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Decatur Middle School

Public Grades 7-8

371^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 486 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 24% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Decatur Middle School is a grades 7–8 school in Indianapolis serving about 1,000 students as part of MSD Decatur Township, a district ranked 269th of 374 in Indiana (28th percentile, 1 star) while the school ranked 371st of 486 in 2025–26 (24th percentile, 1 star). That puts Decatur in the bottom quartile, a spot it has held for years: 20th percentile in 2024–25 and 2023–24, 24th in 2022–23, and 9th percentile with 0 stars in 2018–19. The 2025–26 result is a slight uptick, but the school remains a 1-star, bottom-quartile performer.

Academics are uneven. In 2025–26, 25.13% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 16.41% in math, below the district's 26.91% and 26.47%. Eighth grade is weaker than seventh: 22.2% in ELA and just 13.39% in math, against state rates of 44% and 34.2%. Math is the clearest weakness, with all-grades proficiency staying between roughly 12% and 16% across four years. One bright spot stands out: Biology End-of-Course proficiency hit 91.43% in 2025–26 and 95.65% in 2023–24, far above district and state averages. That likely reflects a small, select group taking biology early, so treat it as a targeted strength rather than proof of broad science performance.

Chronic absenteeism was 24.3% in 2024–25 — above Indiana's 16.7% and higher than every nearby school listed, including Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center (22.5%), Southport Middle School (20.7%), Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center (20.3%), Perry Meridian Middle School (17.6%), Paul Hadley Middle School (11.7%) and Speedway Junior High School (5.1%). Poverty does not fully explain the results: Decatur's free/reduced lunch rate (59.7%) is lower than Southport Middle's (75.15%), Perry Meridian Middle's (65.34%), Lynhurst's (77.62%) and Speedway's (64.02%), yet those schools mostly outperform it in ELA and math. Decatur also spends $11,760 per student — more than Plainfield Community Middle School ($9,740) and Center Grove Middle School North ($9,314) — with a lower student-teacher ratio (15.6) than several peers, suggesting spending and class size alone do not explain the gap.

1,000

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,760

Per pupil spending ?

59.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5108 S High School Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46221

(317) 856-5274

District: MSD Decatur Township

Students who attend Decatur Middle School usually attend:

High:

Decatur Central High School

Feeder schools for Decatur Middle School:

Elementary:	Blue Academy
	Gold Academy
	Lynwood Elementary
	Stephen Decatur Elementary School
	More...
	Valley Mills Elementary School
	West Newton Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.6%

African American:

29.8%

Hispanic:

16.5%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Decatur Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2016 → 24th in 2026

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (24% vs 17% Indiana)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school22%

District avg27%

371^st of 486

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 33% (2016) to bottom 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

269^th of 374MSD Decatur Township 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	23.5	371 of 486	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.7	386 of 480	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.6	391 of 491	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.3	370 of 489	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.2	365 of 490	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	383 of 483	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	430 of 470	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.8	393 of 473	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.7	380 of 472	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	42.8	330 of 494	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.7	306 of 485	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	35.1	362 of 470	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	39.8	319 of 444	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.8	375 of 447	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.0	361 of 451	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.9	338 of 428	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.3	344 of 423	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.9	298 of 392	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	32.3	320 of 382	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	29.2	319 of 375	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	36.9	290 of 370	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	31.0	177 of 222	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Biology91%

English Language Arts25%

Math16%

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, August 6, 2011

I am a parent of two Decatur students. My children both attended Valley Mills Elementary (which I was pleased with for the most part); however, this review is for the Middle School. First, What's the point in having an intercom/automatic door lock/security system if you are going to allow every Tom, Dick & Harry to enter? Second, inappropriate comments have been made on occasion by a teacher towards young females which speaks volumes towards the maturity level of the teachers here as well as the screening by administration. Thirdly, there is a general "uncaring" attitude amongst teachers and this stems from the TOP. Fourth, this school for whatever reason does EVERYTHING different than other schools as far as standard operating procedures go. They have a ridiculous rule or procedure for every aspect of your child's education. Lastly, the office staff at this school is unbelivably unprofessional and rude. 4 years of my life I have to deal with this incompetent school and I am counting the days until my children reach the high school level. I couldn't resist the opportunity to vent about this sorry excuse for a school. Close Quote

