South Adams Schools

South Adams Schools is a small district in Berne, Indiana, serving about 1,312 students across three schools: South Adams Elementary School (PK–5, 671 students), South Adams Middle School (6–8, 294 students), and South Adams High School (9–12, 347 students). There is no alternative school. The district itself rates 4 stars and ranks 85th of 374 Indiana districts, the 77th percentile.

South Adams Middle School is the current standout, ranking 112th of 486 schools (77th percentile, 4 stars) in 2025–2026, up from 161st of 491 and then 128th of 480. It has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 6.3%, and strong results in 7th-grade math (56.25% vs. 35.9% statewide), 8th-grade math (55.17% vs. 34.2%), and 6th-grade science (56.44% vs. 41.2%); its weakness is 8th-grade ELA at 34.48% vs. 44% statewide. South Adams Elementary School is stable and large, holding around the 66th percentile and 3 stars for three straight years, with math strengths like 3rd grade at 67.59% vs. 51.9% and 5th grade at 65.88% vs. 42%, but weak science (35.05% all grades vs. 45.96% district) and 10.6% absenteeism. South Adams High School is mixed: a 100% graduation rate versus 89.7% statewide and 8.3% absenteeism, but its rank fell from 54th of 429 (87th percentile, 4 stars) to 143rd of 415 (66th percentile, 3 stars), with SAT Math at 17.86% vs. 25.6% statewide and Biology dropping from 71.43% to 57.89%.

Three patterns stand out for families. First, chronic absenteeism is a district-wide strength: every school sits below the state's 16.7%. Second, math is strong through grade 8 but drops sharply at the high school SAT level — the sharpest contrast in the data. Third, science varies widely, from strong in middle school to weak in elementary. Notably, spending and staffing do not track with results here: the high school spends the most ($14,584 per student) with the lowest ratio (11.7:1) and lowest poverty rate (38.9%) yet shows the biggest decline, while the middle school spends the least ($11,182) and has the highest poverty rate (52.38%) but is the top-ranked school with the lowest absenteeism.