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Helfrich Park STEM Academy

Q: Is Helfrich Park STEM Academy a good school?

Helfrich Park STEM Academy ranks 248 th of 486 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

248^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 486 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 49% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Helfrich Park STEM Academy is a grades 6–8 middle school on Evansville's west side, serving 509 students in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp (EVSC). For 2025–26 it ranked 248th of 486 Indiana middle schools — 49th percentile, 2 stars — with ILEARN proficiency of 34.8% in ELA, 32.0% in math and 34.0% in science, chronic absenteeism of 21.6%, a 49.7% free/reduced lunch rate, per-pupil spending of $11,864 and a 15.5:1 student–teacher ratio.

The headline is a sharp, multi-year slide. Helfrich spent four straight years as a 4-star, top-quarter school (82nd percentile in 2022–23) before falling to 49th percentile — a 33-point drop and its lowest position in the decade of data. Its advantage over its own district has vanished: in 2022–23 it beat EVSC by 12.9 points in ELA and 14.3 in science; by 2025–26 those gaps were +0.5 and +1.2, and math is now 2.5 points below the district. Chronic absenteeism doubled over the same span, from 10.8% in 2020–21 to 21.6% — dead even with the district and 4.9 points worse than the state. Meanwhile poverty eased slightly and spending rose about 21%, so resources and demographics don't explain the fall.

Eighth-grade math (35.0%) is the only Helfrich result above the Indiana state average, beating in-district peers Thompkins Middle School, Plaza Park International Prep Academy, Washington Middle School and McGary Middle School. Seventh grade is the weak link: ELA (30.7%) is the only grade-subject below Helfrich's own district average, while North Junior High School (52.7%) and North Posey Junior High School (64.6%) post far higher 7th-grade ELA. Science, once the flagship, fell 13.3 points in three years. Regionally, Castle North Middle School (97th percentile) beats Helfrich's ELA by 28.7 points, and Perry Heights Middle School (83rd) leads EVSC. Five of seven EVSC middle schools exceed the state absenteeism rate, while all four nearby out-of-district peers — Castle North, Castle South Middle School, North Posey and Mount Vernon Junior High School — stay below it.

509

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,864

Per pupil spending ?

49.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2603 W Maryland St
Evansville, IN 47712

(812) 435-8246

District: Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp

Students who attend Helfrich Park STEM Academy usually attend:

High:	Francis Joseph Reitz High School
	New Technical Institute

Feeder schools for Helfrich Park STEM Academy:

Elementary:	Cynthia Heights Elementary School
	Tekoppel Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.8%

Two or more races:

8.6%

African American:

6.5%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Helfrich Park STEM Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 67th percentile in 2016 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg34%

248^th of 486

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 33% (2016) to bottom 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7Middle Schools in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp

258^th of 374Evansville Vanderburgh 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
2026	47.6	248 of 486	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.9	185 of 480	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.0	105 of 491	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	79.0	89 of 489	81.8%	★★★★☆
2022	74.5	110 of 490	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	72.8	116 of 483	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	64.7	158 of 470	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.6	180 of 473	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	65.1	164 of 472	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	65.4	164 of 494	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	73.1	107 of 485	77.9%	★★★★☆
2014	64.2	171 of 470	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	59.9	193 of 444	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	35.4	344 of 447	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	48.9	283 of 451	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	49.1	259 of 428	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	44.1	290 of 423	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.6	200 of 392	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.2	226 of 382	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.5	175 of 375	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	41.4	266 of 370	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	49.3	122 of 222	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts35%

Science34%

Math32%

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

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1★0

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What people are saying

by a student
Sunday, January 17, 2021

I see this as a very welcoming school for the most part... There are a couple of rude teachers and the bullying is somewhat delete with but not in a very professional was it is mostly ignored. There are quite a few very supportive teacher and the band program is amazing it feels like a big family. I've been a student here for 3 years and I'm in 8th I've made many friends as well! My cousin just moved to this school and in the area and she has said many positive things! (alongside some bad ones...) However I truely love this school! There are some warnings though... If you cannot handle drama or emotional stress please do not come here. I know this is common with many schools but my cousin has moved around to many different school corporations and schools from private schools to online to christian and now public... She has said that this school has the most drama with students vs. Staff vs. Random people outside of the school. This is by far the wires she has seen. So be warry but don't avoid the school for that there are many amazing people here and once you get in a friend group yep you're stuck unless you ask for help from another to get out! 🤣 I hope this help somebody! Close Quote

