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Frankie Woods McCullough Academy

Public Grades PK, KG-5

960^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Frankie Woods McCullough Academy is a PK–5 elementary school serving 472 students on Gary’s near-west side at 1110 W 21st Ave, part of the Gary Community School Corp. It holds a 0-star rating and ranks 960th of 1,015 Indiana elementary schools (5th percentile) for 2025–2026, though a decade ago it was high-performing: 178th of 1,046 (83rd percentile) with 4 stars in 2015–2016. It later fell to dead last — 1,011th of 1,011 in 2023–2024 — and has only recently begun moving up.

Compared with nearby options, Frankie Woods McCullough outperforms the district average in every subject and beats Glen Park Academy for Excel in Learning in ELA, Math, and Science. Its 2025–2026 proficiency is 9.73% ELA, 17.26% Math, and 13.33% Science, with 4th-grade Math at 35% — a bright spot — but 5th grade drops to 6.90% ELA and 5.75% Math and Social Studies. Chronic absenteeism is 57.4%, roughly 3.4× the state rate, meaning about 270 of 472 students miss at least 10% of the year. Aspire Charter Academy, 2.47 miles away, serves a higher-poverty population (96.05% free/reduced lunch vs. 57.42%) yet posts 25.13% ELA and 25.8% absenteeism. Alexander Hamilton Elementary School spends $12,913 per student versus $18,045 here and produces roughly 3× the ELA proficiency.

The encouraging news is trajectory. Every subject is at a four-year high: Math has more than quadrupled since 2023–2024 (4.04% to 17.26%), Science has gone from 1.79% to 13.33%, and the student:teacher ratio improved to 15.6. The school also beats Daniel Hale Williams Elementary School in Math and Science, though not ELA, and splits with Beveridge Elementary School (better ELA, weaker Science). The open questions are whether the 4th-grade Math gain survives into 5th grade and whether the absenteeism spike will slow the recovery. Notably, the PK–K feeder Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Center reports 26.6% chronic absenteeism — less than half Frankie Woods McCullough’s rate — suggesting the biggest leak comes later.

472

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,087

Per pupil spending ?

57.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

88.1%

Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) (2025-26)

1110 W 21st Ave
Gary, IN 46407

(219) 944-7301

District: Gary Community School Corp

Students who attend Frankie Woods McCullough Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Bailly Middle School
High:	West Side Leadership Academy

Racial breakdown:

African American:

89.4%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Frankie Woods McCullough Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2016 → 5th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Gary Community School Corp

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (12% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (51% vs 15% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school12%

District avg8%

Indiana avg47%

960^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 78 pts since 2016

From top 17% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Gary Community School Corp

365^th of 374Gary Community 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	7.8	960 of 1015	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	4.5	993 of 1005	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.0	1011 of 1011	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.4	1009 of 1016	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.5	1005 of 1020	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.8	1013 of 1016	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.1	959 of 1031	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.5	978 of 1027	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	40.3	700 of 1033	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	78.4	178 of 1046	83.0%	★★★★☆
2015	55.0	516 of 1040	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	65.8	386 of 1036	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	85.7	65 of 1035	93.7%	★★★★★
2012	48.0	641 of 1015	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.3	480 of 1025	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.8	270 of 1009	73.2%	★★★★☆
2009	35.2	745 of 1003	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	59.1	457 of 996	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	26.6	804 of 985	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	14.1	886 of 961	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	4.6	933 of 959	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	6.0	317 of 326	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2018	8.8	438 of 473	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	35.0	346 of 472	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	84.2	36 of 494	92.7%	★★★★★
2015	71.1	122 of 485	74.8%	★★★★☆
2014	74.0	94 of 470	80.0%	★★★★☆
2013	54.1	237 of 444	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	22.9	391 of 447	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	65.1	157 of 451	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	70.2	114 of 428	73.4%	★★★★☆
2009	46.3	273 of 423	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Math17%

Science13%

English Language Arts10%

Social Studies6%-41 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Tuesday, March 2, 2021

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Schools Near Frankie Woods McCullough 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)							ILEARN Math (2026)							ILEARN Science (2026)			ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	7.8	960^th of 1015 public elementary schools	5.4%		4.5	993^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	1.2%	33	12.7	10.0	6.9				9.7	16.5	35.0	5.8				17.3	13.3		13.3	5.8	88.1%		$15,087	$3,274	$11,813
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%)	19.3	829^th of 1015 public elementary schools	18.3%		24.5	780^th of 1005 public elementary schools	22.4%	49	17.5	15.2	22.6	41.1	28.1	25.8	25.1	26.3	21.2	7.6	28.8	20.3	16.1	20.9	12.3	17.8	15.2	20.8	89.6%		$15,467	$4,896	$10,571
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%)	4.8	1000^th of 1015 public elementary schools	1.5%		3.6	1000^th of 1005 public elementary schools	0.5%		1.2	9.4	1.8				3.7	9.9	20.8	3.6				11.1	18.9		18.9	3.6	80.6%		$15,144	$3,725	$11,419
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%)	10.1	934^th of 1015 public elementary schools	8.0%		9.8	922^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	8.3%	12	17.4	23.6	10.4	11.8			15.8	15.3	20.8	16.9	2.6			13.9	14.1	14.5	14.3	16.9	97.3%		$9,778	$1,330	$8,448
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%)	6.3	979^th of 1015 public elementary schools	3.5%		5.5	988^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.7%	9	9.9	15.8	19.3				14.0	4.4	13.2	0.0				4.8	10.5		10.5	10.5	93%		$14,981	$3,421	$11,560
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%)	5.4	992^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	2.3%		5.1	989^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.6%	3	4.0	14.6					9.4	12.1	11.8					11.9	12.8		12.8		75.3%		$17,428	$4,477	$12,951
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%)	22.1	808^th of 1015 public elementary schools	20.4%		21.1	804^th of 1005 public elementary schools	20.0%	4	17.8	12.4	35.5	20.8			21.8	22.9	37.1	28.0	20.8			27.0	25.8	21.8	23.7	29.0	80.4%		$10,007	$1,406	$8,600
Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 N Jay St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-4488	477	39	12.2	55.1%	167 (35.0%)	111 (23.3%)	168 (35.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.7%)								(n/a)																			89.9%		$14,158	$1,352	$12,806
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%)	60.3	389^th of 1015 public elementary schools	61.7%		64.6	342^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	66.0%	47	40.9	50.0	38.5				42.6	64.2	56.1	37.2				51.5	46.6		46.6	47.4	82.5%		$9,043	$300	$8,743
Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev Center	Public	PK-K	2367 E 21st Ave	Gary	46407	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 886-6542	231	10	23.1	43.7%	2 (0.9%)	202 (87.4%)	19 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)								(n/a)																			73.5%		$14,798	$7,585	$7,213

Frequently Asked Questions about Frankie Woods McCullough Academy

What is the racial makeup of Frankie Woods McCullough Academy?

Students at Frankie Woods McCullough Academy are 89% African American, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Is Frankie Woods McCullough Academy a good school?

Frankie Woods McCullough Academy ranks in the bottom 5.4% of Indiana elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Frankie Woods McCullough Academy attend?

Students who attend Frankie Woods McCullough Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bailly Middle School
High : West Side Leadership Academy

What district is Frankie Woods McCullough Academy in?

Gary Community School Corp

How many students attend Frankie Woods McCullough Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 472 students attended Frankie Woods McCullough Academy.

Rate Frankie Woods McCullough Academy!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 28, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 28, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 20, 2026

2023–24 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

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.