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Aspire Charter Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-8

780^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 22% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Aspire Charter Academy is an elementary school serving grades K-8 in Gary, Indiana, with 576 students. The school faces significant challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism rates, consistently low test scores compared to state averages, and extremely high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Aspire Charter Academy's chronic absenteeism rates have ranged from 17.8% to 32.6% in recent years, much higher than the nearby Judith Morton Johnston Elementary and Southridge Elementary, which have rates around 17.8%. The school's test scores on the ILEARN assessments are also consistently lower than the state averages across all grades and subjects, with only 30.64% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 40.3%, and just 21.62% proficient in math, compared to the state average of 51.5%.

Despite spending significantly more per student, ranging from $10,270 to $17,262, than the nearby schools, which spend between $9,870 and $14,342 per student, Aspire Charter Academy is still performing poorly academically. The school's very high free and reduced-price lunch rates, ranging from 93.06% to 98.35%, indicate that the student population comes from low-income backgrounds, which likely contributes to the academic challenges the school faces. Addressing these issues will likely require a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond just increasing funding.

684

Students ?

20.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,911

Per pupil spending ?

96.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4900 W 15th Ave
Gary, IN 46406

(219) 944-7400

District: Aspire Charter Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

81.3%

Hispanic:

10.2%

Two or more races:

8.2%

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Compare Aspire Charter Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2015 → 22nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (24% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (26% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school24%

District avg24%

Indiana avg38%

Elementary school

780^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 22%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 11% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

346^th of 480

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 21 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

287^th of 380Aspire Charter Academy among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	24.5	780 of 1005	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.8	684 of 1011	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.9	784 of 1016	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.0	816 of 1020	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	8.3	933 of 1016	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.1	839 of 1031	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.8	907 of 1027	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.1	919 of 1033	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	10.4	967 of 1046	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	16.0	930 of 1040	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	19.3	925 of 1036	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.3	875 of 1035	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	9.1	958 of 1015	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	3.6	999 of 1025	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	346 of 480	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	363 of 491	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.0	391 of 489	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.5	370 of 490	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.3	402 of 483	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	399 of 470	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.1	444 of 473	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	9.0	427 of 472	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	12.4	443 of 494	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	6.0	450 of 485	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.3	443 of 470	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	7.5	427 of 444	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.9	433 of 447	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	6.5	431 of 451	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts31%

Math22%

Science19%

Social Studies14%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Aspire Charter Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)							ILEARN Math (2025)							ILEARN Science (2025)			ILEARN Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th Grade	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Aspire Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4900 W 15th Ave	Gary	46406	Lake County	Aspire Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 944-7400	684	33	20.7	96.1%	2 (0.3%)	556 (81.3%)	70 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.2%)	24.5	780^th of 1005 public elementary schools	22.4%		33.8	684^th of 1011 public elementary schools	32.3%	96	27.0	28.8	36.0	31.0	32.9	27.7	30.6	24.7	18.2	32.4	19.7	18.3	15.2	21.6	16.9	21.1	19.1	13.5	$16,911	$6,382	$10,529
Beveridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	1234 Cleveland St	Gary	46404	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 321-8546	374	22	16.7	66.6%	1 (0.3%)	322 (86.1%)	28 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.3%)	3.6	1000^th of 1005 public elementary schools	0.5%		5	997^th of 1011 public elementary schools	1.4%	3	6.3	2.4	3.1				4.1	6.3	17.1	3.1				7.7	2.4		2.4	1.6	$17,943	$5,485	$12,458
Frankie Woods McCullough Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1110 W 21st Ave	Gary	46407	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 944-7301	472	30	15.6	57.4%	3 (0.6%)	422 (89.4%)	35 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.5%)	4.5	993^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	1.2%		3	1011^th of 1011 public elementary schools	0.0%	18	11.4	3.4	4.5				6.2	19.0	6.7	1.1				8.6	7.9		7.9	4.5	$18,045	$5,695	$12,351
Joseph Hess Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3640 Orchard Dr	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7355	611	36	16.8	50.2%	66 (10.8%)	249 (40.8%)	264 (43.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.6%)	9.8	922^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	8.3%		15.4	864^th of 1011 public elementary schools	14.5%	58	8.4	10.7	18.0	10.5			11.7	15.6	22.6	15.4	5.3			15.0	17.9	10.5	14.4	20.5	$11,020	$2,131	$8,889
Warren G Harding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3211 165th St	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7351	755	43	17.6	54.4%	107 (14.2%)	235 (31.1%)	370 (49.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.4%)	21.1	804^th of 1005 public elementary schools	20.0%		26.1	759^th of 1011 public elementary schools	24.9%	45	20.9	25.7	25.5	23.3			23.8	22.7	22.0	30.5	28.2			25.8	18.5	12.6	15.6	24.8	$12,652	$2,674	$9,979
Judith Morton Johnston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8220 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-2428	383	16	24.7	46.2%	183 (47.8%)	31 (8.1%)	153 (39.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	51.3	494^th of 1005 public elementary schools	50.8%		64.1	366^th of 1011 public elementary schools	63.8%	128	31.4	42.0	32.4				34.5	54.3	45.1	41.9				47.2	48.0		48.0	35.1	$9,870	$557	$9,312
Longfellow New Technical Elementary School	Public	K-4	45th/Calhoun Sts	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-7004	483	25	19.3	97.1%	153 (31.7%)	154 (31.9%)	146 (30.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)	5.1	989^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.6%		6.4	982^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	2.9%	7	9.5	9.3					9.4	12.1	12.8					12.4	10.5		10.5		$14,198	$3,558	$10,640
Southridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	9221 Johnston St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5650	439	20	22.5	42.4%	233 (53.1%)	36 (8.2%)	150 (34.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.6%)	64.6	342^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	66.0%		54.8	470^th of 1011 public elementary schools	53.5%	128	42.6	50.0	35.2				42.7	60.7	59.7	42.3				53.9	52.8		52.8	38.6	$10,047	$478	$9,570
George Washington Elementary School	Public	K-6	2400 Cardinal Drive	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4169	433	28	15.5	72.3%	2 (0.5%)	239 (55.2%)	180 (41.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	8.1	950^th of 1005 public elementary schools	5.5%		9.7	936^th of 1011 public elementary schools	7.4%	14	11.0	1.8	15.2	21.3			12.6	13.7	5.5	13.6	18.3			13.0	1.8	8.3	5.2	4.6	$14,342	$2,763	$11,580
Daniel Hale Williams Elementary School	Public	K-5	1320 E 19th Ave	Gary	46407	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 881-3600	450	28	15.9	69.8%	8 (1.8%)	406 (90.2%)	24 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.2%)	5.5	988^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.7%		6.4	978^th of 1011 public elementary schools	3.3%	10	14.9	14.9	6.2				11.8	13.5	6.8	1.3				7.0	9.5		9.5	2.5	$17,091	$5,390	$11,701

Frequently Asked Questions about Aspire Charter Academy

Is Aspire Charter Academy a good school?

Aspire Charter Academy ranks in the bottom 22.4% of Indiana elementary schools.

What district is Aspire Charter Academy in?

Aspire Charter Academy

What is the racial makeup of Aspire Charter Academy?

Students at Aspire Charter Academy are 81% African American, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

How many students attend Aspire Charter Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 684 students attended Aspire Charter Academy.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.