The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln School
Lincoln School sits in the heart of Evansville, a mid-sized city that serves as the commercial, medical, and cultural hub of the tri-state area where Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky meet. The school itself occupies a single building and serves kindergarten through eighth grade, making it a regular public school that a child could attend from early elementary through middle school before transitioning to a high school elsewhere in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
The student body is relatively small for a K-through-8 school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across grades. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse. A little under half of the students are Black, about a third are white, and the rest are multiracial, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A substantial share of students come from households with low incomes. This means Lincoln is a school where a large portion of families are managing economic challenges, and that reality shapes the resources and supports a child experiences.
On state assessments, Lincoln School posts proficiency rates that are well below most other schools in Indiana. In math, a small single-digit share of students met the state’s proficiency standard. In English language arts, the share was only modestly higher. Science and social studies proficiency rates were very low. When compared with other school districts across Vanderburgh County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. A parent looking at these numbers will want to understand what academic interventions and supports are in place, and to ask the school directly about how it approaches instruction and remediation for students who are behind grade level.
Because Lincoln School only goes through eighth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. That is not a missing metric in the usual sense; it simply does not apply to this grade band.
The district and school websites offer limited publicly reported information about specialized programs or course access, so it is not clear what electives, arts offerings, or advanced coursework are available in the middle grades. A family with a middle-schooler who has strong academic interests may want to ask what pathways exist at the upper end of the building.
The housing market around Lincoln School is notably affordable by national and even state standards. Home values are well below the Indiana average, and rents are modest. This can make Evansville an accessible place to buy a home, though it also reflects the area’s population trend: the city has seen a modest decline in residents over the past several years. The broader economy relies on manufacturing, healthcare, and retail, and the median household income in Evansville is lower than the national figure.
Evansville itself is a city with a walkable downtown core, historic architecture, a riverfront park system, a zoo, and a university presence. The area has active city redevelopment programs. Public transit is available, and commute times are short relative to large metro areas. For a family deciding whether Lincoln School fits, the key question is how the school’s low proficiency rates compare to their child’s current academic standing and what specific interventions the school offers. The school community is diverse and the student body is comparatively small, which may appeal to families who want a neighborhood school where staff know students well. But the academic data is a soft spot that warrants a direct conversation with the principal and a visit to the building.
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