The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 35% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Springville Community Academy
Springville Community Academy is a single-school public charter district serving prekindergarten through eighth grade in rural Lawrence County, Indiana. It opened in 2022, created by a community-led charter authorized by the University of Southern Indiana, and it operates as the only school in the district. The school sits within a small, unincorporated area, and its opening brought a locally based public education option to a community that had been without one. Because Springville does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the state’s academic accountability measures apply only through grade eight.
The student body is small, with an enrollment in the low hundreds distributed across all elementary and middle school grades. The composition is overwhelmingly white, with a handful of students identifying as Hispanic or of two or more races, and a single Black student. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, receiving special education services, or learning English as a second language was not available in the public record; a family seeking a complete picture of the school’s support needs would want to ask the school directly.
State test results from the 2024–25 school year offer a mixed but notably competitive picture within Lawrence County. In math and English language arts, a bit under half of students in grades three through eight met the state’s proficiency standard. Science results, based on a smaller tested group, showed that more than half of students were proficient. The fifth-grade social studies assessment, which involved very few students, showed roughly a third reaching proficiency. When those rates are combined into an overall proficiency index, Springville’s performance sits above the highest-scoring traditional district in the county. Among the three districts in Lawrence County for which comparable data exist, Springville is in the top position. In absolute terms the numbers are moderate, but within its immediate geographic context the school is the strongest performer. Parents should note that because the school is new and the comparison set is small, a single year of data tells only part of the story.
Chronic absenteeism, a measure of how often students miss a substantial portion of the school year, is a relevant indicator of school climate. Springville’s chronic absenteeism rate is the lowest among the county’s three districts. While still a concern — roughly one in five students was chronically absent — that rate is notably better than the other two public school systems in the county.
The school’s academic model is deliberate and distinctive, as described in its charter and authorizer reports. Class sizes are intentionally small. The daily schedule includes a dedicated block called W.I.N. — Whatever I Need — for targeted, small-group instruction based on individual student needs. The school uses a House system, dividing students into groups for community building and mentorship. Weekly STEAM classes are led by a licensed STEM instructor, and an Outdoors Tomorrow program incorporates outdoor and place-based learning. The curriculum is described as college preparatory with a classical and place-based orientation.
A notable feature for families with older children is a partnership with the Indiana Agriculture & Technology School, which offers virtual and hybrid classes for grades nine through twelve. That arrangement provides a high school pathway for students who would otherwise need to leave the community or enroll in a larger district for secondary education.
For a family evaluating this school, the key considerations are its small size, its rural setting, its model of individualized and outdoor-oriented instruction, and its relative academic standing in a county with few options. The school is new, and its long-term trajectory has yet to be established. It is best suited for families seeking a tight-knit, place-based elementary and middle school experience and who are comfortable with the high school arrangement a partnership provides. Those who rely on robust data about economic diversity or special programs may find the public information thin and will want to reach out directly.
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