The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Math. The lowest is 51% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Utica Elementary School
Utica Elementary School serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in Jeffersonville, Indiana, as part of Greater Clark County Schools. The school sits within a mid-sized city that stretches along the Ohio River directly across from Louisville, Kentucky, in a region that blends residential neighborhoods, riverfront commercial districts, and industrial zones anchored by the River Ridge Commerce Center. Jeffersonville has grown steadily in recent years, and the school is part of a district that is one of the city’s top employers.
The student body reflects the wider community’s demographic composition, with a student population that is predominantly white, with Black and multiracial groups each representing a meaningful share of enrollment. Hispanic and Asian students make up much smaller portions. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic diversity is present in the building.
On the Indiana ILEARN assessments, Utica Elementary posted proficiency rates that placed its overall performance well above other elementary and middle schools in Clark County for the most recent testing year. This is a notable strength. In mathematics, roughly two-thirds of students scored at or above the proficient level. In English language arts, a majority of students met that bar, though the figure was lower than in math. In science, a similar majority of the tested students achieved proficiency, and in the fifth-grade social studies assessment, about half of students were proficient. The school’s combined performance across subjects was the highest among the five Clark County elementary or K-8 schools with available data, putting Utica Elementary at the top of that local peer set.
The school has strong participation rates on the state tests, with almost all enrolled students taking the exams. This matters because high participation means the results give a reliable picture of schoolwide performance, not a selective sample.
Because Utica Elementary serves only through fifth grade, no high school graduation rate applies here, and no chronic absenteeism data was available in the record to examine.
In the broader district context, Greater Clark County Schools made several recent changes that affect families at this school. The district expanded its preschool program from half-day to full-day options at multiple elementary sites starting in the 2023-2024 school year, which means families at Utica Elementary with young children may have access to more early education hours than in the past. A five-year strategic plan covering 2023 through 2028 focuses on academic excellence, whole child development, community engagement, and operational efficiency. Among the initiatives in that plan is expanding STEM offerings across all grade levels, which could influence the academic experience as students move through the elementary grades. Perhaps most significant for classroom practice, the district implemented the AVID program district-wide beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. AVID embeds specific strategies around writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading into core content areas, aiming to prepare students for college and career paths. This is a pedagogical shift that touches every school, including Utica Elementary.
Housing in the zip code area around the school has a median value that is close to the state benchmark for Indiana, and the typical rent is roughly in line with what a household earning the national median income would spend on housing. The area’s real estate market has been relatively stable, with modest appreciation in home values and rent prices essentially flat. For families considering a move to this attendance zone, the housing costs are broadly consistent with Indiana norms rather than a clear outlier in either direction.
The school building itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Information about specialized programs, course access, staffing ratios, and discipline rates was not available in the data provided, so a parent wanting a fuller picture of those aspects would need to contact the school directly. What is clear is that Utica Elementary serves a substantial number of students, it has shown strong academic results relative to other local elementary schools, and it sits within a district that is actively investing in early childhood education, college readiness frameworks, and strategic planning around STEM and student support. The school’s combination of higher local test performance and broad-based participation on assessments suggests it is a solid option for families in the southern Indiana region looking for an elementary school that is performing well compared to nearby peers.
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