Perry Meridian Middle School

Q: Is Perry Meridian Middle School a good school?

Perry Meridian Middle School ranks 103 rd of 485 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Perry Meridian Middle School is a public middle school located in Indianapolis, Indiana, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 1,292 students. The school is part of the Perry Township Schools district, which is ranked 197 out of 381 districts in Indiana and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Perry Meridian Middle School consistently outperforms the district and state averages in ILEARN test scores for both English Language Arts and Math, with 50.33% of students proficient or better in ELA and 39.22% in Math, compared to the district's 38.95% and 37.48%, respectively. The school's student population is also more racially diverse, with 40.63% White, 33.51% Asian, 11.61% Hispanic, and 9.52% African American students. While the school's chronic absenteeism rate has increased from 18.7% to 20.3%, it is still lower than the 25.6% rate at Southport Middle School. Additionally, Perry Meridian Middle School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 65.94%, compared to nearby schools ranging from 48.04% to 76.98%.

Despite serving a population with greater economic challenges, Perry Meridian Middle School has maintained a consistent 4-star rating from SchoolDigger, ranking among the top 25% of Indiana middle schools. This academic success, coupled with the school's racial diversity and increased spending per student (from $9,196 in 2019-2020 to $10,408 in 2021-2022), suggests that the school has implemented effective strategies to support the learning needs of its diverse student population. When compared to nearby middle schools, such as Beech Grove Middle School and Southport Middle School, Perry Meridian Middle School stands out as a high-performing and diverse institution within the Perry Township Schools district.

Detail:

Public 7-8

202 W Meridian School Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46217

(317) 789-4100

District: Perry Township Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
103^rd of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,408

Students who attend Perry Meridian Middle School usually attend:

High:

Perry Meridian High School

Feeder schools for Perry Meridian Middle School:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
	Douglas MacArthur Elementary School
	Glenns Valley Elementary School
	William Henry Burkhart Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 1,229

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.5%

Asian:

33.8%

Hispanic:

12.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Perry Meridian Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Perry Meridian Middle School ranks better than 78.8% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.43. (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 Perry Meridian Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Perry Township Schools District. Student population at Perry Meridian Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (38.5%), Asian (33.8%), Hispanic (12.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Perry Township Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Perry Meridian Middle School is 16.2. 2 middle schools in the Perry Township Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Perry Meridian Middle School employs 75.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Perry Meridian Middle School is $10,408. 2 middle schools in the Perry Township Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Perry Meridian Middle School 103^rd of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Perry Meridian Middle School in the ranking list.)

Perry Township Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Perry Township Schools 204^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Perry Meridian Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	32.87	173^rd	222	22.1%
2005	24.97	326^th	370	11.9%
2006	32.20	312^th	375	16.8%
2007	43.44	268^th	382	29.8%
2008	45.13	268^th	392	31.6%
2009	50.64	240^th	423	43.3%
2010	64.92	155^th	428	63.8%
2011	61.28	186^th	451	58.8%
2012	58.03	205^th	447	54.1%
2013	41.50	313^th	444	29.5%
2014	45.57	316^th	470	32.8%
2015	53.93	244^th	485	49.7%
2016	50.59	283^rd	494	42.7%
2017	56.06	218^th	472	53.8%
2018	60.78	204^th	473	56.9%
2019	76.12	89^th	470	81.1%
2021	73.87	107^th	483	77.8%
2022	79.34	86^th	490	82.4%
2023	72.76	114^th	489	76.7%
2024	76.43	103^rd	485	78.8%

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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Enrollment information for Perry Meridian Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1006	171	13	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	1193
1989	955	166	6	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	1132
1990	1087	191	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	1286
1991	1146	172	8	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	1330
1992	1238	173	13	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1431
1993	1279	164	12	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	1462
1994	1276	167	14	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1465
1995	1276	147	14	16	4	n/a	n/a	0	1457
1996	1276	147	14	16	4	n/a	n/a	0	1457
1997	1294	152	17	14	4	n/a	n/a	4	1485
1998	1183	151	15	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	1365
1999	1142	175	12	11	6	n/a	n/a	0	1346
2000	1170	156	12	23	4	n/a	n/a	0	1365
2001	1174	154	13	25	5	n/a	n/a	0	1371
2002	1274	217	22	44	5	n/a	n/a	0	1562
2003	1274	217	22	44	5	n/a	n/a	0	1562
2004	1315	253	26	59	2	n/a	n/a	0	1655
2005	927	177	21	61	0	n/a	n/a	0	1186
2006	958	167	25	73	2	n/a	n/a	0	1225
2007	903	149	21	75	1	n/a	n/a	36	1185
2008	889	135	37	82	0	n/a	n/a	45	1188
2009	878	111	42	91	2	n/a	n/a	54	1178
2010	853	101	44	97	6	n/a	n/a	54	1155
2011	797	102	50	82	3	0	61	0	1095
2012	764	83	67	94	3	0	56	0	1067
2013	742	47	87	122	4	0	60	0	1062
2014	714	70	131	142	4	0	69	0	1130
2015	704	80	190	161	4	1	54	0	1194
2016	663	75	206	155	0	1	61	0	1161
2017	673	74	262	142	1	0	50	0	1202
2018	649	105	260	164	1	0	51	0	1230
2019	628	99	268	159	0	0	67	0	1221
2020	603	111	295	181	0	1	69	0	1260
2021	570	103	366	182	0	0	68	0	1289
2022	560	122	401	156	1	1	62	0	1303
2023	525	123	433	150	1	1	59	0	1292
2024	473	125	416	150	1	0	64	0	1229