Schools Near Helfrich Park STEM Academy

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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)		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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Helfrich Park STEM Academy	Public	6-8	2603 W Maryland St	Evansville	47712	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8246	509	33	15.5	49.7%	401 (78.8%)	33 (6.5%)	27 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	44 (8.6%)	47.6	248^th of 486 public middle schools	49.0%		58.9	185^th of 480 public middle schools	61.5%	63	34.7	30.7	38.4	34.8	31.9	28.4	35.0	32.0	34.0	34.0	$11,864	$1,749	$10,115
Perry Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	5800 Hogue Rd	Evansville	47712	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8326	471	31	15.2	36.5%	392 (83.2%)	23 (4.9%)	11 (2.3%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (8.1%)	79.1	84^th of 486 public middle schools	82.7%		82.7	67^th of 480 public middle schools	86.0%	17	41.4	54.1	58.9	51.8	48.3	49.3	42.9	46.6	50.3	50.3	$12,378	$1,735	$10,643
Thompkins Middle School	Public	6-8	1300 W Mill Rd	Evansville	47710	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-8323	622	39	15.9	44.1%	496 (79.7%)	31 (5.0%)	31 (5.0%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (8.8%)	48.5	244^th of 486 public middle schools	49.8%		55.5	206^th of 480 public middle schools	57.1%	38	34.1	37.1	40.2	37.2	25.8	27.7	34.8	29.6	35.7	35.7	$11,905	$1,749	$10,156
Washington Middle School	Public	6-8	1801 Washington Ave	Evansville	47714	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 477-8983	331	27	12.3	68.0%	118 (35.6%)	106 (32.0%)	44 (13.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.7%)	51 (15.4%)	13.7	427^th of 486 public middle schools	12.1%		17.8	394^th of 480 public middle schools	17.9%	33	19.3	13.9	24.0	19.0	16.1	6.4	5.8	9.5	17.5	17.5	$13,064	$2,268	$10,796
McGary Middle School	Public	6-8	1535 S Joyce Ave	Evansville	47714	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(812) 476-3035	295	30	9.8	73.2%	104 (35.3%)	100 (33.9%)	40 (13.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	12 (4.1%)	36 (12.2%)	5.4	476^th of 486 public middle schools	2.1%		7.6	458^th of 480 public middle schools	4.6%	18	9.1	10.4	3.7	8.1	5.1	3.5	4.0	4.2	2.1	2.1	$14,216	$2,496	$11,720
Plaza Park International Prep Academy	Public	6-8	7301 Lincoln Ave	Evansville	47715	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 476-4971	610	46	13.4	56.1%	285 (46.7%)	156 (25.6%)	68 (11.1%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	81 (13.3%)	37.4	311^th of 486 public middle schools	36.0%		41.9	288^th of 480 public middle schools	40.0%	23	23.5	29.4	39.1	30.7	30.6	21.0	30.5	27.5	26.7	26.7	$11,357	$1,793	$9,564
North Junior High School	Public	7-8	15325 Hwy 41 N	Evansville	47725	Vanderburgh County	Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 435-0975	925	53	17.5	40.3%	695 (75.1%)	76 (8.2%)	53 (5.7%)	22 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.5%)	72 (7.8%)	70.5	136^th of 486 public middle schools	72.0%		66.6	146^th of 480 public middle schools	69.6%	10		52.7	44.1	48.3		38.8	37.4	38.1			$10,711	$1,707	$9,005
Castle South Middle School	Public	6-8	3711 Casey Rd	Newburgh	47630	Warrick County	Warrick County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 490-7930	641	40	16.0	39.0%	515 (80.3%)	27 (4.2%)	34 (5.3%)	15 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	47 (7.3%)	88.9	43^rd of 486 public middle schools	91.2%		90.2	36^th of 480 public middle schools	92.5%	7	67.8	49.5	52.9	56.8	68.7	48.3	55.3	57.5	66.8	66.8	$10,921	$581	$10,340
Castle North Middle School	Public	6-8	2800 Hwy 261	Newburgh	47630	Warrick County	Warrick County School Corp	No	No	No	No	(812) 853-7347	758	41	18.4	25.2%	588 (77.6%)	19 (2.5%)	39 (5.1%)	64 (8.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (6.1%)	95.2	14^th of 486 public middle schools	97.1%		95.9	12^th of 480 public middle schools	97.5%	2	62.5	59.9	67.4	63.5	64.5	70.7	67.6	67.6	67.3	67.3	$10,397	$567	$9,830
North Posey Junior High School	Public	7-8	5800 High School Rd	Poseyville	47633	Posey County	MSD North Posey County Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 673-4244	234	19	12.4	33.8%	224 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	82.3	70^th of 486 public middle schools	85.6%		92.3	25^th of 480 public middle schools	94.8%	45		64.6	63.4	63.9		52.7	31.3	41.1			$11,390	$707	$10,683

Frequently Asked Questions about Helfrich Park STEM Academy

Is Helfrich Park STEM Academy a good school?

Helfrich Park STEM Academy ranks 248^th of 486 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Helfrich Park STEM Academy in?

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp

What is the racial makeup of Helfrich Park STEM Academy?

Students at Helfrich Park STEM Academy are 79% White, 9% Two or more races, 6% African American, 5% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of Helfrich Park STEM Academy attend?

Students who attend Helfrich Park STEM Academy usually go on to attend Francis Joseph Reitz High School

How many students attend Helfrich Park STEM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 509 students attended Helfrich Park STEM Academy.

Rate Helfrich Park STEM Academy!

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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.