The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Hattie B Stokes Elementary School
Hattie B Stokes Elementary School is one of four elementary schools in the Lebanon Community School Corporation, serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade in a regular public school setting. The school is located in Lebanon, the county seat of Boone County, a city that is undergoing a dramatic transformation driven by massive corporate investments at the LEAP Research and Innovation District. This is not a quiet, unchanging town; Lebanon is in the middle of explosive industrial growth, with major projects from Eli Lilly, Meta, and other large employers reshaping the local economy and housing market. A parent considering this school should be aware that the community context is one of rapid development, with significant implications for housing demand and infrastructure.
The school itself enrolls a student population that is predominantly white, with Hispanic and Black students together making up a meaningful share, along with a small number of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students at Hattie B Stokes qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a student body with considerable economic need.
On state assessments, Hattie B Stokes’s performance is low compared to other schools within Boone County. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among the county’s districts. In math, less than a third of students reached the proficient level. In English language arts, the picture is similar. Science proficiency was below that, and social studies results for fifth graders were also low. A parent should look into this further with the school to understand what supports and interventions are in place.
Because the district is growing, driven in part by residential development in the nearby town of Whitestown, the district has approved planning for a new elementary school in that area, expected to open in the 2026-2027 school year. This may eventually relieve crowding at Hattie B Stokes and the other elementary schools, but for now the school is part of a district absorbing growth.
In 2024, voters approved an operating referendum that generates additional annual funding for the district through a property tax increase, with the money directed toward teacher compensation, academic programs, and student support services. This is a structural financial commitment for district residents, and it reflects the community’s investment in its schools.
The district has also implemented a new STEM-focused curriculum across all grade levels starting in the 2023-2024 school year, emphasizing project-based learning, coding, and robotics, funded through a combination of referendum funds and state grants. For a family considering Hattie B Stokes, this means that even at the elementary level, the school is part of a district-wide shift toward STEM integration.
The school does not offer any programs beyond the standard elementary curriculum that were reported, so a parent will not find specialized magnet or alternative tracks at this school. What they will find is a neighborhood elementary school in a city that is changing rapidly, with a student body that faces economic challenges, and state assessment results that are weak relative to the county. The district is actively investing in its schools and trying to address growth, but the academic numbers at Hattie B Stokes are a real consideration for any family weighing their options.
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