The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in Science. The lowest is 40% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Hagerstown Elementary School
Hagerstown Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade as a regular public school in the Nettle Creek School Corporation. It is the only elementary school in the district and feeds into the combined junior-senior high school. The school sits in the small town of Hagerstown in Wayne County, a place that describes itself as offering small-town living with reach to metropolitan areas, situated a modest drive from Indianapolis and Richmond.
The school’s academic performance on the state’s ILEARN assessments places it in a relatively strong position compared to other districts within Wayne County. When the district’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades is measured, Hagerstown Elementary ranks in the top quarter of the county’s six districts. That is a notable anchor of the school’s profile. Looking subject by subject, math proficiency is above the midpoint, while English language arts is a step lower. Science results are higher than either math or ELA, and social studies—tested only in fifth grade—is the weakest area. A parent may want to ask the school about that social studies outcome, since it is the lowest proficiency among the four tested subjects. Participation rates on the assessments were high, which gives the results solid footing.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races, and even smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Nearly half of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating a moderate level of economic need in the community. Enrollment across the grades is fairly even, with the largest group in sixth grade and the smallest in second grade.
Hagerstown itself has seen a slight population decline over the past decade, but the downtown has had new shops and restaurants open in recent years, and the town’s library and park system are regularly highlighted as assets. Manufacturing remains the largest local industry, followed by health care and retail. Notable local employers include a toy manufacturer known for gyroscopes and a candy shop that is Indiana’s oldest. The town’s historical industrial anchor closed some time ago, representing a long-term economic transition. The housing market is modest: median home values are below the state average and well below the national average. Rents are also relatively affordable, making the area accessible for families on a range of incomes.
There is no public data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or special education and English learner populations for this school. Those gaps may reflect the levels at which the state reports, but a family with specific concerns about those areas would need to reach out directly to the school or district. The district brief did not turn up any recent changes or strategic priorities of lasting impact, so the school appears to be operating without major recent disruption or realignment.
Hagerstown Elementary offers a consistent, traditional elementary experience in a small-town setting. Its academic results are solid relative to its county, though the weaker showing in English language arts and social studies are worth a closer look. The student population is homogeneous, and the economic background of families is mixed but leans toward modest means. For a family looking for a stable neighborhood school in a community that values its library and parks, with reasonable housing costs and a short commute to larger job centers, this school fits that profile.
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