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William Penn Middle School - a STEM School

Public Grades 6-8

979^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 3% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

William Penn School 49 is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Indianapolis, IN, with an enrollment of 452 students. The school is part of the Indianapolis Public Schools district, which is ranked 300 out of 380 districts in Indiana and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

William Penn School 49 faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.8% to 41.4% over the past few years, which is much higher than the district average. The school also performs poorly on standardized tests, with only 12.61% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 7.33% proficient in math, compared to 20.83% and 20.99% for the district, respectively. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.16% to 78%, much higher than the district average, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing William Penn School 49 to nearby schools in the same district, such as Center For Inquiry School 2 and James A Garfield School 31, the performance gap is stark, with these nearby schools having significantly higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and lower free/reduced lunch rates. This suggests that factors beyond just funding and district-level policies are contributing to the poor performance of William Penn School 49, and the school may be facing systemic challenges that are not being adequately addressed.

367

Students ?

10.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,963

Per pupil spending ?

65.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1720 W Wilkins St
Indianapolis, IN 46221

(317) 226-4249

District: Indianapolis Public Schools

Students who attend William Penn Middle School - a STEM School usually attend:

High:	Arsenal Technical High School
	Crispus Attucks High School
	George Washington High School
	Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind
	More...
	Shortridge High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.5%

White:

25.6%

African American:

23.2%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare William Penn Middle School - a STEM School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 13th percentile in 2019 → 5th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (10% vs 46% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school10%

District avg21%

Indiana avg46%

Elementary school

979^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

456^th of 480

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 8 pts since 2019

From bottom 13% (2019) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Middle Schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools

300^th of 380Indianapolis Public 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	5.9	979 of 1005	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	844 of 1011	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.0	896 of 1016	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.6	958 of 1020	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.2	955 of 1016	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	902 of 1031	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.7	923 of 1027	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.2	875 of 1033	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.1	915 of 1046	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.8	959 of 1040	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	13.3	960 of 1036	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	19.1	918 of 1035	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	23.8	859 of 1015	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.6	847 of 1025	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	17.9	887 of 1009	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	33.6	759 of 1003	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	23.9	841 of 996	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	21.0	860 of 985	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.5	798 of 961	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	15.9	868 of 959	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	7.8	456 of 480	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.5	403 of 491	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.1	472 of 489	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.5	471 of 490	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.7	450 of 483	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.4	411 of 470	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Biology32%-14 vs state

