The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Science. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on North Daviess Elementary School
North Daviess Elementary School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Elnora, a very small town in rural Daviess County, Indiana. The school sits on a state highway, surrounded by the croplands and cornfields that define this part of the state. Elnora itself has been described by its town council president as a “drive-through town” where “you blink, and you miss it.” Population has been declining over recent decades, and the town has a limited commercial presence. It is the kind of place where the town hall serves as the primary civic gathering space and where infrastructure improvements are a current focus through a university partnership. For families considering this area, the setting is unmistakably agricultural and low-density; daily life is auto-oriented, and the nearest larger employment centers are likely in the county seat or other nearby communities.
The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and even smaller numbers from other racial groups. About half of the students come from households qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, giving the school a moderate level of economic need. Because the school stops at sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data was available on chronic absenteeism, special education identification rates, or English learner enrollment. The school does not carry charter or magnet status, and no information was found regarding Title I designation.
On state assessments administered through Indiana’s ILEARN, the school’s results place it above the midpoint among districts in Daviess County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In math, about four in ten students met the state’s proficiency standard. In English language arts, roughly half did. Science proficiency came in around half of tested students as well, and social studies, administered only in fifth grade, showed a similar share meeting the bar. These figures suggest a school where a solid portion of students are reaching grade-level expectations, though a majority in some subjects are not. The comparison with other Daviess County districts, which includes only three entities with reported data, shows North Daviess Elementary’s combined proficiency index in between the low and high ends of that small group. A parent may want to follow up with the school directly about how individual subgroups perform and what supports are available for students who are not yet at proficiency.
The district, North Daviess Community Schools, does not appear to have undergone any recent major changes that were publicly reported in available searches, so the school’s programming and leadership appear stable on the surface. No information was found about course access, extracurriculars, or specific program offerings such as gifted education, arts, or special services. The school’s own website or a direct inquiry would be the best way to fill in those details.
In terms of the local housing market, home values in the zip code area around Elnora are notably lower than both the Indiana state average and the national median, reflecting the rural and modest character of the community. The area’s affordability relative to incomes is favorable, though the town’s population decline and limited economic base may factor into long-term property considerations. There are no major employers identified in Elnora itself, and the town’s growth trajectory has been downward, with recent census estimates continuing that trend.
For a family seeking a small, rural elementary school where the student body is fairly homogeneous economically and racially, where test results are middling but above the midpoint for the county, and where the community is quiet and agricultural, North Daviess Elementary fits that profile. It is not a school with standout academic data or a wide range of reported programs, but it is an established part of a shrinking rural town that is actively working on its own revitalization. The school serves the elementary years only, so families will need to plan for middle and high school in the same district or elsewhere.
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