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Clay Center Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

7^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 99% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Clay Center Elementary School is a PK–5 school serving 666 students in Carmel, Indiana, part of the highly rated Carmel Clay Schools district. It is one of Indiana's top elementary schools: in 2025–2026 it ranked 7th out of 1,015 elementary schools statewide, putting it in the 99th percentile with 5 stars. Its rank has climbed steadily over five years, from 43rd in 2021–2022, to 27th, to 14th, and now 7th — this is a school that has been getting stronger, not just performing well.

Academically, Clay Center posts strong results across subjects. All-grade ILEARN proficiency in 2025–2026 was 81.63% in English Language Arts, 83.67% in Math, and 83.9% in Science — all well above the Carmel Clay Schools district averages. Within the district, only West Clay Elementary School consistently scores higher; Clay Center is ahead of Towne Meadow Elementary School, Smoky Row Elementary School, and College Wood Elementary School. Fourth grade is a particular strength, with 88.14% ELA and 88.98% Math, edging West Clay in 4th-grade math. Fifth-grade ELA, at 77.12%, is the relative soft spot but still far above the state's 42.2%. Nearby schools outside the district — Shamrock Springs Elementary School, Spring Mill Elementary School, Nora Elementary School, and College Park Elementary School — rank far lower and score in the 20s to 60s.

Other indicators are also favorable. Chronic absenteeism was 4.1% in 2024–2025, well below the district's 6.4% and the state's 16.7%. The free/reduced lunch rate was 12.16%, lower than Forest Dale Elementary School and Carmel Elementary School but higher than West Clay and College Wood — meaning Clay Center serves a somewhat more economically mixed population while still delivering near-top results. Per-student spending was $12,242, and its student–teacher ratio of 13.7 is among the lowest in the comparison group. Bottom line: a top-tier, continually improving school with small classes and strong momentum.

666

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,242

Per pupil spending ?

12.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

12025 Clay Center Rd
Carmel, IN 46032

(317) 733-6450

District: Carmel Clay Schools

Students who attend Clay Center Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Creekside Middle School
High:	Carmel High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.5%

Asian:

12.5%

Hispanic:

6.8%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Clay Center Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 96th percentile in 2022 → 99th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Indiana average (83% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Indiana elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Carmel Clay Schools

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school83%

District avg72%

Indiana avg47%

7^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 4 pts since 2022

From top 4% (2022) to top 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 11Elementary Schools in the Carmel Clay Schools

5^th of 374Carmel Clay Schools 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
2026	97.7	7 of 1015	99.3%	★★★★★
2025	96.9	14 of 1005	98.6%	★★★★★
2024	95.1	27 of 1011	97.3%	★★★★★
2023	95.0	27 of 1016	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	93.1	43 of 1020	95.8%	★★★★★

