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Clifty Creek Elementary School

Q: Is Clifty Creek Elementary School a good school?

Clifty Creek Elementary School ranks 745 th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

745^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Clifty Creek Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Columbus, Indiana, with an enrollment of 679 students. The school is part of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, which is ranked 160 out of 380 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the district's overall performance, Clifty Creek Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Indiana elementary schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past 10 years. The school lags behind the district and state averages in proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 28.01% of students proficient or better in ELA and 29.52% in Math, compared to 39.33% and 41.54% for the district. Additionally, Clifty Creek Elementary has high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 16-20.5% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Clifty Creek Elementary to other nearby schools in the same district, such as Rockcreek Elementary and Southside Elementary, it performs significantly worse, with much higher proficiency rates and state rankings. Despite having higher spending per student ($12,189 in 2023-2024) compared to the district average, Clifty Creek Elementary continues to struggle academically, suggesting that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes. The school's high rates of poverty, with 66.72% to 73.27% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, may be a significant factor contributing to the school's low academic achievement.

705

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,189

Per pupil spending ?

66%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4625 E 50 N
Columbus, IN 47203

(812) 376-4342

District: Bartholomew Con School Corp

Students who attend Clifty Creek Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Northside Middle School
High:	Columbus East High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.8%

Hispanic:

41.6%

Two or more races:

5.2%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Clifty Creek Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (27% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Social Studies scores 15 pts below the Indiana average

!Near the bottom of Bartholomew Con School Corp's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg40%

Indiana avg38%

745^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Bartholomew Con School Corp

160^th of 380Bartholomew Con School Corp 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	745 of 1005	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.9	762 of 1011	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.8	730 of 1016	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.3	778 of 1020	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.2	773 of 1016	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.7	761 of 1031	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.8	826 of 1027	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.3	900 of 1033	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.6	855 of 1046	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.8	864 of 1040	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	12.2	964 of 1036	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	3.5	1015 of 1035	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.4	962 of 1015	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	16.7	922 of 1025	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	16.0	901 of 1009	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	17.2	888 of 1003	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	14.0	920 of 996	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	14.8	894 of 985	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	30.3	763 of 961	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	36.9	704 of 959	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	25.9	285 of 326	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Math30%

English Language Arts28%

Social Studies24%-15 vs state

Science20%

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, March 7, 2018

The communication with teachers is horrible. The new principal doesn't seem to want to help in any way only take up for lousy teachers. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, February 19, 2018

Nothing but drama dealing with this school. Now the principal wants PTO out so he can do what he wants without intervention. Bullying is out of control and nothing is done. My child gets hit on the playground and the teachers say "I did not see anything". If my child comes home hurt again I will be calling a lawyer not the school!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Clifty Creek Elementary School

