The top reported proficiency rate is 17% in Math. The lowest is 9% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Jonathan Jennings School 109
Jonathan Jennings School 109 is a regular public elementary school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade as part of Indianapolis Public Schools, the large urban district covering the state capital and its surrounding neighborhoods. The school is located on Gateway Drive on the west side of Indianapolis, in a part of the city that mixes residential streets with commercial corridors. Housing in the surrounding area is moderately priced compared to the national median, and rents have been rising at a pace that mirrors broader inflation. The typical household in this zip code spends a modest share of its income on rent, a sign that the area remains within reach for many working families.
The student body is small for a school serving those grade levels. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that places the school in a higher-needs category and typically triggers federal Title I supports, though the data here does not confirm the school’s current Title I status. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of Black students and very small numbers of white, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students who have individualized education programs or who are English learners was missing from the available records, a gap a parent may want to bring up directly with the school.
On the state’s ILEARN assessments, which Indiana administers to students in third through eighth grade, the school’s results fall well below the midpoint among Marion County districts. In math, about one in six students scored at the proficient level or above. In English language arts, the figure was lower, at roughly one in seven. Science and social studies results were weaker still, with about one in ten students reaching proficiency in science and a smaller share in social studies. Participation rates were high, so the scores reflect nearly universal testing. These proficiency rates are low in absolute terms and represent a soft spot that a parent considering the school would want to discuss with administrators to understand what instructional supports and interventions are in place.
Because the school serves only through sixth grade, it has no graduation rate to report. The school offers no high school pathways such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career and technical programs. Those opportunities would be found at the high school the student later attends within Indianapolis Public Schools. The school’s program offerings beyond the core curriculum were not detailed in the available data.
A parent researching this school should know that Indianapolis Public Schools has moved to a zone-based enrollment system. Families in any part of the city can apply to any IPS school through the centralized Enroll Indy process, including schools outside their assigned zone. The district also runs Innovation Network Schools, which are district schools managed by independent operators, as well as magnet programs in Montessori, dual language, STEM, and International Baccalaureate. This means Jonathan Jennings School 109 sits within a larger system where school choice is the norm and families have options to seek a different fit if this school’s academic profile does not match their priorities. The district has also experienced substantial enrollment decline over the past decade, a long-term trend that affects funding, staffing, and program stability across all its schools.
For a family weighing Jonathan Jennings School 109, the central question is what academic support the school provides for students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks. The available data shows a school with a high-needs population and low proficiency rates across every tested subject. A parent would benefit from visiting, asking about reading and math intervention programs, and understanding how the school supports English learners and students with disabilities, neither of which had data available here. The school’s modest size, the district’s choice system, and the relative affordability of west-side housing are factors that may matter to different families in different ways. The academic results are the primary fact to reckon with.
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