Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

Summary:

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy is a public middle school in South Bend, Indiana, serving 449 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the South Bend Community School Corporation, which is ranked 317 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy faces significant challenges, consistently ranking among the lowest-performing middle schools in Indiana. The school's proficiency rates in ILEARN English Language Arts and Math assessments are significantly lower than the district and state averages, with only 8.7% of students proficient in ELA compared to 21.88% for the district and 41.1-42.6% for the state. Dickinson also struggles with extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching as high as 71.5% in 2020-2021, far exceeding the district and state averages. The student population is predominantly non-White, with a majority of African American and Hispanic students, and a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 72.79% to 86.19% over the past three years.

While nearby schools, such as Jackson Middle School, Edison Middle School, and Navarre Middle School, also struggle with low academic performance and high rates of economic disadvantage, they do not face the same extent of challenges as Dickinson Fine Arts Academy. In contrast, schools in the neighboring Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation, such as Discovery Middle School and Virgil I Grissom Middle School, have significantly higher academic achievement, lower chronic absenteeism, and lower percentages of economically disadvantaged students.

Detail:

Public 6-8

4404 Elwood
South Bend, IN 46628

(574) 393-3900

District: South Bend Community School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
473^rd of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,478

Students who attend Dickinson Fine Arts Academy usually attend:

High:	Rise Up Academy at Eggleston
	Washington High School

Feeder schools for Dickinson Fine Arts Academy:

Elementary:	Coquillard Elementary School
	Warren Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 449

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.4%

Hispanic:

29.4%

White:

10.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.2%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Dickinson Fine Arts Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dickinson Fine Arts Academy ranks worse than 97.5% of middle schools in Indiana. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked middle schools in the South Bend Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.95. (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: African American (51.4%), Hispanic (29.4%), White (10.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 86.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the South Bend Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dickinson Fine Arts Academy is 15.2. 4 middle schools in the South Bend Community School Corp District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Dickinson Fine Arts Academy employs 29.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dickinson Fine Arts Academy is $14,478. 3 middle schools in the South Bend Community School Corp District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Dickinson Fine Arts Academy 473^rd of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Dickinson Fine Arts Academy in the ranking list.)

South Bend Community School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks South Bend Community School Corp 319^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	1.70	219^th	222	1.4%
2005	5.01	360^th	370	2.7%
2006	2.22	369^th	375	1.6%
2007	4.25	372^nd	382	2.6%
2008	1.50	387^th	392	1.3%
2009	2.10	416^th	423	1.7%
2010	2.61	420^th	428	1.9%
2011	3.06	436^th	451	3.3%
2012	26.58	380^th	447	15.0%
2013	30.22	353^rd	444	20.5%
2014	16.31	416^th	470	11.5%
2015	15.40	422^nd	485	13.0%
2016	10.24	449^th	494	9.1%
2017	5.55	446^th	472	5.5%
2018	7.42	448^th	473	5.3%
2019	3.63	460^th	470	2.1%
2021	4.70	476^th	483	1.4%
2022	6.01	480^th	490	2.0%
2023	7.38	469^th	489	4.1%
2024	6.95	473^rd	485	2.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	448	247	1	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	707
1989	422	227	4	6	6	n/a	n/a	0	665
1990	392	231	6	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	642
1991	419	241	4	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	677
1992	402	245	1	10	8	n/a	n/a	0	666
1993	414	265	2	8	7	n/a	n/a	0	696
1994	387	301	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	700
1995	354	275	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	1	637
1996	354	275	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	1	637
1997	359	261	3	10	4	n/a	n/a	1	638
1998	312	239	4	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	568
1999	286	249	8	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	564
2000	268	273	4	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	568
2001	295	301	1	16	5	n/a	n/a	0	618
2002	269	340	2	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	641
2003	269	340	2	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	641
2004	307	358	1	35	7	n/a	n/a	0	708
2005	270	344	1	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	659
2006	226	341	2	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	616
2007	204	302	2	45	0	n/a	n/a	22	575
2008	176	291	1	47	0	n/a	n/a	40	555
2009	209	312	2	66	2	n/a	n/a	44	635
2010	212	271	1	78	1	n/a	n/a	38	601
2011	185	294	1	94	1	0	46	0	621
2012	176	250	1	91	1	0	39	0	558
2013	170	244	2	103	1	0	50	0	570
2014	181	277	3	124	1	0	55	0	641
2015	164	299	4	136	2	0	71	0	676
2016	132	270	4	152	2	0	58	0	618
2017	123	251	4	184	1	0	44	0	607
2018	104	257	4	233	3	1	48	0	650
2019	95	294	3	217	4	2	49	0	664
2020	81	318	3	218	1	0	50	0	671
2021	85	337	2	196	1	0	50	0	671
2022	78	277	0	145	1	0	43	0	544
2023	48	231	0	132	0	0	38	0	449

