Ohio County Elementary School, Rising Sun IN

Original Research by School Decision on Ohio County Elementary School

Ohio County Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Rising Sun, the small river town that is the county seat of Ohio County, Indiana, and the only incorporated community in the county. The school is part of the Rising Sun-Ohio County Community Schools district. The town itself is compact, with a historic downtown clustered around the courthouse square, and a civic life that includes a riverfront park, a public library, and a historical museum. The Rising Star Casino Resort is the dominant local employer, and the town has seen a gradual population decline over recent decades. There is no major recent development that the district data flags, and a search for recent district changes—such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or property tax changes—turned up little that was lasting or actionable for a parent.

The school’s enrollment is modest relative to its grade band. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very small shares of students who are Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Asian, or of two or more races. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that positions this as a school serving a community with a mix of economic backgrounds. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records provided, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports those populations.

On the Indiana ILEARN state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates are moderate overall. In math, a bit under half of students met proficiency standards. In English language arts, the rate was lower, with just over a third of students scoring proficient. On the science assessment, which is given to a narrower set of grades, a bit over two-fifths of tested students reached proficiency. In social studies, which is tested at grade five, about half of students scored proficient. Participation rates on the math and English language arts tests were high. These results give a mixed picture: a school where a solid share of students are on track in math and social studies, but where English language arts and science outcomes are softer and would merit a closer look from a family considering the school. Because Ohio County has only one school district, there is no in-county comparison for these proficiency results. The district brief found no recent changes that would be likely to affect instruction or staffing in the near term.

A parent considering this school should see it as a straightforward, community-centered elementary school in a very small district. The town is stable, slow-growing, and economically anchored by a single large employer. The school’s academic results across subjects are uneven, with math and social studies showing stronger performance than English language arts and science. Given that only elementary grades are served here, there is no graduation rate to consider. The school does not appear to offer specialized programs that were recorded in the data, and information on discipline, course access, staff qualifications, and attendance was not available in the materials reviewed. A family would likely want to visit, talk with the principal about how the school approaches reading instruction in the early grades, and ask about support services for students who are not yet at proficiency in English language arts.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-847%

School 47% · District 34% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median

English language arts

Grades 3-836%

School 36% · District 38% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median

Science

Grades 3-843%

School 43% · District 48% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 17 pts above state median

This schoolRising Sun-Ohio Co Com, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income36%Higher-income54%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income21%Higher-income40%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income35%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income54%Higher-income59%5 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income66%41 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income67%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income36%Higher-income63%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income48%17 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income37%Higher-income56%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income37%Higher-income46%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income12%Higher-income34%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income41%20 pp gap