Coulston Elementary School

Q: Is Coulston Elementary School a good school?

Coulston Elementary School ranks 525 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Coulston Elementary School is a public elementary school in Shelbyville, Indiana, serving 469 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Shelbyville Central Schools district, which is ranked 183 out of 381 districts in the state.

Coulston Elementary stands out for its higher percentage of Hispanic students (22.39%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 0.65% to 11.82% Hispanic. However, the school also faces challenges, including a higher chronic absenteeism rate (14.6%) than the district average and lower proficiency rates in ILEARN English Language Arts and Math, particularly in 4th grade. Interestingly, 5th-grade students at Coulston outperform the district and state in both subjects. Additionally, Coulston has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (69.08%) than surrounding schools.

While Coulston spends more per student ($10,743) than many nearby schools, its academic performance has steadily declined over the past decade, and the school now ranks 525 out of 1,010 Indiana elementary schools. This suggests that the higher resource allocation has not yet translated into significantly better outcomes. Nearby schools like William F Loper Elementary and Waldron Elementary demonstrate stronger academic results, providing potential opportunities for Coulston to learn and improve.

Detail:

Public K-5

121 Knightstown Rd
Shelbyville, IN 46176

(317) 398-3185

District: Shelbyville Central Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,743

Students who attend Coulston Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shelbyville Middle School
High:	Shelbyville Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 434

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.2%

Hispanic:

25.1%

Two or more races:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.5%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Coulston Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Coulston Elementary School ranks worse than 52% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Shelbyville Central Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.02. (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 (65.2%), Hispanic (25.1%), two or more races (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Shelbyville Central Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Coulston Elementary School is 12.5, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Shelbyville Central Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Coulston Elementary School employs 34.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Coulston Elementary School is $10,743, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Shelbyville Central Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Shelbyville Central Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Shelbyville Central Schools 192^nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Coulston Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	56.32	470^th	959	51.0%
2006	51.78	536^th	961	44.2%
2007	60.75	419^th	985	57.5%
2008	77.85	165^th	996	83.4%
2009	74.41	217^th	1003	78.4%
2010	61.21	440^th	1009	56.4%
2011	55.17	551^st	1025	46.2%
2012	65.59	363^rd	1015	64.2%
2013	61.77	455^th	1035	56.0%
2014	65.83	385^th	1036	62.8%
2015	61.82	431^st	1040	58.6%
2016	66.69	367^th	1046	64.9%
2017	53.82	550^th	1033	46.8%
2018	46.52	634^th	1027	38.3%
2019	35.69	715^th	1031	30.6%
2021	36.07	696^th	1016	31.5%
2022	36.67	684^th	1020	32.9%
2023	40.70	629^th	1016	38.1%
2024	50.02	525^th	1010	48.0%

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 Coulston Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	682	4	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	688
1989	715	10	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	727
1990	713	9	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	725
1991	732	11	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	750
1992	631	9	8	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	650
1993	609	8	11	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	629
1994	615	16	11	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	644
1995	640	8	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	10	667
1996	640	8	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	10	667
1997	631	6	9	1	0	n/a	n/a	6	653
1998	630	6	12	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	649
1999	666	6	15	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	690
2000	675	11	11	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	707
2001	555	4	8	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	583
2002	433	14	9	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	499
2003	433	14	9	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	499
2004	453	7	17	62	0	n/a	n/a	0	539
2005	416	6	15	73	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2006	429	5	13	63	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2007	430	4	14	63	0	n/a	n/a	16	527
2008	390	7	16	74	1	n/a	n/a	10	498
2009	396	9	17	65	1	n/a	n/a	5	493
2010	416	10	19	61	1	n/a	n/a	9	516
2011	452	11	19	82	1	0	10	0	575
2012	430	8	20	90	1	0	11	0	560
2013	404	4	17	89	2	0	12	0	528
2014	416	7	18	129	1	0	18	0	589
2015	369	8	14	147	2	0	18	0	558
2016	368	8	9	165	1	0	15	0	566
2017	402	8	15	161	1	0	19	0	606
2018	389	6	23	135	1	0	14	0	568
2019	383	3	21	140	1	0	13	0	561
2020	344	6	14	120	0	0	11	0	495
2021	310	4	15	122	0	0	13	0	464
2022	312	5	15	116	0	0	20	0	468
2023	321	4	17	105	0	0	22	0	469
2024	283	4	16	109	0	0	22	0	434

