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South Dearborn Middle School

Q: Is South Dearborn Middle School a good school?

South Dearborn Middle School ranks 303 rd of 480 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

303^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 480 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 37% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

South Dearborn Middle School is a public middle school serving 293 students in grades 7-8 in Aurora, Indiana. The school is part of the South Dearborn Community School Corporation, which is ranked 171 out of 380 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's relatively high spending per student, which has increased from $10,075 in 2020-2021 to $12,872 in 2023-2024, South Dearborn Middle School has consistently lower test scores compared to the state and its surrounding school districts. In 2024-2025, only 34.6% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts, and only 21.8% were proficient or better in math, significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 4.4% in 2020-2021 to 17.8% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the state average and the surrounding schools.

Compared to nearby schools, such as South Ripley Junior High School, East Central Middle School, and Milan Middle School, South Dearborn Middle School generally underperforms in terms of test scores, chronic absenteeism, and other key metrics. For example, South Ripley Junior High School ranked 69th out of 480 Indiana middle schools in 2024-2025, with significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math. The declining performance of South Dearborn Middle School over the years, coupled with its high rates of free/reduced lunch, suggests the need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices and support systems to address the unique needs of its student population.

288

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,872

Per pupil spending ?

47.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5850 Squire Pl
Aurora, IN 47001

(812) 926-6298

District: South Dearborn Community School Corp

Students who attend South Dearborn Middle School usually attend:

High:

South Dearborn High School

Feeder schools for South Dearborn Middle School:

Elementary:	Aurora Elementary School
	Dillsboro Elementary School
	Manchester Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.8%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Hispanic:

1.7%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare South Dearborn Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 45th percentile in 2015 → 37th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (30% vs 46% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg37%

Indiana avg46%

303^rd of 480

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 37%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 45% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

171^st of 380South Dearborn Community School Corp among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	40.3	303 of 480	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.9	246 of 491	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.5	193 of 489	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.0	205 of 490	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.4	248 of 483	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.4	338 of 470	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.3	300 of 473	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.9	337 of 472	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	49.2	290 of 494	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	51.1	269 of 485	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	67.0	153 of 470	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	56.3	227 of 444	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.7	287 of 447	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.4	228 of 451	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.9	202 of 428	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	64.1	151 of 423	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.5	86 of 392	78.1%	★★★★☆
2007	68.1	106 of 382	72.3%	★★★★☆
2006	48.7	238 of 375	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2005	62.8	136 of 370	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	48.3	123 of 222	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Biology100%+54 vs state

English Language Arts35%

Math22%

★

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Schools Near South Dearborn Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)					ILEARN Math (2025)					ILEARN Science (2025)		ILEARN Social Studies (2025)	ILEARN Biology (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Dearborn Middle School	Public	7-8	5850 Squire Pl	Aurora	47001	Dearborn County	South Dearborn Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 926-6298	288	23	12.8	47.2%	270 (93.8%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.5%)	40.3	303^rd of 480 public middle schools	36.9%		48.9	246^th of 491 public middle schools	49.9%	57			30.3	38.9	34.6			22.8	20.8	21.8				100.0	$12,872	$440	$12,432
Greendale Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Tiger Blvd	Lawrenceburg	47025	Dearborn County	Lawrenceburg Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 537-7259	437	29	15.1	41.2%	378 (86.5%)	4 (0.9%)	18 (4.1%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.1%)	45.7	264^th of 480 public middle schools	45.0%		52.8	222^nd of 491 public middle schools	54.8%	42		33.1	28.5	41.4	34.3		35.0	21.2	40.0	31.9	26.5	26.5		86.1	$10,117	$446	$9,672
Ohio County Middle School	Public	6-8	436 S Mulberry St	Rising Sun	47040	Ohio County	Rising Sun-Ohio County Com	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 438-2626	187	19	9.9	47.6%	174 (93.0%)	4 (2.1%)	5 (2.7%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	50.1	238^th of 480 public middle schools	50.4%		31.3	339^th of 491 public middle schools	31.0%	101		42.4	43.4	34.8	39.8		15.3	32.7	17.4	21.1	52.5	52.5		76.5	$9,343	$19	$9,324
Milan Middle School	Public	7-8	609 N Warpath Dr	Milan	47031	Ripley County	Milan Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 654-1616	159	12	12.9	56.0%	154 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	40.6	300^th of 480 public middle schools	37.5%		46.4	265^th of 491 public middle schools	46.0%	35			23.9	43.5	34.9			22.4	21.2	21.7					$12,462	$861	$11,601
Milan Intermediate School	Public	5-6	609 N Warpath Dr	Milan	47031	Ripley County	Milan Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 654-1616	159	13	12.4	56.6%	154 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)								(n/a)	30.9	28.2			29.4	41.2	47.1			44.4	38.8	38.8	41.2		$9,418	$870	$8,548
East Central Middle School	Public	6-8	8356 Schuman Rd	Saint Leon	47012	Dearborn County	Sunman-Dearborn Com School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 576-3500	803	51	15.7	23.5%	770 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.6%)	82	71^st of 480 public middle schools	85.2%		77.2	99^th of 491 public middle schools	79.8%	28		42.5	51.7	53.4	49.6		46.7	55.9	45.0	49.3	57.8	57.8			$10,561	$358	$10,202
South Ripley Junior High School	Public	7-8	1589 S Benham Rd	Versailles	47042	Ripley County	South Ripley Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 689-0909	161	16	10.3	57.8%	155 (96.3%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	82.4	69^th of 480 public middle schools	85.6%		92.5	30^th of 491 public middle schools	93.9%	39			46.5	52.6	49.7			47.9	47.4	47.6					$15,418	$409	$15,008

Frequently Asked Questions about South Dearborn Middle School

What is the racial makeup of South Dearborn Middle School?

Students at South Dearborn Middle School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Is South Dearborn Middle School a good school?

South Dearborn Middle School ranks 303^rd of 480 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of South Dearborn Middle School attend?

Students who attend South Dearborn Middle School usually go on to attend South Dearborn High School

What district is South Dearborn Middle School in?

South Dearborn Community School Corp

How many students attend South Dearborn Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 288 students attended South Dearborn Middle School.

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Schools in Aurora, IN

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.