Schools Near Decatur Middle 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 Biology (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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Decatur Middle School	Public	7-8	5108 S High School Rd	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	MSD Decatur Township	No	No	No	No	(317) 856-5274	1,000	64	15.6	59.7%	466 (46.6%)	298 (29.8%)	165 (16.5%)	3 (0.3%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (6.3%)	23.5	371^st of 486 public middle schools	23.7%		18.7	386^th of 480 public middle schools	19.6%	15		28.2	22.2	25.1		19.6	13.4	16.4			91.4	$11,760	$1,130	$10,630
Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center	Public	7-8	2805 S Lynhurst	Indianapolis	46241	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 988-8100	1,135	75	15.1	77.6%	270 (23.8%)	283 (24.9%)	500 (44.1%)	9 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	68 (6.0%)	23.5	372^nd of 486 public middle schools	23.5%		16.9	398^th of 480 public middle schools	17.1%	26		25.2	25.9	25.5		17.2	15.7	16.4			92.8	$14,082	$1,185	$12,898
Chapel Hill 7th & 8th Grade Center	Public	7-8	7320 W 10th St	Indianapolis	46214	Marion County	MSD Wayne Township	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 988-8800	1,143	65	17.6	66.5%	164 (14.3%)	600 (52.5%)	306 (26.8%)	6 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (5.6%)	23.2	375^th of 486 public middle schools	22.8%		17.3	395^th of 480 public middle schools	17.7%	20		28.8	24.2	26.5		15.1	14.4	14.8			57.8	$12,651	$1,092	$11,559
Center Grove Middle School North	Public	6-8	202 N Morgantown Rd	Greenwood	46142	Johnson County	Center Grove Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 885-8800	1,080	58	18.7	33.8%	817 (75.6%)	46 (4.3%)	61 (5.6%)	97 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (5.4%)	92.4	22^nd of 486 public middle schools	95.5%		90	37^th of 480 public middle schools	92.3%	15	58.7	59.2	70.9	62.8	63.7	56.1	57.6	59.1	58.1	58.1	98.5	$9,314	$402	$8,912
Perry Meridian Middle School	Public	7-8	202 W Meridian School Rd	Indianapolis	46217	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 789-4100	1,278	79	16.2	65.3%	455 (35.6%)	157 (12.3%)	153 (12.0%)	450 (35.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (4.9%)	70.6	135^th of 486 public middle schools	72.2%		74.6	110^th of 480 public middle schools	77.1%	25		50.3	47.1	48.7		38.7	36.5	37.6				$12,264	$1,527	$10,738
Perry Meridian 6th Grade Academy	Public	6	202 W Meridian School Rd	Indianapolis	46217	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 789-1300	617	36	17.0	67.3%	195 (31.6%)	66 (10.7%)	96 (15.6%)	226 (36.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (5.2%)								(n/a)	40.6			40.6	37.1			37.1	33.2	33.2		$11,427	$838	$10,588
Plainfield Community Middle School	Public	6-8	709 Stafford Rd	Plainfield	46168	Hendricks County	Plainfield Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 838-3966	1,378	74	18.5	36.9%	1,008 (73.1%)	148 (10.7%)	109 (7.9%)	49 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (4.6%)	88.9	42^nd of 486 public middle schools	91.4%		88.1	43^rd of 480 public middle schools	91.0%	1	68.0	54.7	64.4	62.2	66.0	44.4	49.4	52.8	57.1	57.1	99.0	$9,740	$226	$9,514
Speedway Junior High School	Public	7-8	5151 W 14th St	Speedway	46224	Marion County	School Town of Speedway	No	No	No	No	(317) 244-3359	264	19	14.1	64.0%	118 (44.7%)	73 (27.7%)	50 (18.9%)	10 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.5%)	91.8	29^th of 486 public middle schools	94.0%		86.2	51^st of 480 public middle schools	89.4%	22		67.0	59.5	62.7		61.7	50.4	55.3				$12,713	$561	$12,152
Paul Hadley Middle School	Public	7-8	200 W Carlisle St	Mooresville	46158	Morgan County	Mooresville Con School Corp	No	No	No	No	(317) 831-9208	668	37	18.1	45.1%	586 (87.7%)	22 (3.3%)	29 (4.3%)	6 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	21 (3.1%)	75	106^th of 486 public middle schools	78.2%		67.8	137^th of 480 public middle schools	71.5%	31		45.8	49.8	47.9		40.3	46.7	43.6			88.5	$10,752	$635	$10,117
Southport 6th Grade Academy	Public	6	5715 S Keystone Ave	Indianapolis	46227	Marion County	Perry Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 789-1400	643	41	15.5	70.8%	188 (29.2%)	106 (16.5%)	161 (25.0%)	159 (24.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.4%)								(n/a)	30.9			30.9	29.0			29.0	29.7	29.7		$11,478	$1,115	$10,363

Frequently Asked Questions about Decatur Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Decatur Middle School?

Students at Decatur Middle School are 47% White, 30% African American, 17% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Decatur Middle School in?

MSD Decatur Township

What high school do graduates of Decatur Middle School attend?

Students who attend Decatur Middle School usually go on to attend Decatur Central High School

Is Decatur Middle School a good school?

Decatur Middle School ranks in the bottom 23.7% of Indiana middle schools.

How many students attend Decatur Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,000 students attended Decatur Middle School.

Rate Decatur Middle School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.