The top reported proficiency rate is 14% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Success Academy at Boys and Girls Club
Success Academy at Boys and Girls Club is a tuition-free public charter school in South Bend, Indiana, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It opened in the fall of 2023, making it one of the newest public school options in the city. The school operates through a partnership between the Career and Success Academy Network and the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Joseph County, and it received a state grant to support its launch. That newness means the school is still establishing its track record, and parents considering it should be aware that the academic data available covers only its early years of operation.
South Bend is a mid-sized city that blends residential neighborhoods, a riverfront downtown, and a strong institutional presence from the University of Notre Dame, which sits just north of the city center. The local economy mixes college-town influence with manufacturing and distribution, and median household income and home values sit below national averages. Housing in the area around the school is relatively affordable compared with many parts of the country. The school itself is located on Sample Street, near downtown, in a part of the city where many families would find a range of older homes and some rental options. The city has experienced slow population growth in recent years and has invested in sidewalks and downtown improvements, but the overall context is one of modest resources.
The student body is small. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The racial and ethnic makeup is predominantly Black, with a smaller number of white students and a modest share of Hispanic students and students who identify as two or more races. The school groups children into multi-age pods—kindergarten and first grade together, second and third, fourth and fifth—and uses a co-teaching model with certified teachers and youth development professionals. This structure is a deliberate choice, designed to allow flexible, competency-based learning rather than a strict grade-level pace.
On state assessments administered through Indiana’s ILEARN system, proficiency rates were low across every tested subject. In math and English language arts, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmarks was modest. In science and social studies, the rates were even lower. These results placed the school in the bottom quartile among districts in St. Joseph County when measured by a combined proficiency index. For a family looking at this school, the test scores are a clear soft spot, and they may warrant a closer conversation with school leadership about how instruction is being developed and what supports are in place for students who are behind.
The school’s model is distinctive. Students attend traditional classroom instruction four days a week and spend the fifth day on experiential, project-based learning in community settings around South Bend. That fifth day is meant to expose children to real-world career exploration and hands-on projects, and the curriculum emphasizes STEM. Because the school is so new, there is not yet a long record of outcomes to evaluate whether this model is translating into academic growth or strong student engagement. Parents interested in an alternative approach that blends classroom academics with community-based learning may find the model appealing, especially if they value early exposure to a wider range of experiences.
The school does not serve middle or high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report and no data on chronic absenteeism. Civil rights data, such as discipline rates or special education counts, was not available. The school’s Title I status was not provided, though the high share of students qualifying for meal assistance suggests the school serves a population with significant economic need. For a family weighing this option, the biggest questions center on whether the experiential model and small, pod-based environment can lift academic performance over time, and whether the current proficiency levels are acceptable given the school’s early stage and the support it offers.
See more original research from School Decision →