South Central Jr & Sr High School, Elizabeth IN

Original Research by School Decision on South Central Jr & Sr High School

South Central Jr & Sr High School is a regular public school serving grades seven through twelve in the rural town of Elizabeth, Indiana, part of the South Harrison Com Schools district. The school has a modest enrollment and draws from the entire southeastern portion of Harrison County. The town itself is very small and compact, with a historic downtown and a residential character. The school building sits outside the town proper, on a campus that also serves South Central Elementary. Families moving into the area often do so for the rural setting and lower density. The housing market in the zip code has seen values rise in line with state trends, and monthly mortgage costs for a median-priced home run somewhat above the national average but still below the most expensive parts of the state.

The student body is predominantly white, with a very small number of students identifying as Asian, Black, Hispanic, or two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available profiles, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how these populations are served.

Academically, state testing results from the most recent ILEARN assessments show that in English language arts, just under half of students in the tested grades met proficiency standards. In math, the share of proficient students was lower, about three in ten. Among the three school districts in Harrison County, South Central’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint, suggesting it performs comparably to or slightly above some of its nearby peers. A separate social studies assessment from several years ago showed a higher proficiency rate, but that test has since been replaced, making the result less directly comparable. No graduation rate data was available in the records used for this profile, nor was information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, or staffing. The school website and local reporting may fill in some of these gaps, but a family interested in college readiness, Advanced Placement or dual-credit offerings, or career and technical education pathways would need to seek that information directly.

South Central Jr & Sr High School offers the continuity of a combined junior and senior high campus in a small rural setting. The district has not recently reported any major changes in leadership, boundaries, or programming that would shift the experience a family should expect. The lack of several common data points makes it difficult to fully assess the academic climate and student support systems. A parent considering this school should plan to visit, talk to administrators, and ask about graduation rates, college-going rates, and how the school prepares students for life after high school. For families who value a small, locally rooted school in a quiet part of southern Indiana, this may be a good fit; those seeking a richer academic record or more transparent outcomes will want to do additional research.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 48 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

389 schools plotted. 9 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grades 3-832%

School 32% · District 45% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-845%

School 45% · District 47% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grades 3-867%

School 67% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median

This schoolSouth Harrison Com Schools, 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 6Lower-income58%Higher-income54%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income52%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income27%Higher-income56%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income71%Higher-income68%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income38%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income18%Higher-income37%19 pp gap