Clay Community Schools, IN

Original Research by School Decision on Clay Community Schools

Clay Community Schools serves a mostly rural stretch of west-central Indiana, covering the towns of Brazil, Clay City, Center Point, Carbon, Cory, and several smaller communities across Clay County. The district enrolls students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade across ten schools: one comprehensive high school, a combined junior-senior high in Clay City, a middle school, and seven elementary buildings spread widely enough that a family’s experience can depend heavily on which attendance zone they live in.

The student body is overwhelmingly white, and the district does not report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals or the number of students with individualized education programs or English-learner status, so a parent trying to gauge the level of economic or academic support needs at the district can get only a partial picture from the data available. The elementary schools are small enough, given the overall enrollment of roughly 4,100 students spread across seven K-5 buildings, that class sizes may be modest and staff may know families well, though the district also has a single middle school and a single large high school, which will feel quite different in scale and daily structure.

On state assessments, the district’s results land in a middle zone. On the ILEARN tests administered in grades three through eight, about half of students scored proficient or above in English language arts and a similar share in math. Science proficiency ran a bit higher, and social studies proficiency for fifth graders was again close to that midpoint. These numbers are not especially high or low compared to statewide averages; they suggest a district where a substantial number of students are meeting grade-level expectations and a similar number are not, which may matter to a family whose child needs strong academic supports or enrichment. The district does not report a four-year graduation rate in the available data, so that important benchmark for the high school is missing, and a parent may want to ask the school directly.

Housing in the district covers a wide range. The typical home value across the district was below that of the state overall but above the low end; values in the town of Brazil, the largest population center, are toward the middle of the district’s range, while some of the smaller rural communities like Clay City and Carbon have lower home values and a few outlying areas run higher. The weighted average across the district has been rising modestly, and the area has been generally affordable relative to national incomes, with a typical mortgage payment estimated noticeably below the national rent equivalent. Rental data is thin; there are very few listings captured. Families coming from more expensive parts of the state or country may find the housing costs manageable, though the trade-off is a more limited job market and fewer of the amenities found in larger metros.

The district encompasses a county that has seen economic shifts typical of rural Indiana, with historical ties to coal mining and manufacturing that have diminished over time. The towns are small and spread out, and schools serve as community hubs. A parent considering this district should note that the demographic and economic data gaps make it harder to assess how well the district serves students with disabilities, English learners, or low-income families, and may want to ask directly about those programs. The academic picture is one of a district that is not struggling deeply but also not posting standout results, and the real variation may be between individual elementary schools rather than across the district as a whole.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

4,114

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 3%

Black 0%

White 93%

Asian 0%

Two+ 3%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

40%

54%

Gr 4

42%

59%

Gr 5

36%

61%

Gr 6

41%

62%

Gr 7

31%

43%

Gr 8

38%

62%

Math

Gr 3

61%

71%

Gr 4

49%

69%

Gr 5

48%

68%

Gr 6

44%

53%

Gr 7

29%

42%

Gr 8

21%

44%

Science

Gr 4

44%

60%

Gr 6

52%

67%

Social studies

Gr 5

43%

57%

Schools in this District

10 schools are officially reported under this district.

Northview High School

Clay City Elementary School

Clay City Jr-Sr High School

East Side Elementary School

Forest Park Elementary School

Jackson Township Elementary School

Meridian Street Elementary School

Staunton Elementary School

Van Buren Elementary School

North Clay Middle School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

51%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

48%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

56%

Grades 3-8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

51%

Grade 5

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$197,656

Year-over-year change+3.2%

Range across 15 ZIP codes$128K to $297K

vs. state typical0.77x

vs. national typical0.54x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (15 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
47834	Brazil	$188K	+0.8%	39.6%
47841	Clay City	$175K	+1.6%	17.6%
47840	Center Point	$209K	+9.7%	13.7%
47846	Cory	$240K	+1.3%	9.5%
47837	Carbon	$187K	+7.0%	6.6%
47833	Bowling Green	$232K	+6.2%	6.5%
47868	Poland	$200K	+3.2%	2.4%
47427	Coal City	$207K	+7.6%	1.7%
47874	Rosedale	$181K	+2.5%	0.8%
46135	Greencastle	$242K	+2.8%	0.7%
47872	Rockville	$235K	+8.8%	0.5%
46171	Reelsville	$297K	+5.4%	0.2%
47857	Knightsville	$128K	-7.1%	0.1%
47802	Terre Haute	$194K	+1.2%	0.1%
47881	Staunton	$130K	-13.2%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$980/mo

Year-over-year change+4.0%

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
47802	Terre Haute	$980	+4.0%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$997/mo

Home price / national median income2.4x

Annual rent / national median income14.0%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$18/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$256,584 (+3.0% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.