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 Coulston Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	688	29.2	23.5	8.6
1989	727	28.0	25.9	9.6
1990	725	29.0	25.0	11.9
1991	750	30.0	25.0	10.4
1992	650	22.5	28.8	11.2
1993	629	26.0	24.2	13.2
1994	644	27.0	23.9	11.5
1995	667	28.0	23.8	15.2
1996	667	28.0	23.8	15.2
1997	653	30.0	21.8	10.7
1998	649	28.0	23.2	10.2
1999	690	29.0	23.8	19.6
2000	707	30.0	23.6	23.6
2001	583	29.5	19.8	28.3
2002	499	29.0	17.2	41.5
2003	499	29.0	17.2	41.5
2004	539	28.0	19.3	35.1
2005	510	28.0	18.2	39
2006	510	28.0	18.2	40.8
2007	527	n/a	n/a	45.4
2008	498	28.0	17.8	47.3
2009	493	28.0	17.6	53.7
2010	516	29.0	17.7	57.4
2011	575	32.9	17.4	61.2
2012	560	34.0	16.4	61.3
2013	528	31.0	17.0	61.2
2014	589	30.0	19.6	55.7
2015	558	30.0	18.6	60.2
2016	566	31.0	18.2	60.8
2017	606	25.0	24.2	54.6
2018	568	23.6	24.0	55.8
2019	561	23.2	24.0	59.9
2020	495	23.0	21.5	63
2021	464	27.0	17.1	60.1
2022	468	32.1	14.5	58.5
2023	469	32.0	14.6	69.1
2024	434	34.5	12.5	49.5

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 Coulston Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	688	29.2	23.5	8.6
1989	727	28.0	25.9	9.6
1990	725	29.0	25.0	11.9
1991	750	30.0	25.0	10.4
1992	650	22.5	28.8	11.2
1993	629	26.0	24.2	13.2
1994	644	27.0	23.9	11.5
1995	667	28.0	23.8	15.2
1996	667	28.0	23.8	15.2
1997	653	30.0	21.8	10.7
1998	649	28.0	23.2	10.2
1999	690	29.0	23.8	19.6
2000	707	30.0	23.6	23.6
2001	583	29.5	19.8	28.3
2002	499	29.0	17.2	41.5
2003	499	29.0	17.2	41.5
2004	539	28.0	19.3	35.1
2005	510	28.0	18.2	39
2006	510	28.0	18.2	40.8
2007	527	n/a	n/a	45.4
2008	498	28.0	17.8	47.3
2009	493	28.0	17.6	53.7
2010	516	29.0	17.7	57.4
2011	575	32.9	17.4	61.2
2012	560	34.0	16.4	61.3
2013	528	31.0	17.0	61.2
2014	589	30.0	19.6	55.7
2015	558	30.0	18.6	60.2
2016	566	31.0	18.2	60.8
2017	606	25.0	24.2	54.6
2018	568	23.6	24.0	55.8
2019	561	23.2	24.0	59.9
2020	495	23.0	21.5	63
2021	464	27.0	17.1	60.1
2022	468	32.1	14.5	58.5
2023	469	32.0	14.6	69.1
2024	434	34.5	12.5	49.5

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 Coulston Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$572 (6.9%)	$7,716 (93.1%)	$8,288
2020	$586 (6.5%)	$8,475 (93.5%)	$9,060
2021	$784 (8.0%)	$9,059 (92.0%)	$9,843
2022	$1,119 (10.4%)	$9,624 (89.6%)	$10,743

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Coulston 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 715^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 629^th of 1016 Elementary schools	7.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Coulston Elementary School)	36.9	31.2	5.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shelbyville Central Schools)	47	32.1	14.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Coulston Elementary School)	63.1	52	11.2%
3rd Grade Math (Shelbyville Central Schools)	67.7	51.5	16.2%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Coulston Elementary School)	24.3	32.1	7.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Shelbyville Central Schools)	44.8	33.5	11.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Coulston Elementary School)	55.4	41	14.4%
4th Grade Math (Shelbyville Central Schools)	61.7	50.4	11.3%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Coulston Elementary School)	31.1	28.2	2.9%
4th Grade Science (Shelbyville Central Schools)	47.5	30.8	16.7%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Coulston Elementary School)	30.3	35.9	5.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Shelbyville Central Schools)	41.3	31.7	9.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Coulston Elementary School)	48.7	35.9	12.8%
5th Grade Math (Shelbyville Central Schools)	53.9	32.9	21.1%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Coulston Elementary School)	26.3	20.5	5.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Shelbyville Central Schools)	33.6	26.3	7.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	561	469	16.4%
African American	3	4	33.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	21	17	19%
Hispanic	140	105	25%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	383	321	16.2%
Two or More Races	13	22	69.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.9%	69.1%	9.2%