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 Perry Meridian Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1193	63.0	18.9	15.3
1989	1132	60.0	18.8	14.8
1990	1286	60.0	21.4	16.6
1991	1330	63.8	20.8	17.5
1992	1431	67.1	21.3	18.4
1993	1462	69.9	20.9	17.9
1994	1465	69.7	21.0	19.9
1995	1457	65.9	22.1	19.5
1996	1457	65.9	22.1	19.5
1997	1485	68.8	21.6	26.9
1998	1365	74.6	18.3	22.1
1999	1346	77.6	17.3	30.3
2000	1365	71.5	19.1	32
2001	1371	73.5	18.7	34.4
2002	1562	75.5	20.7	39.7
2003	1562	75.5	20.7	39.7
2004	1655	74.0	22.4	41.6
2005	1186	52.0	22.8	39.5
2006	1225	55.0	22.3	43.4
2007	1185	n/a	n/a	45.5
2008	1188	55.5	21.4	47.7
2009	1178	58.0	20.3	46.4
2010	1155	60.4	19.1	48.7
2011	1095	47.4	23.0	48.4
2012	1067	56.0	19.0	49.1
2013	1062	54.5	19.4	53.7
2014	1130	58.5	19.3	54.9
2015	1194	60.0	19.9	57.6
2016	1161	62.0	18.7	54.1
2017	1202	63.0	19.0	59.2
2018	1230	63.7	19.2	65.2
2019	1221	64.7	18.8	64.6
2020	1260	66.0	19.0	66.8
2021	1289	69.4	18.5	65.3
2022	1303	70.9	18.3	63.9
2023	1292	80.1	16.1	65.9
2024	1229	75.8	16.2	66

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 Perry Meridian Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1193	63.0	18.9	15.3
1989	1132	60.0	18.8	14.8
1990	1286	60.0	21.4	16.6
1991	1330	63.8	20.8	17.5
1992	1431	67.1	21.3	18.4
1993	1462	69.9	20.9	17.9
1994	1465	69.7	21.0	19.9
1995	1457	65.9	22.1	19.5
1996	1457	65.9	22.1	19.5
1997	1485	68.8	21.6	26.9
1998	1365	74.6	18.3	22.1
1999	1346	77.6	17.3	30.3
2000	1365	71.5	19.1	32
2001	1371	73.5	18.7	34.4
2002	1562	75.5	20.7	39.7
2003	1562	75.5	20.7	39.7
2004	1655	74.0	22.4	41.6
2005	1186	52.0	22.8	39.5
2006	1225	55.0	22.3	43.4
2007	1185	n/a	n/a	45.5
2008	1188	55.5	21.4	47.7
2009	1178	58.0	20.3	46.4
2010	1155	60.4	19.1	48.7
2011	1095	47.4	23.0	48.4
2012	1067	56.0	19.0	49.1
2013	1062	54.5	19.4	53.7
2014	1130	58.5	19.3	54.9
2015	1194	60.0	19.9	57.6
2016	1161	62.0	18.7	54.1
2017	1202	63.0	19.0	59.2
2018	1230	63.7	19.2	65.2
2019	1221	64.7	18.8	64.6
2020	1260	66.0	19.0	66.8
2021	1289	69.4	18.5	65.3
2022	1303	70.9	18.3	63.9
2023	1292	80.1	16.1	65.9
2024	1229	75.8	16.2	66

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 Perry Meridian Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$191 (2.0%)	$9,138 (97.9%)	$9,330
2020	$266 (2.9%)	$8,930 (97.1%)	$9,196
2021	$977 (9.8%)	$8,963 (90.2%)	$9,940
2022	$1,268 (12.2%)	$9,140 (87.8%)	$10,408

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Perry Meridian 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 89^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 114^th of 489 Middle schools	4.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Perry Meridian Middle School)	62.5	44.9	17.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Perry Township Schools)	54.4	39.4	15%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Perry Meridian Middle School)	50.4	36.3	14.1%
7th Grade Math (Perry Township Schools)	46.7	30.6	16.1%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Perry Meridian Middle School)	54.5	51.8	2.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Perry Township Schools)	49.1	46.1	3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Perry Meridian Middle School)	47.7	38	9.8%
8th Grade Math (Perry Township Schools)	43.7	33.5	10.2%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1221	1292	5.8%
African American	99	123	24.2%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	268	433	61.6%
Hispanic	159	150	5.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	628	525	16.4%
Two or More Races	67	59	11.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	64.6%	65.9%	1.3%

