Best Public Schools in Brazil, IN

Brazil, Indiana, is served by eight public schools in Clay Community Schools—six elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school—with about 3,244 students from elementary through high school. The district ranks 97th of 374 districts, at the 74th percentile with 4 stars, but individual schools vary widely. Staunton Elementary School is the academic standout: 5 stars, 90th percentile, 65.78% ELA, 72.04% math, and 8.3% chronic absenteeism. Jackson Township Elementary School leads science at 65.79% and has the lowest absenteeism at 5.4%. Van Buren Elementary School is a steady 4-star school with 63.16% math and 6.8% absenteeism. East Side Elementary School is strong in math at 71.43% but trails in ELA and science. Meridian Street Elementary School slipped from 4 stars to 3 stars, though its 8.3% absenteeism is low.

At the middle level, North Clay Middle School is a stable 4-star, 76th-percentile school with strong ELA and science, but its math is 36.3% versus the district’s 48.89%, and 8th grade math is 25.22%. Northview High School has a strong 91.1% graduation rate, above district and state, but its 2025–2026 ranking fell to 2 stars and 33rd percentile, with SAT math at 17.32% versus the state’s 25.6% and SAT ELA dropping from 56.4% to 40.78%. Forest Park Elementary School is the clearest challenge outlier: 2 stars, 30th percentile, 30% ELA, 33.33% math and science, 24.5% chronic absenteeism, and 62.93% free/reduced lunch, despite the lowest student-teacher ratio (9.7) and $11,565 per-student spending.

Overall, elementary math is a strength, averaging 58.44% versus the district’s 48.89%, while middle and high school math are weak. Science is uneven, with the top elementary science score at 65.79% and several schools below the district’s 50.66%. Chronic absenteeism sharply separates schools: the lowest rates are 5.4%, 6.8%, and 8.3%, while the highest is 24.5%. Spending and class size do not simply predict outcomes; the lowest-spending school has the best results, while the highest-need school has high spending and the lowest student-teacher ratio but the weakest outcomes.