Blackford County Schools

Blackford County Schools in Indiana serves about 1,412 students across three schools—two elementary and one junior-senior high—covering grades PK–12 with no separate middle school. The district is ranked 134 of 374 in Indiana, placing it in the 64th percentile with 3 stars. The largest school is Blackford Junior-Senior High School (grades 7–12, 651 students), followed by Blackford Intermediate School (PK–6, 447) and Blackford Primary School (PK–2, 314). Primary has no test scores because it serves PK–2.

The high school is the standout. Blackford Junior-Senior High School improved from 2 stars in 2023–2024 to 3 stars in 2024–2025, and ranks 157 of 415 (62nd percentile). Its graduation rate is 92.9%, above the state’s 89.7%, and chronic absenteeism is 14.4%, below the state’s 16.7%. Math is a strength: grade 7 math is 48.74% proficient vs the state’s 35.9%, and grade 8 math is 47.92% vs 34.2%. ELA is mixed, and current SAT results are below state even though 2024–2025 SAT results were above state. Blackford Intermediate School is lower ranked—627 of 1,015, 38th percentile, 2 stars—and declining since 2023–2024. Its chronic absenteeism is the district’s best at 9.5%, but ELA is a major weak spot: 6th grade ELA is 20.69% vs the state’s 41.3%. Math is closer, with 5th grade math at 44% vs the state’s 42%. Blackford Primary School is smallest and has the lowest student-teacher ratio, 13.9; its absenteeism is 14.9%, below the state but above the district’s 13.0%.

Across the district, math looks stronger than ELA, while absenteeism is a relative strength. Free/reduced lunch is high, ranging from 60.37% to 70.25%, and per-student spending ranges from $11,658 to $12,333; student-teacher ratios are similar, from 13.9 to 15.9. The district’s 3-star rating masks a split: the high school is 3 stars and 62nd percentile, while Blackford Intermediate School is 2 stars and 38th percentile. Blackford Primary School is unranked because it serves PK–2. Data limitations matter: it has no test data, grades 7–8 are part of the high school, and rankings use different comparison groups for high school vs elementary, so year-to-year and cross-school comparisons should be made carefully.