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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th 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
Clifty Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4625 E 50 N	Columbus	47203	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 376-4342	705	48	14.6	66.0%	330 (46.8%)	35 (5.0%)	293 (41.6%)	8 (1.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.2%)	27.9	745^th of 1005 public elementary schools	25.9%		25.9	762^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	24.6%	17	36.9	12.8	33.7	28.8	28.0	47.6	18.6	24.7	27.4	29.5	18.6	20.6	19.5	23.6	$12,189	$1,383	$10,805
L F Smith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4505 Waycross Dr	Columbus	47203	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 376-4317	420	27	15.4	57.9%	297 (70.7%)	15 (3.6%)	68 (16.2%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	40.8	613^th of 1005 public elementary schools	39.0%		41.3	614^th of 1011 public elementary schools	39.3%	1	41.4	25.0	42.1	30.5	34.6	41.4	18.3	45.6	22.0	31.6	32.2	32.2	32.2	42.1	$14,082	$2,150	$11,932
CSA Fodrea Campus	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	2775 Illinois St	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	Yes	No	No	(812) 376-4321	351	20	17.5	40.7%	177 (50.4%)	8 (2.3%)	45 (12.8%)	88 (25.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.1%)	45.1	571^st of 1005 public elementary schools	43.2%		38	651^st of 1011 public elementary schools	35.6%	80	32.6	33.3	31.8	31.8	32.4	52.3	50.0	47.7	29.6	44.8	38.1	27.3	32.6	32.6	$11,072	$625	$10,446
W D Richards Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3311 Fairlawn Dr	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4311	610	31	19.8	45.2%	380 (62.3%)	23 (3.8%)	139 (22.8%)	33 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.7%)	48.3	536^th of 1005 public elementary schools	46.7%		46.7	561^st of 1011 public elementary schools	44.5%	25	28.3	47.4	41.3	37.7	38.0	40.4	46.2	39.2	35.3	40.2	50.0	28.2	38.7	29.7	$11,130	$772	$10,359
CSA Lincoln Campus	Public	K-6	750 5th St	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4447	357	18	19.6	25.5%	278 (77.9%)	3 (0.8%)	37 (10.4%)	22 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.2%)	93.2	45^th of 1005 public elementary schools	95.5%		95	28^th of 1011 public elementary schools	97.2%	17	72.6	64.0	71.7	74.5	70.7	80.4	88.0	75.5	85.1	82.1	64.0	61.7	62.9	45.3	$11,253	$496	$10,757
Lillian Schmitt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2675 California	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 376-4307	704	40	17.7	61.8%	408 (58.0%)	49 (7.0%)	154 (21.9%)	11 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (11.6%)	34	684^th of 1005 public elementary schools	31.9%		37.1	659^th of 1011 public elementary schools	34.8%	25	32.7	19.8	39.5	35.9	31.2	45.5	31.9	24.7	28.2	33.2	24.4	33.0	28.4	24.4	$12,177	$1,428	$10,749
Parkside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1400 Parkside Dr	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4314	733	45	16.3	42.0%	420 (57.3%)	13 (1.8%)	175 (23.9%)	77 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (6.4%)	72.5	260^th of 1005 public elementary schools	74.1%		70.6	289^th of 1011 public elementary schools	71.4%	29	42.9	54.1	53.2	44.7	48.7	49.0	60.2	51.4	48.3	52.0	56.1	42.1	48.6	54.1	$12,160	$1,064	$11,096
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1320 W 200 S	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 376-4423	891	50	18.0	21.0%	439 (49.3%)	28 (3.1%)	104 (11.7%)	282 (31.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.0%)	86	125^th of 1005 public elementary schools	87.6%		85.6	116^th of 1011 public elementary schools	88.5%	9	50.4	54.7	60.6	63.3	57.2	63.5	67.6	68.5	65.0	66.3	52.5	61.5	56.6	58.3	$11,559	$733	$10,826
Rockcreek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	13000 E 200 S	Columbus	47201	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 579-5221	351	19	18.4	32.2%	326 (92.9%)	2 (0.6%)	14 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	76.3	220^th of 1005 public elementary schools	78.1%		76.4	218^th of 1011 public elementary schools	78.4%	2	51.1	60.4	44.9	44.7	50.3	55.6	77.1	53.1	57.5	60.9	56.3	54.2	55.2	34.7	$11,892	$702	$11,190
Taylorsville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	9711 Walnut St	Taylorsville	47280	Bartholomew County	Bartholomew Con School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 526-5448	580	35	16.4	62.8%	320 (55.2%)	6 (1.0%)	230 (39.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)	21.6	803^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	20.1%		35	677^th of 1011 public elementary schools	33.0%	126	20.0	22.9	18.9	28.2	22.3	36.3	27.1	17.8	26.9	26.7	25.7	23.1	24.3	17.8	$13,067	$1,537	$11,530

Frequently Asked Questions about Clifty Creek Elementary School

Is Clifty Creek Elementary School a good school?

Clifty Creek Elementary School ranks 745^th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Clifty Creek Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 705 students attended Clifty Creek Elementary School.

What district is Clifty Creek Elementary School in?

Bartholomew Con School Corp

What is the racial makeup of Clifty Creek Elementary School?

Students at Clifty Creek Elementary School are 47% White, 42% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Clifty Creek Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Clifty Creek Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northside Middle School
High : Columbus East High School

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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.