Schools Near Perry Meridian 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 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 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
Perry Meridian Middle School	Public	7-8	202 W Meridian School Rd	Indianapolis	46217	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 789-4100	1,229	76	16.2	66.0%	473 (38.5%)	125 (10.2%)	150 (12.2%)	416 (33.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (5.2%)	76.4	103^rd of 485 public middle schools	78.8%		72.8	114^th of 489 public middle schools	76.7%	11				49.3	51.4	50.3				38.2	40.2	39.2			$10,408	$1,268	$9,140
Perry Meridian 6th Grade Academy	Public	6	202 W Meridian School Rd	Indianapolis	46217	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 789-1300	659	42	15.6	68.4%	230 (34.9%)	87 (13.2%)	80 (12.1%)	228 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.2%)								(n/a)			45.4			45.4			36.6			36.6			$10,235	$1,074	$9,161
Southport 6th Grade Academy	Public	6	5715 S Keystone Ave	Indianapolis	46227	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 789-1400	660	43	15.2	78.6%	215 (32.6%)	104 (15.8%)	138 (20.9%)	160 (24.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.4%)								(n/a)			37.2			37.2			30.7			30.7			$11,030	$1,287	$9,743
Southport Middle School	Public	7-8	5715 S Keystone	Indianapolis	46227	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 789-4600	1,210	71	16.9	77.4%	386 (31.9%)	153 (12.6%)	303 (25.0%)	319 (26.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.3%)	45 (3.7%)	44.6	276^th of 485 public middle schools	43.1%		48.8	252^nd of 489 public middle schools	48.5%	24				32.3	37.9	35.0				22.4	26.9	24.6			$10,752	$1,496	$9,256
Center Grove Middle School North	Public	6-8	202 N Morgantown Rd	Greenwood	46142	Johnson County	Center Grove Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 885-8800	1,069	56	19.2	33.1%	816 (76.3%)	50 (4.7%)	54 (5.1%)	91 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	56 (5.2%)	89.1	43^rd of 485 public middle schools	91.1%		85.3	58^th of 489 public middle schools	88.1%	15			63.9	56.2	55.5	58.4			62.6	48.0	47.4	52.4		100.0	$9,270	$280	$8,990
Greenwood Middle School	Public	6-8	1584 Averitt Road	Greenwood	46143	Johnson County	Greenwood Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 889-4040	967	51	18.9	56.5%	685 (70.8%)	68 (7.0%)	91 (9.4%)	69 (7.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.5%)	75.3	107^th of 485 public middle schools	77.9%		77.6	96^th of 489 public middle schools	80.4%	11			47.0	49.5	53.6	50.0			38.6	35.5	52.3	42.0			$8,576	$195	$8,381
Center Grove Middle School Central	Public	6-8	4900 Stones Crossing	Greenwood	46143	Johnson County	Center Grove Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 882-9391	1,264	67	18.9	19.3%	971 (76.8%)	46 (3.6%)	62 (4.9%)	138 (10.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (3.6%)	92.2	33^rd of 485 public middle schools	93.2%		91.4	33^rd of 489 public middle schools	93.3%				61.5	55.5	60.9	59.2			62.3	54.6	60.4	59.0		100.0	$8,672	$270	$8,402
South Grove Intermediate School	Public	4-6	851 S 9th Ave	Beech Grove	46107	Marion County	Beech Grove City Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 786-7687	575	36	16.0	70.6%	376 (65.4%)	74 (12.9%)	71 (12.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (8.9%)								(n/a)	26.4	19.4	20.4			22.0	33.0	14.3	17.1			21.3	17.9		$9,739	$1,206	$8,533
Beech Grove Middle School	Public	7-8	1248 Buffalo St	Beech Grove	46107	Marion County	Beech Grove City Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 784-6649	434	30	14.3	71.2%	283 (65.2%)	62 (14.3%)	45 (10.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.7%)	46.9	262^nd of 485 public middle schools	46.0%		46.1	262^nd of 489 public middle schools	46.4%					30.3	47.5	39.2				17.1	26.9	22.1			$12,721	$1,171	$11,550
Decatur Middle School	Public	7-8	5108 S High School Rd	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 856-5274	985	66	14.9	81.3%	467 (47.4%)	275 (27.9%)	166 (16.9%)	4 (0.4%)	6 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	66 (6.7%)	19.6	389^th of 485 public middle schools	19.8%		24.3	370^th of 489 public middle schools	24.3%	19				24.1	19.8	22.0				14.9	9.8	12.4		95.7	$9,643	$1,125	$8,519

Frequently Asked Questions about Perry Meridian Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Perry Meridian Middle School?

Students at Perry Meridian Middle School are 38% White, 34% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend Perry Meridian Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,229 students attended Perry Meridian Middle School.

What district is Perry Meridian Middle School in?

Perry Township Schools

What high school do graduates of Perry Meridian Middle School attend?

Students who attend Perry Meridian Middle School usually go on to attend Perry Meridian High School

Is Perry Meridian Middle School a good school?

Perry Meridian Middle School ranks 103^rd of 485 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.