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Science84%

Social Studies84%+37 vs state

Math84%

English Language Arts82%

★

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Schools Near Clay Center Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)				ILEARN Math (2026)				ILEARN Science (2026)		ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th 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
Clay Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12025 Clay Center Rd	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 733-6450	666	48	13.7	12.2%	483 (72.5%)	21 (3.2%)	45 (6.8%)	83 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.1%)	97.7	7^th of 1015 public elementary schools	99.3%		96.9	14^th of 1005 public elementary schools	98.6%	7	79.4	88.1	77.1	81.6	80.4	89.0	81.4	83.7	83.9	83.9	83.9	$12,242	$172	$12,070
Smoky Row Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 W 136th St	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 571-4084	692	47	14.7	7.7%	458 (66.2%)	38 (5.5%)	24 (3.5%)	147 (21.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	22 (3.2%)	96.5	15^th of 1015 public elementary schools	98.5%		97.5	10^th of 1005 public elementary schools	99.0%	5	77.4	80.0	75.7	77.8	85.5	76.3	72.2	78.1	76.9	76.9	83.5	$11,406	$172	$11,234
Towne Meadow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10850 Towne Rd	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 733-2645	527	37	14.1	9.3%	336 (63.8%)	20 (3.8%)	30 (5.7%)	106 (20.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.3%)	97	11^th of 1015 public elementary schools	98.9%		95.5	21^st of 1005 public elementary schools	97.9%	10	73.3	76.1	81.9	77.2	82.2	80.4	80.9	81.2	78.0	78.0	86.2	$12,240	$191	$12,049
West Clay Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3495 W 126 St	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 733-6500	580	39	14.9	4.3%	309 (53.3%)	16 (2.8%)	14 (2.4%)	206 (35.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.9%)	99.2	1^st of 1015 public elementary schools	99.9%		98.9	2^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	99.8%	1	88.4	88.9	90.4	89.3	94.7	88.9	91.2	91.6	85.9	85.9	93.0	$11,140	$155	$10,985
College Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12415 Shelborne Rd	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 733-6430	616	38	16.2	5.5%	310 (50.3%)	22 (3.6%)	26 (4.2%)	239 (38.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.8%)	95.8	19^th of 1015 public elementary schools	98.1%		98.3	5^th of 1005 public elementary schools	99.5%	14	70.6	66.4	83.9	74.2	78.9	79.8	79.0	79.2	71.2	71.2	87.1	$12,086	$483	$11,603
Carmel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 S Richland Ave	Carmel	46032	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-0168	700	49	14.2	23.0%	450 (64.3%)	42 (6.0%)	84 (12.0%)	86 (12.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.3%)	86.2	125^th of 1015 public elementary schools	87.7%		90.8	68^th of 1005 public elementary schools	93.2%	57	54.4	61.5	58.3	57.9	70.4	74.0	60.0	68.0	59.2	59.2	72.6	$12,140	$517	$11,623
Nora Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 E 91st St	Indianapolis	46240	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-5436	544	33	16.4	53.1%	119 (21.9%)	177 (32.5%)	191 (35.1%)	22 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	32 (5.9%)	46.5	556^th of 1015 public elementary schools	45.2%		33.5	694^th of 1005 public elementary schools	30.9%	138	29.8	32.2	45.2	35.3	40.4	47.8	44.1	43.9	34.8	34.8	51.2	$15,279	$1,514	$13,765
College Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	2811 Barnard Street	Indianapolis	46268	Marion County	MSD Pike Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 347-7400	518	32	16.1	56.2%	9 (1.7%)	315 (60.8%)	152 (29.3%)	15 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.8%)	16.3	857^th of 1015 public elementary schools	15.6%		14.9	864^th of 1005 public elementary schools	14.0%	7	27.4	23.5	27.3	26.0	30.5	17.4	10.2	19.6	12.2	12.2	22.7	$12,831	$1,444	$11,386
Forest Dale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10721 Lakeshore Dr W	Carmel	46033	Hamilton County	Carmel Clay Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 844-4948	638	48	13.3	18.0%	478 (74.9%)	38 (6.0%)	57 (8.9%)	38 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	25 (3.9%)	85.2	135^th of 1015 public elementary schools	86.7%		91.7	61^st of 1005 public elementary schools	93.9%	74	45.4	60.8	63.8	56.2	63.9	74.2	63.8	67.2	67.0	67.0	77.7	$12,402	$496	$11,906
Spring Mill Elementary School	Public	K-5	8250 Springmill Rd	Indianapolis	46260	Marion County	MSD Washington Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 259-5462	529	34	15.5	57.5%	76 (14.4%)	282 (53.3%)	121 (22.9%)	11 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.2%)	50.1	526^th of 1015 public elementary schools	48.2%		36.8	657^th of 1005 public elementary schools	34.6%	131	38.9	43.9	36.5	39.7	57.8	48.8	32.9	46.7	39.0	39.0	37.7	$15,113	$1,737	$13,376

Frequently Asked Questions about Clay Center Elementary School

Is Clay Center Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Clay Center Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 7^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools.

How many students attend Clay Center Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 666 students attended Clay Center Elementary School.

What district is Clay Center Elementary School in?

Carmel Clay Schools

What is the racial makeup of Clay Center Elementary School?

Students at Clay Center Elementary School are 73% White, 12% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Clay Center Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Clay Center Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Creekside Middle School
High : Carmel High School

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

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.