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 Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	707	44.5	15.8	29
1989	665	41.4	16.0	28.3
1990	642	41.9	15.3	33.5
1991	677	41.4	16.3	31.5
1992	666	n/a	n/a	36.8
1993	696	41.4	16.8	39.5
1994	700	44.8	15.6	35
1995	637	41.9	15.2	46.2
1996	637	41.9	15.2	46.2
1997	638	42.7	14.9	45.8
1998	568	40.1	14.2	50.7
1999	564	41.5	13.6	56.2
2000	568	41.6	13.7	53
2001	618	44.7	13.8	61.8
2002	641	42.8	15.0	66.8
2003	641	42.8	15.0	66.8
2004	708	49.1	14.4	70.6
2005	659	44.3	14.9	77.4
2006	616	41.3	14.9	79.4
2007	575	n/a	n/a	80.3
2008	555	41.0	13.5	79.8
2009	635	46.8	13.6	83.8
2010	601	44.4	13.5	80.5
2011	621	45.5	13.6	75.2
2012	558	45.1	12.3	77.2
2013	570	n/a	n/a	82.8
2014	641	33.0	19.4	77.4
2015	676	n/a	n/a	85.5
2016	618	13.0	47.5	82.4
2017	607	39.4	15.3	85
2018	650	40.0	16.2	86.8
2019	664	40.2	16.4	81.6
2020	671	41.0	16.3	84.5
2021	671	44.0	15.2	81.4
2022	544	52.3	10.3	72.8
2023	449	29.5	15.2	86.2

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 Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	707	44.5	15.8	29
1989	665	41.4	16.0	28.3
1990	642	41.9	15.3	33.5
1991	677	41.4	16.3	31.5
1992	666	n/a	n/a	36.8
1993	696	41.4	16.8	39.5
1994	700	44.8	15.6	35
1995	637	41.9	15.2	46.2
1996	637	41.9	15.2	46.2
1997	638	42.7	14.9	45.8
1998	568	40.1	14.2	50.7
1999	564	41.5	13.6	56.2
2000	568	41.6	13.7	53
2001	618	44.7	13.8	61.8
2002	641	42.8	15.0	66.8
2003	641	42.8	15.0	66.8
2004	708	49.1	14.4	70.6
2005	659	44.3	14.9	77.4
2006	616	41.3	14.9	79.4
2007	575	n/a	n/a	80.3
2008	555	41.0	13.5	79.8
2009	635	46.8	13.6	83.8
2010	601	44.4	13.5	80.5
2011	621	45.5	13.6	75.2
2012	558	45.1	12.3	77.2
2013	570	n/a	n/a	82.8
2014	641	33.0	19.4	77.4
2015	676	n/a	n/a	85.5
2016	618	13.0	47.5	82.4
2017	607	39.4	15.3	85
2018	650	40.0	16.2	86.8
2019	664	40.2	16.4	81.6
2020	671	41.0	16.3	84.5
2021	671	44.0	15.2	81.4
2022	544	52.3	10.3	72.8
2023	449	29.5	15.2	86.2

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 Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$326 (3.8%)	$8,177 (96.2%)	$8,502
2020	$362 (3.9%)	$8,981 (96.1%)	$9,343
2021	$852 (8.1%)	$9,714 (91.9%)	$10,566
2022	$2,458 (17.0%)	$12,020 (83.0%)	$14,478

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dickinson Fine Arts 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 460^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 469^th of 489 Middle schools	2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	8.8	7.8	1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Bend Community School Corp)	20	19.3	0.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	7.8	4.7	3.1%
6th Grade Math (South Bend Community School Corp)	18.2	13.7	4.5%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	5.4	4.7	0.7%
6th Grade Science (South Bend Community School Corp)	21.4	19.5	1.9%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	16.6	15.8	0.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Bend Community School Corp)	24.6	21.4	3.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	4.7	3.3	1.4%
7th Grade Math (South Bend Community School Corp)	18.7	10.7	8%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	23.5	9.4	14.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Bend Community School Corp)	29.8	24.8	5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Dickinson Fine Arts Academy)	4.5	1.9	2.6%
8th Grade Math (South Bend Community School Corp)	18.8	9.8	9%
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	664	449	32.4%
African American	294	231	21.4%
American Indian	4	0	100%
Asian	3	0	100%
Hispanic	217	132	39.2%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	95	48	49.5%
Two or More Races	49	38	22.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.6%	86.2%	4.6%

