The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Social studies. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Upper Elementary
Washington Upper Elementary is a regular public school in the Washington Community Schools district, serving only fifth and sixth graders. It sits in the small county seat of Washington, Indiana, a Midwestern town with a historic Main Street, the Daviess County Courthouse, and a downtown commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school is one of several elementary buildings in the district, and since it covers only two grades, families should expect that students will transition to a junior high or middle school after sixth grade.
On the state’s ILEARN assessments, Washington Upper Elementary’s proficiency rates in math, English language arts, science, and social studies were all low across the board. The largest share of students scored below the state’s proficient or above threshold in each tested subject. Among the few districts within Daviess County that reported comparable data, the school’s overall proficiency sat toward the lower end of the range. Participation in testing was high, so the results reflect nearly the entire student body. There is no multi-year trend data available, so it is not possible to say whether these numbers are improving or declining. A parent interested in how the school supports students who are not yet meeting benchmarks would want to ask about targeted tutoring, intervention programs, or curriculum adjustments directly.
The student body of roughly fair size for a two-grade school is majority white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a smaller Black population, plus a small number of Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in the available records, so those details would need to come from the school or district.
Washington itself is a compact place. Historic homes and a traditional grid downtown sit alongside light industrial areas tied to the city’s railroad history. Housing is relatively affordable, with typical home values below both the state and national averages – a point that may matter to families deciding where to live. The city has a weekday bus system, a public library, and highway access via I-69 and US 50. No major new housing developments or recent growth pressures were identified in publicly available information, and the district’s brief found no recent changes of lasting impact on schools.
Several dimensions of school life are not captured in the data provided. There is no information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, course offerings, or access to programs like art, music, or physical education. For a school that only covers two grades, some of these gaps may be natural – for example, there is no graduation rate because the school does not serve high school grades – but others, such as teacher qualifications or class sizes, are simply missing. A family considering Washington Upper Elementary should plan to visit, talk to administrators, and ask about the school’s approach to academic support, student behavior, and enrichment.
This is a school whose academic results give a clear signal: most students are not yet reaching state proficiency standards, and the school’s performance relative to other districts in Daviess County is low. The community offers a modest-cost, small-town setting with a walkable downtown core. The school appears to serve a high-needs population. For a family that values a small-city environment and is ready to be actively engaged in their child’s learning – and to ask the school pointed questions about how it helps students catch up – this could be a viable option. For those seeking strong test scores or a broad array of programs, the evidence here does not support that expectation.
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