The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in Science. The lowest is 13% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Carlin Park Elementary School
Carlin Park Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Angola, Indiana, as part of MSD Steuben County. It is a regular public school without charter or magnet status. The enrollment is large for an elementary school given its grade band, though the school itself sits in a small city that functions as the county seat of Steuben County. Angola’s municipal center is organized around a traditional public square, but little publicly reported detail is available about the town’s walkability, major employers, parks, or recent growth patterns, so the surrounding community context remains thin in this account.
The student body is predominantly White, with a notable Hispanic share and very small representations of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking this as a school serving a community with above-average economic need. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures and staffing levels.
On state assessments, the school’s results sit below the midpoint compared to other districts in Steuben County, in the bottom quartile of the two-district comparison set. The proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, reflects this position. In math, roughly three out of every ten students scored at or above the state’s proficient level. In English language arts, the share was lower, at about two in ten. Science results were higher, though science is tested in fewer grades, and social studies results were lower still, with a small share of fifth graders reaching proficiency. Participation rates on the math and English assessments were complete, while rates for science and social studies were not reported. These are elementary grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider, and the school does not offer the kind of advanced coursework, career pathways, or dual-credit programs that matter to high school families.
No information was available about chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or staffing ratios. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or major news, leaving that part of the picture blank.
For a family weighing this school, the central takeaway is clear enough from the testing data. Proficiency rates in math and reading are low, and the school sits below its county peers. That is a soft spot a parent will want to investigate further with the school itself, asking about academic interventions, instructional supports, and how the school is working to move those numbers. The school’s size and its role as a neighborhood elementary in a small, economically mixed city are plain characteristics that will suit some families and not others, depending on what they are looking for in a peer environment and setting. The absence of information on special education caseloads, English learner services, and day-to-day climate gaps means a parent should plan a direct visit and conversation with the principal before forming a full judgment.
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