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Gary Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

464^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 480 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 3% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Gary Middle School is a public middle school located in Gary, Indiana, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 324 students. The school is part of the Gary Community School Corporation, which is ranked 364 out of 380 school districts in Indiana and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past several years, Gary Middle School has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in the state, with a ranking between 463 and 480 out of around 470-490 middle schools.

Gary Middle School faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 55.8% to 69.0% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school's academic performance, as measured by ILEARN test scores, is also extremely low compared to the state and even the district average. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 12.57% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of around 40%, and the math proficiency rate was just 2.46%, compared to the state average of around 35-40%. Additionally, the school has very high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75% to 89.26% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Gary Middle School to other nearby schools, such as Chesterton Middle School, which is part of the Duneland School Corporation, the differences in academic performance and other key metrics are stark. Chesterton Middle School has significantly higher test scores, with around 65-70% of students proficient in English Language Arts and Math, compared to the single-digit proficiency rates at Gary Middle School. Despite the relatively high spending per student at Gary Middle School, ranging from $12,161 to $25,957 in recent years, the academic outcomes remain very poor, raising questions about the effective use of resources and the need for a more comprehensive approach to school improvement.

365

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,400

Per pupil spending ?

62.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

301 Parke St
Gary, IN 46403

(219) 321-8547

District: Gary Community School Corp

Students who attend Gary Middle School usually attend:

High:

West Side Leadership Academy

Feeder schools for Gary Middle School:

Elementary:	Banneker Elementary at Marquette
	Daniel Hale Williams Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

91.5%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Two or more races:

2.7%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Gary Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2019 → 3rd in 2025

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (68% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school8%

District avg9%

464^th of 480

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▲ up 2 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Gary Community School Corp

364^th of 380Gary 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	6.8	464 of 480	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.3	474 of 491	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.6	480 of 489	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.0	479 of 490	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.1	468 of 483	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.8	463 of 470	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts13%

Science12%

Math2%

★

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Schools Near Gary Middle 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)	ILEARN Biology (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 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 5th Grade	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 Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gary Middle School	Public	6-8	301 Parke St	Gary	46403	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 321-8547	365	25	14.4	62.5%	2 (0.5%)	334 (91.5%)	18 (4.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	6.8	464^th of 480 public middle schools	3.3%		7.3	474^th of 491 public middle schools	3.5%	10		9.9	12.0	16.5	12.6		5.4	0.8	0.9	2.5	11.9	11.9			$18,400	$6,070	$12,331
William Fegely Middle School	Public	6-8	5384 Stone Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8150	566	45	12.4	48.2%	256 (45.2%)	111 (19.6%)	160 (28.3%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.3%)	33.8	328^th of 480 public middle schools	31.7%		36.8	318^th of 491 public middle schools	35.2%	10		27.9	28.7	31.8	29.5		12.1	28.7	24.0	22.3	27.4	27.4		56.8	$12,312	$401	$11,911
Willowcreek Middle School	Public	6-8	5962 Central Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8090	920	55	16.6	41.7%	474 (51.5%)	145 (15.8%)	245 (26.6%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.5%)	39.1	309^th of 480 public middle schools	35.6%		41.6	290^th of 491 public middle schools	40.9%	19		23.6	26.4	37.3	29.0		21.8	26.1	37.3	28.3	32.9	32.9		70.3	$11,089	$319	$10,770
River Forest Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 Indiana St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-7551	369	25	14.7	74.0%	117 (31.7%)	64 (17.3%)	157 (42.5%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (7.3%)	21.1	375^th of 480 public middle schools	21.9%		17.6	402^nd of 491 public middle schools	18.1%	27		28.5	22.6	21.4	24.1		18.1	11.2	4.8	11.2	30.4	30.4			$9,950	$713	$9,237
Hobart Middle School	Public	6-8	36 E 8th St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	No	(219) 942-8541	905	50	18.2	52.6%	574 (63.4%)	85 (9.4%)	210 (23.2%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.0%)	62.1	169^th of 480 public middle schools	64.8%		60.3	184^th of 491 public middle schools	62.5%	15		41.1	40.7	46.7	42.7		39.2	37.2	32.0	36.2	38.3	38.3		86.5	$12,110	$406	$11,705
Bailly Middle School	Public	6-8	4621 Georgia St	Gary	46409	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-6326	355	28	12.7	60.0%	7 (2.0%)	292 (82.3%)	34 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.6%)	9.2	446^th of 480 public middle schools	7.1%		9.9	451^st of 491 public middle schools	8.1%	5		16.2	6.8	21.6	14.4		7.0	3.0	8.3	5.9	12.4	12.4			$18,063	$5,461	$12,602
Lake Ridge New Technical Middle School	Public	5-8	3601 W 41st Ave	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-0730	447	27	16.8	97.5%	125 (28.0%)	175 (39.1%)	122 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	9.5	443^rd of 480 public middle schools	7.7%		7.6	472^nd of 491 public middle schools	3.9%	29	16.3	13.5	17.4	12.4	15.0	8.2	6.7	4.6	5.2	6.1	16.7	16.7	17.5		$13,528	$2,656	$10,873
Merrillville Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1400 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5306	788	61	13.0	54.4%	66 (8.4%)	494 (62.7%)	167 (21.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (7.4%)								(n/a)	28.8	26.7			27.8	35.5	30.4			33.1	29.1	29.1	28.1		$11,520	$1,224	$10,296
Liberty Intermediate School	Public	5-6	50 W 900 N	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(219) 983-3690	452	27	16.6	27.0%	331 (73.2%)	6 (1.3%)	96 (21.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)								(n/a)	61.4	61.1			61.3	59.8	63.6			61.5	66.7	66.7	67.5		$13,208	$434	$12,774
Pierce Middle School	Public	7-8	199 E 70th Pl	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5308	878	69	12.8	53.2%	58 (6.6%)	581 (66.2%)	183 (20.8%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (5.7%)	23.9	363^rd of 480 public middle schools	24.4%		27.8	356^th of 491 public middle schools	27.5%	7			20.3	29.3	24.9			18.5	13.8	16.1					$11,123	$835	$10,288

Frequently Asked Questions about Gary Middle School

What district is Gary Middle School in?

Gary Community School Corp

Is Gary Middle School a good school?

Gary Middle School ranks in the bottom 3.3% of Indiana middle schools.

How many students attend Gary Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 365 students attended Gary Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Gary Middle School?

Students at Gary Middle School are 92% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Gary Middle School attend?

Students who attend Gary Middle School usually go on to attend West Side Leadership Academy

Rate Gary Middle 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.