The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in Math. The lowest is 27% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Shawswick Elementary School
Shawswick Elementary School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Bedford, Indiana, part of the North Lawrence Community Schools district. Bedford is the county seat of Lawrence County, a place whose identity is tied to its limestone quarrying heritage—it is known as the Limestone Capital of the World—and whose economy is broad-based, with major employers in automotive manufacturing, limestone products, and healthcare. The city has a historic courthouse square district, a public library, and parks, and it was named an Indiana Stellar Community, bringing state and local funds for civic improvements. The school itself sits on Shawswick School Road, on one of several separate campuses that serve the Bedford area; there are six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school across the community.
Shawswick’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school serving these grades. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races. More than half of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common indicator of economic need. Housing in the area, as reflected by typical home values, is moderately priced compared to state and national benchmarks, and the cost of living is described locally as affordable for families at many stages of life.
On the Indiana ILEARN state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, Shawswick’s results show that a minority of students met the state’s proficiency bar in each tested subject. In mathematics, roughly a third of students scored at the proficient or above level. In English language arts, about a quarter did. In science and social studies, the share was just over a quarter to about a third. These are sober figures. While they do not reflect a school where most students are meeting state standards, they do place the school in a specific context: Shawswick’s overall proficiency index, which averages across all tested subjects and grades, sits above the midpoint when compared with other public school districts in Lawrence County. In a small cohort of four districts, the school is not at the bottom, but there is clear room for improvement, particularly in English language arts and social studies. A parent may want to ask the school about its approach to literacy instruction and any targeted support for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks.
Because Shawswick serves only elementary grades, it does not report a graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data; those metrics apply to high schools. No discipline, staffing, or course access data were available in the public record, so a family would need to follow up with the school directly for information about class sizes, teacher experience, or student behavior. The district’s recent curriculum changes were not publicly reported in a way that could be confirmed, so that area remains another possible question for school or district administrators.
In sum, Shawswick Elementary is a school with a solidly local feel in a town shaped by limestone and manufacturing. Its student body reflects the surrounding community, with a notable share of families facing economic challenges. The academic proficiency rates suggest a school that is working from a lower baseline than many might hope, though it holds a middle position among its county peers. Families considering this school should look into the specific supports available in reading and math, and they should ask about the school’s strategies for raising achievement across the board.
See more original research from School Decision →