The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 36% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Harney Elementary School
Harney Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Lebanon Community School Corporation in Lebanon, Indiana. The school is one of four elementary schools serving the district, and it sits in a city that is undergoing a rapid economic transformation. Lebanon has historically been a small Midwestern county seat, but the development of the LEAP Research and Innovation District, a large-acreage initiative for technological and manufacturing projects, has drawn major investments from companies including Eli Lilly and Meta. This growth is reshaping the local economy and housing market, with home values in the area above the national median and rising, putting pressure on a community that already has a mix of older residential neighborhoods and new development.
The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic diversity. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, and the grade configuration means that the school does not have any graduation rate or high-school-level outcomes to report.
On state assessments, Harney's performance is mixed. In math, a majority of students met or exceeded the state's proficiency standard. That is the school's strongest tested area. In English language arts, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower, landing below the majority mark. Science results from a single grade-level test showed roughly half of students proficient, while the social studies result from a different grade was similarly below the majority mark. Compared to other districts in Boone County, Harney's overall proficiency across subjects fell below the midpoint of the cohort. A parent may want to ask the school about targeted support in literacy and how the school addresses the gap between its math and reading outcomes.
The district has made structural changes that affect the school. Voters approved an operating referendum that provides additional annual funding, which the district has directed toward teacher compensation, academic programs, and student support services. The district also rolled out a new STEM-focused curriculum across all grade levels, with an emphasis on project-based learning, coding, and robotics, and invested in related technology and staffing. The data does not indicate whether Harney has specific program offerings or extracurriculars beyond the general curriculum.
The broader district is experiencing enrollment growth driven by residential development in the nearby Whitestown area, and the district has approved planning for a new elementary school to open there, which could shift attendance boundaries or relieve crowding at existing schools like Harney. Parents moving into the area should be aware that the operating referendum added a property tax increase for district residents, a recurring cost they will bear.
The landscape around the school is auto-oriented outside the downtown core, though the city has some shared-use trail infrastructure and a traditional courthouse square. The school itself is a regular public elementary school with no charter or magnet designation. Because it serves only primary grades, there are no high school academic pathways, career programs, or college-prep offerings to evaluate here. For families choosing a school, the central question around Harney will be how the district's STEM pivot and the new funding for teacher pay and support services translate into classroom experience, and whether a parent is comfortable with the current literacy outcomes.
See more original research from School Decision →