The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 54% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on East Side Elementary School
East Side Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Brazil, Indiana, a small city that serves as the Clay County seat. The school is part of Clay Community Schools, which is the only public school district in the county. For families considering this elementary school, the data available gives a clear picture of the academic landscape, the student body, and the community around it.
On the most recent state assessments, a majority of students met Indiana’s proficiency standards in math and science. In English language arts and social studies, roughly half of the tested students reached the proficiency benchmark. These results are based on Indiana’s ILEARN assessments, and participation in the tested subjects was essentially complete, so the figures represent nearly all enrolled students in the tested grades. The school serves grades that do not produce a graduation rate, and state testing data for earlier grades is not part of this reporting.
The student body is small, and the great majority of students are white, with only a handful of students identifying as Black, Hispanic, or multiracial. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which often signals that many families in the attendance zone face economic pressures. This context is important when interpreting the proficiency numbers, as schools with higher poverty levels often have different resource needs.
The city of Brazil is a traditional Midwestern county seat with a historic downtown centered on the Clay County Courthouse and a public library. The community has been working on downtown revitalization through a Main Street nonprofit that focuses on art projects and economic development. Housing in the Brazil area tends to be more affordable than in many parts of Indiana and the country as a whole, which may be a factor for families looking at the school attendance zone. The town has a public-use airport and is part of the broader Terre Haute metropolitan area.
Several pieces of information that parents often consider were not available in the data supplied. There is no reported information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access. Because the school only goes through fifth grade, there are no graduation or postsecondary readiness measures. The school’s Title I status and magnet status were also not reported. For families who want a fuller picture of daily operations, support services, and classroom environment, asking the school directly would be the next step.
Because Clay County has only one school district, there is no comparison possible with other districts in the county. The school’s performance stands on its own without a local peer group to measure against.
East Side Elementary sits in a town where civic life revolves around the courthouse square and where the district serves the entire county. The academic profile shows solid performance in math and science, with room for growth in reading and social studies, set against a backdrop of notable economic need among the student population. For a parent or resident, this is a small elementary school in a modestly priced housing market, run by a single district that covers the whole county.
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