The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in Math. The lowest is 9% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Longfellow New Tech Elementary Sch
Longfellow New Tech Elementary is a regular public school in Gary, Indiana, serving kindergarten through fourth grade as part of the Lake Ridge New Tech Schools district. It is not a charter school, and data on whether it operates as a magnet school or receives Title I funding was not available.
The school’s enrollment is substantial for an elementary that does not serve preschool in large numbers, with grades one and four each containing a sizeable group of students and grade two carrying the largest portion. The student body reflects Gary’s broader demographic mix, with a blend of students who identify as white, Black, and Hispanic, each making up a substantial share, along with a smaller group identifying as two or more races. The socio-economic reality is plain: nearly every student comes from a household qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that places this school in a high-poverty context. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available in the profile.
Assessment results are the hardest part of this school’s story and a parent will want to examine them closely. On the Indiana ILEARN state tests for grades three through eight, Longfellow’s performance in math, English language arts, and science falls in a range that is notably low, both in absolute terms and when placed among schools statewide. The share of students scoring proficient or above in math and in English language arts is in the single-digit or very low double-digit range. Science results, which are tested in a single grade within the school’s span, tell a similar story. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across all tested subjects and grades, places Longfellow in the lowest grouping among districts in Lake County. Participation rates in testing were high, meaning nearly all enrolled students took the assessments, so the results reflect the entire tested population.
A social studies assessment from several years ago, with a note that both the test and its cut scores changed afterward, also showed a very low proficiency rate, but that single older result is not directly comparable to current data.
Longfellow sits in Gary, a city with a layered history and a difficult present. The city was built by U.S. Steel as a company town and still hosts the largest steel mill complex in North America, but has lost a significant portion of its population over the past several decades as the industry restructured. An estimate from the city’s redevelopment department found that roughly a third of homes were empty or abandoned. Publicly reported accounts describe high unemployment and decaying infrastructure alongside recent investments such as the Hard Rock Casino and efforts to grow small business and lakefront tourism. Housing values in the area are low, well below state and national benchmarks, and have declined recently. Rent is also low relative to national norms. For context on the school’s immediate surroundings, the school’s location is at 45th and Calhoun in Gary, Indiana.
No recent district-level changes — referenda, boundary shifts, curriculum overhauls — were found in publicly reported sources for Lake Ridge New Tech Schools, so the district appears to be operating on an established footing without major announced transitions.
For a family considering Longfellow, the profile is clear. This is a school serving a high-poverty student population in a city that has faced sustained economic contraction. The academic attainment on state assessments is very low compared to state and county peers. The school’s size is within the typical range for an elementary, and the grade band means there is no high school graduation rate or advanced coursework to consider. A parent weighing this school should ask the district and school leadership directly about what academic interventions, curriculum supports, or instructional strategies are in place to address the proficiency levels shown in the testing data. The school’s name includes “New Tech,” which often signals an emphasis on project-based learning and technology integration, but the specific program model and how it operates at the elementary level would need to be explored directly with the school, as the available data did not include program descriptions.
See more original research from School Decision →