The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 24% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gosport Elementary School
Gosport Elementary School serves a small, rural community in Owen County, Indiana, as part of the Spencer-Owen Community Schools district. The school enrolls students from prekindergarten through sixth grade and is the type of facility a family in the area would call their neighborhood elementary school.
Academically, the most recent state assessment data from the ILEARN tests presents a mixed picture. In mathematics, roughly two out of five students met the state’s proficiency benchmark. English language arts results were softer, with just over three out of ten students reaching the proficient level. Science and social studies scores were lower still, with science recording about one in four students proficient and social studies hitting the same mark on a smaller testing cohort. The participation rate in the tested grades was reported as complete for math and ELA, meeting the state threshold. A parent considering this school would want to look into these academic outcomes further with the school and district leadership, particularly to understand what supports and interventions are in place to move these numbers.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small share of students identifying as two or more races and a still smaller number of Black or Hispanic students. Data on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided materials. A substantial majority of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a clear indicator that the school serves a population with significant economic need.
The school’s setting is authentically small-town rural. Gosport itself is a community of modest size, with a Main Street that includes shops and eateries, a historic district, a park, and a boat ramp on the White River. Residents rely heavily on cars, and the average commute is typical for a rural area. The town is seeing slow but steady population growth, and employment across the area is rising. Housing values in the Gosport ZIP code are roughly in line with the Indiana state benchmark but remain below the national average, which may make the area more affordable for families. The monthly housing costs in this market, when set against median incomes, suggest that a home is relatively accessible compared to many parts of the country.
The parent district recently completed a major facilities investment, with construction-related spending in a recent fiscal year that reflects ongoing upgrades to its school buildings. Gosport Elementary would have been part of that infrastructure work, though specific improvements at this building were not detailed.
One notable gap is the lack of comparison data. Because Gosport Elementary is the only school in its grade band in Owen County for which this data was collected, the system could not place its proficiency results relative to neighboring districts. Similarly, the school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies, and chronic absenteeism data was not available in the provided records.
This is a school where the majority of families are navigating economic challenges, where the academic results on state tests lag state averages, and where the community context is quiet and rural. For a family already living in or moving to this area, the school offers a close-in, small elementary setting. The academic numbers are the main area a parent would want to discuss directly with the principal to understand the school’s trajectory and what classroom supports look like day to day.
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