.7
2020	289	21.0	13.7	53.3
2021	283	22.1	12.7	48.4
2022	286	17.4	16.4	44.1
2023	300	18.9	15.8	51.7

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 David Turnham Education Center

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$590 (7.5%)	$7,234 (92.4%)	$7,825
2020	$544 (7.1%)	$7,130 (92.9%)	$7,674
2021	$744 (8.8%)	$7,706 (91.2%)	$8,450
2022	$670 (7.4%)	$8,323 (92.5%)	$8,994

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on David Turnham Education Center

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 92^nd of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 62^nd of 1016 Elementary schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (David Turnham Education Center)	55.6	52.8	2.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (North Spencer County School Corp)	75.4	64.5	10.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (David Turnham Education Center)	75	61.1	13.9%
3rd Grade Math (North Spencer County School Corp)	87.3	76.1	11.2%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (David Turnham Education Center)	73.3	69	4.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (North Spencer County School Corp)	72.9	70.2	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (David Turnham Education Center)	76.7	72.4	4.3%
4th Grade Math (North Spencer County School Corp)	82.1	79.4	2.7%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (David Turnham Education Center)	76.7	65.5	11.2%
4th Grade Science (North Spencer County School Corp)	80.7	72.5	8.2%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (David Turnham Education Center)	51.3	72.2	20.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (North Spencer County School Corp)	65.8	65	0.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (David Turnham Education Center)	61.5	69.4	7.9%
5th Grade Math (North Spencer County School Corp)	71.5	71.3	0.2%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (David Turnham Education Center)	64.1	72.2	8.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (North Spencer County School Corp)	64.6	64.3	0.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (David Turnham Education Center)	74.1	68.9	5.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (North Spencer County School Corp)	69.8	58.9	10.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (David Turnham Education Center)	77.8	60	17.8%
6th Grade Math (North Spencer County School Corp)	74.4	63.1	11.3%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (David Turnham Education Center)	75.9	57.8	18.1%
6th Grade Science (North Spencer County School Corp)	68.6	57.7	10.9%
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	294	300	2%
African American	0	2
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	70	77	10%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	216	216
Two or More Races	3	4	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.7%	51.7%	2%

Schools Near David Turnham Education Center

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
David Turnham Education Center	Public	PK, KG-6	Dunn & Locust Sts	Dale	47523	Spencer County	North Spencer County School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 937-4300	300	19	15.8	51.7%	216 (72.0%)	2 (0.7%)	77 (25.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	75.8	226^th of 1010 public elementary schools	77.6%		90.8	62^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	93.9%	164	36.2	60.5	45.2	68.3	52.2	46.8	73.7	54.8	53.7	56.7	58.1	$8,994	$670	$8,323
Nancy Hanks Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	19260 N Sr 162	Ferdinand	47532	Dubois County	North Spencer County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 357-5091	271	15	18.5	20.3%	266 (98.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	94.3	35^th of 1010 public elementary schools	96.5%		95	28^th of 1016 public elementary schools	97.2%	7	48.2	71.0	87.0	74.4	70.2	85.2	67.7	78.3	79.1	77.4	78.3	$9,665	$265	$9,400
Holland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	408 Meridian St	Holland	47541	Dubois County	Southwest Dubois County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 536-2441	254	16	15.8	42.5%	234 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	74	252^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	75.0%		71.4	285^th of 1016 public elementary schools	71.9%	33	56.8	34.3	45.7		45.8	81.1	65.7	60.0		69.2	37.1	$8,854	$326	$8,528
Lincoln Trail Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	13726 N Sr 245	Lamar	47550	Spencer County	North Spencer County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 544-2929	385	20	19.0	29.4%	371 (96.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	89.6	76^th of 1010 public elementary schools	92.5%		92.8	47^th of 1016 public elementary schools	95.4%	29	61.8	57.4	54.2	56.9	57.5	74.6	68.5	67.8	68.6	69.9	62.7	$7,565	$265	$7,300
Huntingburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 W Sunset Dr	Huntingburg	47542	Dubois County	Southwest Dubois County School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 683-1172	736	38	19.3	62.8%	385 (52.3%)	3 (0.4%)	331 (45.0%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.8%)	52.4	503^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	50.2%		56.6	469^th of 1016 public elementary schools	53.8%	34	28.8	42.2	41.8		37.2	55.0	44.5	41.8		47.5	34.0	$7,970	$572	$7,398
Ferdinand Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	402 E 8th St	Ferdinand	47532	Dubois County	Southeast Dubois County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 817-0900	301	17	17.3	25.6%	284 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	85.5	120^th of 1010 public elementary schools	88.1%		88.6	79^th of 1016 public elementary schools	92.2%	41	56.4	58.2			57.5	62.5	76.4			70.5		$7,860	$261	$7,599
Tennyson Elementary School	Public	K-5	323 N Main St	Tennyson	47637	Warrick County	Warrick County School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 567-4715	69	7	9.8	68.1%	69 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64.5	359^th of 1010 public elementary schools	64.5%		73.1	260^th of 1016 public elementary schools	74.4%	99	54.6	46.2	20.0		41.2	72.7	53.9	30.0		52.9	60.0	$16,380	$1,370	$15,009
Chrisney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	311 Church St	Chrisney	47611	Spencer County	North Spencer County School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 362-8200	221	14	16.2	42.1%	215 (97.3%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	90.8	66^th of 1010 public elementary schools	93.5%		85.8	118^th of 1016 public elementary schools	88.4%	52	58.6	66.7	52.2	60.7	59.4	79.3	90.5	73.9	60.7	75.3	52.2	$13,250	$542	$12,707
Pine Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	4613 S Pine Ridge Rd	Birdseye	47513	Dubois County	Southeast Dubois County School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 817-0900	236	15	15.9	37.3%	223 (94.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	63	373^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	63.1%		84.4	138^th of 1016 public elementary schools	86.4%	235	35.9	40.7			37.5	56.6	85.2			66.3		$10,732	$1,236	$9,496
Ireland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2386 N 500 W	Ireland	47545	Dubois County	Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 482-7751	551	30	18.3	14.5%	511 (92.7%)	3 (0.5%)	19 (3.4%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.4%)	88.4	87^th of 1010 public elementary schools	91.4%		93.3	42^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	95.9%	45	54.2	77.1	53.6		60.9	83.3	88.0	61.9		77.2	47.4	$10,884	$1,733	$9,151

Frequently Asked Questions about David Turnham Education Center

Is David Turnham Education Center a good school?

David Turnham Education Center ranks 226^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of David Turnham Education Center?

Students at David Turnham Education Center are 72% White, 26% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What district is David Turnham Education Center in?

North Spencer County School Corp

What schools do graduates of David Turnham Education Center attend?

Students who attend David Turnham Education Center usually go on to attend:

Middle : Heritage Hills Middle School
High : Heritage Hills High School

How many students attend David Turnham Education Center?

In the 2022-23 school year, 300 students attended David Turnham Education Center.

Rate David Turnham Education Center!

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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.