Richmond Community Schools

Richmond Community Schools serves roughly 4,387 students across nine schools: six elementary schools (PK–4), two middle schools, and one high school. The district is rated 286th of 374 in Indiana — the 24th percentile, with 1 star — so most schools here sit below state averages, but performance varies dramatically from building to building.

Charles Elementary School is the clear standout: 203rd of 1,015 schools (80th percentile, 4 stars), with all-grades ELA 50.39%, Math 67.44%, and Science 60.94%, far above district averages of ELA 24.93%, Math 26.82%, and Science 29.01%. Its chronic absenteeism of 16.6% sits right at the state's 16.7% and far below the district's 33.1%. At the other end, Starr Elementary School ranks 836th of 1,015 (18th percentile, 1 star) with the district's lowest ELA, 13.58%, and the highest chronic absenteeism (46.1%) and FRL (76.41%). Dennis Middle School is persistently low, especially in math (14.56%). Richmond High School shows a striking split: a 98.8% graduation rate, above district and state, alongside low SAT proficiency and 41.9% chronic absenteeism. Crestdale Elementary School fell sharply from 2 stars to 1.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide challenge: eight of nine schools exceed the state's 16.7%, and only Charles is at or below it. Math is often a relative strength in elementaries — Crestdale, Vaile Elementary School, Starr, Fairview Elementary School, and Westview Elementary School all beat the district's 26.82% — but a severe weakness in middle and high school. Science declined year-over-year at Vaile, Westview, and Crestdale. Spending and class size don't track simply with results: Fairview spends the most ($13,204) with the smallest classes yet posts mid-range outcomes, while Charles spends less and has the largest classes yet the best results.