South Newton School Corp

South Newton School Corp is a small Indiana district in Kentland serving 846 students across three schools: South Newton Elementary School (PK–5, 430 students), South Newton Middle School (6–8, 191 students) and South Newton Senior High School (9–12, 225 students). The district ranks 158th of 374 Indiana districts — the 58th percentile — and holds 3 stars.

Looking school by school, the middle and elementary schools are the strongest. South Newton Middle School rose from the 46th percentile and 2 stars in 2023–24 to the 65th percentile and 3 stars in 2025–26, even though it has the district's highest free/reduced lunch rate (46.6%) and lowest per-student spending ($9,375). South Newton Elementary School also holds 3 stars and has the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at 8.4%. South Newton Senior High School sits at the 41st percentile with 2 stars, despite having the district's highest per-student spending ($16,129) and smallest classes (11.5 students per teacher).

Test scores show both bright spots and gaps. Elementary 5th grade is strong — math at 58.33 vs. the state's 42 and social studies at 66.67 vs. 47.2 — while 4th grade falls below the state in ELA, math and science. Middle school 8th grade ELA is 51.02 vs. 44 and 6th grade math is 52.63 vs. 40.2, but math slips by grade: 7th at 31.67 and 8th at 24.49 vs. the state's 34.2. At the high school, the graduation rate is 91.1% (state: 89.7%) and Biology proficiency climbed to 51.52%, yet SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (40.85 vs. 51.9) and SAT Math (12.68 vs. 25.6) trail the state. Attendance is a district-wide strength, with all three schools below Indiana's 16.7% chronic absenteeism rate.