English Language Arts13%

Math7%

Science5%

★

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Schools Near William Penn Middle School - a STEM 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
William Penn Middle School - a STEM School	Public	6-8	1720 W Wilkins St	Indianapolis	46221	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 226-4249	367	36	10.1	65.4%	94 (25.6%)	85 (23.2%)	156 (42.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.4%)	7.8	979^th of 1005 public middle schools	2.6%		17.5	403^rd of 491 public middle schools	17.9%	576		10.7	10.6	17.5	12.6		8.3	7.3	6.2	7.3	5.0	5.0		31.8	$20,963	$3,579	$17,384
Arlington Middle School - a STEM School	Public	6-8	120 E Walnut St	Indianapolis	46204	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 822-7980	365	31	11.9	67.7%	13 (3.6%)	221 (60.5%)	110 (30.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.5%)	4.4	475^th of 480 public middle schools	1.0%		6.7	479^th of 491 public middle schools	2.4%	4		3.2	1.7	6.3	4.0		1.1	3.4	2.8	2.6	7.5	7.5		18.8	$27,043	$4,156	$22,887
H.W. Longfellow Middle School - an IB World School	Public, Magnet	6-8	510 Laurel Street	Indianapolis	46203	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(317) 226-4228	538	45	12.0	76.6%	74 (13.8%)	274 (50.9%)	155 (28.8%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.6%)	11.8	427^th of 480 public middle schools	11.0%		10.8	443^rd of 491 public middle schools	9.8%	16		13.4	5.7	20.3	14.3		8.7	5.8	16.1	11.2	9.8	9.8		37.5	$21,983	$3,870	$18,113
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%)	16.9	398^th of 480 public middle schools	17.1%		19.9	388^th of 491 public middle schools	21.0%	10			16.1	21.5	18.7			15.2	12.8	14.0				77.8	$14,082	$1,185	$12,898
H. L. Harshman Middle School	Public	6-8	1501 E 10th St	Indianapolis	46201	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 226-4101	509	37	13.9	46.6%	165 (32.4%)	79 (15.5%)	230 (45.2%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.1%)	84.4	63^rd of 480 public middle schools	86.9%		18.2	397^th of 491 public middle schools	19.1%	334		53.4	52.8	67.4	57.3		39.9	52.8	55.7	48.7	54.4	54.4		70.2	$31,496	$4,298	$27,198
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%)	86.2	51^st of 480 public middle schools	89.4%		80.8	75^th of 491 public middle schools	84.7%	24			49.2	55.9	52.7			47.5	52.9	50.4					$12,713	$561	$12,152
Paramount Englewood	Public, Charter	5-8	1849 E Pleasant Run S Pkwy Dri	Indianapolis	46203	Marion County	Paramount Englewood	Yes	No	No	Yes	(463) 231-2830	270	15	18.0	64.1%	29 (10.7%)	159 (58.9%)	58 (21.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.5%)	54.8	211^th of 480 public middle schools	56.0%		58.2	198^th of 491 public middle schools	59.7%	13	29.4	31.5	32.5	63.0	41.2	35.3	26.0	38.8	61.6	41.6	9.6	9.6	5.9		$15,153	$2,646	$12,507
KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	1740 E 30th St	Indianapolis	46218	Marion County	KIPP Indy College Prep Middle	Yes	No	No	Yes	(317) 547-5477	372	19	19.5	98.9%	7 (1.9%)	280 (75.3%)	75 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	10.3	436^th of 480 public middle schools	9.2%		8.2	466^th of 491 public middle schools	5.1%	30		16.1	12.6	13.6	14.1		12.6	6.7	12.7	10.7	8.0	8.0			$15,077	$6,380	$8,697
Beech Grove Middle School	Public	7-8	1248 Buffalo St	Beech Grove	46107	Marion County	Beech Grove City Schools	No	No	No	No	(317) 784-6649	440	30	14.9	55.2%	288 (65.5%)	51 (11.6%)	59 (13.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (8.9%)	39.2	308^th of 480 public middle schools	35.8%		46.9	262^nd of 491 public middle schools	46.6%	46			22.6	35.3	28.6			25.7	29.5	27.5					$13,947	$1,421	$12,526
Northwest Middle School - an IB World School	Public	6-8	5525 W 34th St	Indianapolis	46224	Marion County	Indianapolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(317) 693-5600	623	51	12.2	63.7%	40 (6.4%)	283 (45.4%)	264 (42.4%)	14 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.4%)	5.8	470^th of 480 public middle schools	2.1%		6.3	480^th of 491 public middle schools	2.2%	10		5.2	9.0	10.5	8.4		1.7	1.9	7.8	4.0	4.2	4.2		17.7	$28,033	$3,876	$24,157

Frequently Asked Questions about William Penn Middle School - a STEM School

What is the racial makeup of William Penn Middle School - a STEM School?

Students at William Penn Middle School - a STEM School are 43% Hispanic, 26% White, 23% African American, 8% Two or more races.

Is William Penn Middle School - a STEM School a good school?

William Penn Middle School - a STEM School ranks in the bottom 2.6% of Indiana middle schools.

What district is William Penn Middle School - a STEM School in?

Indianapolis Public Schools

How many students attend William Penn Middle School - a STEM School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 367 students attended William Penn Middle School - a STEM School.

What high school do graduates of William Penn Middle School - a STEM School attend?

Students who attend William Penn Middle School - a STEM School usually go on to attend Arsenal Technical High School

Rate William Penn Middle School - a STEM 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.