Schools Near Coulston 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
Coulston Elementary School	Public	K-5	121 Knightstown Rd	Shelbyville	46176	Shelby County	Shelbyville Central Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 398-3185	434	35	12.5	49.5%	283 (65.2%)	4 (0.9%)	109 (25.1%)	16 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	50	525^th of 1010 public elementary schools	48.0%		40.7	629^th of 1016 public elementary schools	38.1%	104	32.9	28.1	44.9		35.2	52.9	36.6	46.2		44.8	37.7	$10,743	$1,119	$9,624
Golden Bear Preschool	Public	PK-K	1115 E State Road 44	Shelbyville	46176	Shelby County	Shelbyville Central Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 392-2449	328	15	22.3	32.6%	260 (79.3%)	4 (1.2%)	40 (12.2%)	6 (1.8%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.6%)								(n/a)												$8,195	$775	$7,420
William F Loper Elementary School	Public	K-5	901 Loper Dr	Shelbyville	46176	Shelby County	Shelbyville Central Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 398-9725	640	42	15.4	41.4%	509 (79.5%)	11 (1.7%)	69 (10.8%)	17 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (5.0%)	57.1	445^th of 1010 public elementary schools	55.9%		48.4	555^th of 1016 public elementary schools	45.4%	110	38.7	34.4	36.8		36.8	60.4	58.3	44.7		54.2	32.5	$9,085	$684	$8,401
Thomas A Hendricks Elementary School	Public	K-5	1111 St Joseph St	Shelbyville	46176	Shelby County	Shelbyville Central Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 398-7432	556	37	15.0	45.0%	437 (78.6%)	13 (2.3%)	79 (14.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.5%)	40.9	620^th of 1010 public elementary schools	38.6%		39.2	643^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	36.7%	23	35.7	33.3	25.9		31.7	53.0	43.2	32.1		42.9	23.5	$10,245	$1,004	$9,242
Waldron Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	306 S East St	Waldron	46182	Shelby County	Shelby Eastern Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 525-6505	312	17	18.0	49.4%	291 (93.3%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)	67	329^th of 1010 public elementary schools	67.4%		79.3	192^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	81.1%	137	39.5	34.8	49.1		41.7	60.5	67.4	56.4		61.1	36.4	$10,279	$785	$9,494
Southwestern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3406 W 600 S	Shelbyville	46176	Shelby County	Southwestern Con School Shelby County	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 729-5320	382	25	15.2	42.9%	360 (94.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	56	460^th of 1010 public elementary schools	54.5%		60.5	407^th of 1016 public elementary schools	59.9%	53	37.2	36.6	37.8	62.8	43.6	48.8	48.8	35.6	46.5	44.8	26.7	$7,988	$691	$7,297
Triton Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	4976 W 600 W	Fairland	46126	Shelby County	Northwestern Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 835-3003	510	31	16.4	47.8%	467 (91.6%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.5%)	62.9	375^th of 1010 public elementary schools	62.9%		59.4	424^th of 1016 public elementary schools	58.3%	49	41.1	45.9			43.3	51.6	57.7			54.4		$8,875	$1,080	$7,794
Morristown Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	307 W Main St.	Morristown	46161	Shelby County	Shelby Eastern Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 763-6648	339	18	18.5	49.0%	324 (95.6%)	4 (1.2%)	8 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	48.5	541^st of 1010 public elementary schools	46.4%		54	492^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	51.6%	49	15.4	36.2	38.5		29.8	42.3	60.9	42.3		48.0	38.5	$9,935	$1,055	$8,880
Arlington Elementary School	Public	K-6	7178 US Hwy 52	Arlington	46104	Rush County	Rush County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 663-2416	116	12	9.6	56.9%	111 (95.7%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)	57.8	440^th of 1010 public elementary schools	56.4%		38.9	646^th of 1016 public elementary schools	36.4%	206	50.0	43.8	37.5	42.3	43.2	63.6	43.8	33.3	23.1	39.8	45.8	$11,959	$1,315	$10,645
Clark Elementary School	Public	K-5	Cr 700 N & 575 E	Franklin	46131	Johnson County	Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 535-8503	501	32	15.5	55.1%	208 (41.5%)	37 (7.4%)	37 (7.4%)	196 (39.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	64.7	357^th of 1010 public elementary schools	64.7%		59.9	416^th of 1016 public elementary schools	59.1%	59	46.1	58.0	43.8		48.3	60.7	55.1	36.2		49.4	37.1	$10,505	$626	$9,879

Frequently Asked Questions about Coulston Elementary School

Is Coulston Elementary School a good school?

Coulston Elementary School ranks 525^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Coulston Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Shelbyville Middle School
High : Shelbyville Senior High School

What district is Coulston Elementary School in?

Shelbyville Central Schools

What is the racial makeup of Coulston Elementary School?

Students at Coulston Elementary School are 65% White, 25% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend Coulston Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 434 students attended Coulston Elementary School.

Rate Coulston Elementary 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.