The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 41% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Douglas Macarthur Elementary Sch
Douglas MacArthur Elementary School serves students in prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within Perry Township Schools in Indianapolis. The school sits in the southern part of Marion County, in a neighborhood that offers a mix of residential and commercial development characteristic of the broader Indianapolis area. Housing in the immediate area has been relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks, with home values showing little change recently and rents rising modestly. Median household income nationally has also been trending upward gradually, though the local market appears to offer a more accessible entry point for homebuyers than many parts of the country.
The school enrolls a sizable student body for an elementary school. The demographic makeup is distinctive: families of Asian background represent the largest single group, making up nearly half of the student population. White students account for roughly a third, while students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native make up the remainder in smaller shares. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a substantial portion of families face economic pressures. The school provides a prekindergarten program, though enrollment in that grade is limited, while grade-level cohorts from first through fifth grade are all sizable.
State assessment results from the ILEARN tests show a mixed picture. In mathematics, just over half of students scored at or above the proficient level, a rate that places the school solidly in the top quarter of all schools relative to others across Marion County by the proficiency index measure. English language arts performance was lower, with about two out of five students reaching proficiency. Science and social studies results, each tested at specific grade levels, also hovered around the two-in-five proficiency mark. Participation rates on the state tests were very high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. For a parent, the gap between math and English language arts performance may be worth discussing with the school to understand what supports are in place for reading and writing.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data did not include information on chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet.
Perry Township Schools, the district that operates this school, has undergone a significant reorganization of its elementary structure. The district now divides its youngest students into separate kindergarten academies and early childhood academies, creating a feeder pattern where families east of US-31 attend Southport schools and families west of US-31 attend Perry Meridian schools. This means that for a family moving into the attendance zone, the school their child attends is determined by which side of the highway they live on, a lasting structural change. The district also received a federal Teacher and School Leader grant aimed at recruiting and developing teachers and school leaders, which may positively affect classroom quality across the district over time.
For a parent considering this school, the standout feature is the strong math performance relative to other elementary schools in the county. The economic diversity of the student body is notable, with a majority of families qualifying for meal assistance, and the racial and ethnic composition is quite different from many Indianapolis schools, with a large Asian plurality. The English language arts scores are an area where a parent would want to ask about targeted reading interventions or enrichment. The broader district context matters here: the feeder pattern is clearly defined by geography, and the district has invested in teacher development through a federal grant, though the ultimate impact on individual classrooms will depend on how that plays out at the school level.
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