The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Indiana Digital Elementary
Indiana Digital Elementary is a statewide virtual public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade, operated under the Union School Corporation, which is headquartered in Modoc, Indiana. The school’s enrollment is large, with students drawn from across the state rather than from a single attendance zone. The town of Modoc itself is a very small, primarily residential rural community with no significant commercial district, a minimal built environment, and a population that has been essentially flat to slightly declining in recent years. The school is not located within Modoc’s footprint in any meaningful sense; its street address in Modoc serves as an administrative home for a program whose students participate remotely.
The student body is diverse for a school based in a rural county. White students make up a majority of the enrollment, Black students account for a substantial share, Hispanic students represent another meaningful group, and smaller numbers of students who are of two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander are present. Just over a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
Academically, the school’s state assessment results place it in a difficult position relative to other school districts in Randolph County. On the ILEARN exams, which Indiana administers to students in grades three through eight, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, science, and social studies are all well below the county median. The school’s overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile among county districts. For context, across all tested subjects and grades, only a small fraction of students scored at the proficient or above level. A parent considering this school would want to understand what academic supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks, and how the virtual format addresses the challenges of delivering instruction to students who need additional help.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Data on its Title I status, staffing ratios, course access, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not provided, so it is not possible to describe the school’s operational environment in those areas. The same is true for graduation rate, which does not apply to an elementary school. The school has a tested population that is large for an elementary-level school, reflecting its statewide virtual enrollment, and the participation rate on state assessments was high at above 96 percent for math and English language arts, which strengthens the reliability of those results.
A significant and unusual factor hangs over this school and its parent district. Publicly reported sources indicate that in 2025, the Indiana legislature passed a property tax bill that includes a provision to dissolve the Union School Corporation, effective in 2027. The district’s small in-person enrollment and its very large virtual education program reportedly factored into the legislature’s rationale. If the dissolution proceeds, families with children enrolled at Indiana Digital Elementary would face reassignment to neighboring districts, which would fundamentally alter school options. This is not a distant hypothetical; it is a legislative action that has already been taken. Any family considering this school should be aware that the district’s future structure is uncertain and that the school’s operations could change substantially or be eliminated within a relatively short time frame.
See more original research from School Decision →