Schools Near Dickinson Fine Arts 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 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 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dickinson Fine Arts Academy	Public	6-8	4404 Elwood	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-3900	449	30	15.2	86.2%	48 (10.7%)	231 (51.4%)	132 (29.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.5%)	7	473^rd of 485 public middle schools	2.5%		7.4	469^th of 489 public middle schools	4.1%	4	5.7	9.0	11.3	8.7	4.6	4.3	2.5	3.7		$14,478	$2,458	$12,020
LaSalle Academy	Public	6-8	2701 W Elwood	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4700	488	36	13.5	55.9%	182 (37.3%)	117 (24.0%)	137 (28.1%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.2%)	94.2	21^st of 485 public middle schools	95.7%		87	50^th of 489 public middle schools	89.8%	29	80.9	80.1	80.4	80.5	55.7	51.8	48.1	51.6		$15,553	$2,728	$12,825
Navarre Middle School	Public	6-8	4702 W Ford St	South Bend	46619	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-4600	519	48	10.7	83.4%	45 (8.7%)	227 (43.7%)	207 (39.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.9%)	5.8	479^th of 485 public middle schools	1.2%		5.3	483^rd of 489 public middle schools	1.2%	4	13.2	3.0	7.5	7.6	0.0	1.5	0.8	0.8		$16,110	$4,072	$12,038
Career Academy Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3801 Cresent Circle - Suite B	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Career Academy Middle School	Yes	No	No	No	(574) 299-9800	394	44	8.9	71.1%	154 (39.1%)	142 (36.0%)	56 (14.2%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.1%)	13.2	422^nd of 485 public middle schools	13.0%		16.4	410^th of 489 public middle schools	16.2%	12	17.7	18.0	20.8	18.8	8.0	3.6	8.0	6.4	79.2	$10,949	$1,860	$9,089
Jefferson Traditional School	Public	6-8	528 S Eddy St	South Bend	46617	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4100	516	38	13.5	63.8%	200 (38.8%)	167 (32.4%)	98 (19.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	45 (8.7%)	18.8	393^rd of 485 public middle schools	19.0%		20.4	388^th of 489 public middle schools	20.7%	5	16.6	22.8	25.7	21.7	10.7	15.2	9.8	11.8		$14,027	$2,609	$11,419
Edison Middle School	Public	6-8	2701 Eisenhower Dr	South Bend	46615	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4400	381	41	9.2	83.5%	83 (21.8%)	187 (49.1%)	57 (15.0%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (12.1%)	8.8	459^th of 485 public middle schools	5.4%		6.8	476^th of 489 public middle schools	2.7%	17	13.7	8.5	13.2	12.0	9.4	1.1	3.8	5.1		$18,512	$4,031	$14,481
Jackson Middle School	Public	6-8	5001 S Miami Rd	South Bend	46614	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4500	528	33	16.0	82.4%	111 (21.0%)	208 (39.4%)	140 (26.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.3%)	8.3	462^nd of 485 public middle schools	4.7%		7.6	467^th of 489 public middle schools	4.5%	5	10.1	4.6	14.3	9.5	7.3	5.2	5.0	5.7		$14,271	$2,747	$11,523
John J Young Middle School	Public	7-8	1801 N Main St	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	No	(574) 254-3600	735	54	13.7	74.3%	452 (61.5%)	116 (15.8%)	75 (10.2%)	5 (0.7%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (11.2%)	37.8	312^th of 485 public middle schools	35.7%		29.5	346^th of 489 public middle schools	29.2%	34		35.1	35.8	35.4		18.1	17.0	17.6		$10,021	$1,451	$8,570
Schmucker Middle School	Public	6-8	56045 Bittersweet Rd	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 259-5661	1,004	51	19.6	35.7%	708 (70.5%)	81 (8.1%)	98 (9.8%)	39 (3.9%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (7.3%)	85.4	56^th of 485 public middle schools	88.5%		86.4	53^rd of 489 public middle schools	89.2%	3	55.1	60.5	57.8	57.9	46.1	43.5	51.0	46.7		$9,215	$559	$8,655
Virgil I Grissom Middle School	Public	6-8	13881 Kern Rd	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 633-4061	678	43	15.7	46.5%	500 (73.7%)	49 (7.2%)	66 (9.7%)	10 (1.5%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	48 (7.1%)	66.7	160^th of 485 public middle schools	67.0%		60.3	180^th of 489 public middle schools	63.2%	20	43.8	49.1	48.9	47.2	28.3	38.6	35.6	34.1		$9,808	$577	$9,230

Frequently Asked Questions about Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

Is Dickinson Fine Arts Academy a good school?

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy ranks in the bottom 2.5% of Indiana middle schools.

How many students attend Dickinson Fine Arts Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 449 students attended Dickinson Fine Arts Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Dickinson Fine Arts Academy?

Students at Dickinson Fine Arts Academy are 51% African American, 29% Hispanic, 11% White, 8% Two or more races.

What district is Dickinson Fine Arts Academy in?

South Bend Community School Corp

What high school do graduates of Dickinson Fine Arts Academy attend?

Students who attend Dickinson Fine Arts Academy usually go on to attend Rise Up Academy at Eggleston

Rate Dickinson Fine Arts Academy!

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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.