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Southwestern Middle School

Q: Is Southwestern Middle School a good school?

Southwestern Middle School ranks 289 th of 486 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

289^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 486 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 41% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Southwestern Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6–8 with 280 students in Hanover, Indiana, a small community in Jefferson County near Madison. It belongs to the Southwestern-Jefferson County Con district, and about 60% of its students were eligible for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025 — the highest rate among the nearby schools parents often compare it with.

Attendance is this school's standout strength. Chronic absenteeism was 11.5% in 2024–2025, below Indiana's 16.7% and far below Austin Middle School (16.8%), Scottsburg Middle School (26.7%) and Madison Consolidated Junior High School (30.8%). That stands out because Southwestern serves a higher-poverty population than those schools while spending less — $9,715 per student in 2023–2024 — and it still has the smallest valid student-teacher ratio at 13:1. Science is another bright spot at 38.89% proficient in 2025–2026, though that figure reflects 6th grade science only.

Math is the clearest challenge: 26.72% of students were proficient in 2025–2026, behind Scottsburg (35.00%) and Madison (30.23%), though ahead of Austin (19.39%). Eighth grade is the weakest spot, with 8th grade math at 15.84% and 8th grade ELA at 26.73%, both well below state averages. The encouraging news is the trend — all-grade math climbed from 14.14% to 21.56% to 26.72% over three years, and the school's ranking rose from the 27th percentile in 2022–2023 to the 41st percentile in 2025–2026, moving from 1 star to 2 stars while Madison and Scottsburg slipped. Southwestern is a school to watch if those gains continue.

280

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,682

Per pupil spending ?

60.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

169 S Main Cross St
Hanover, IN 47243

(812) 866-9500

District: Southwestern-Jefferson County Con

Students who attend Southwestern Middle School usually attend:

High:

Southwestern High School

Feeder schools for Southwestern Middle School:

Elementary:

Southwestern Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.2%

Hispanic:

6.4%

Two or more races:

2.9%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 27th percentile in 2016 → 41st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg37%

289^th of 486

Indiana public middle schools ?

Bottom 41%▲ up 14 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

221^st of 374Southwestern-Jefferson County Con 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	41.7	289 of 486	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.6	312 of 480	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	332 of 491	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.2	355 of 489	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	351 of 490	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	341 of 483	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.6	357 of 470	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.3	355 of 473	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	29.8	370 of 472	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.8	362 of 494	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	40.9	330 of 485	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Science39%

English Language Arts32%

Math27%

★

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Schools Near Southwestern 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 Social Studies (2026)	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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southwestern Middle School	Public	6-8	169 S Main Cross St	Hanover	47243	Jefferson County	Southwestern-Jefferson County Con	No	No	No	No	(812) 866-9500	280	22	13.0	60.0%	247 (88.2%)	4 (1.4%)	18 (6.4%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.9%)	41.7	289^th of 486 public middle schools	40.5%		38.6	312^th of 480 public middle schools	35.0%	23		37.0	33.3	26.7	31.7		33.8	34.7	15.8	26.7	38.9	38.9		$10,682	$217	$10,465
Madison Consolidated Junior High School	Public	5-8	701 8th St	Madison	47250	Jefferson County	Madison Consolidated Schools	No	No	No	No	(812) 274-8003	728	47	15.6	54.1%	636 (87.4%)	11 (1.5%)	33 (4.5%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (4.8%)	59.7	182^nd of 486 public middle schools	62.6%		62.6	166^th of 480 public middle schools	65.4%	16	20.6	37.8	38.4	60.6	39.1	21.7	30.7	27.8	41.1	30.2	41.5	41.5	34.9	$11,794	$682	$11,111
Scottsburg Middle School	Public	6-8	425 S 3rd St	Scottsburg	47170	Scott County	Scott County School District 2	No	No	No	No	(812) 752-8926	556	39	14.4	53.6%	509 (91.5%)	5 (0.9%)	23 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.1%)	48.3	245^th of 486 public middle schools	49.6%		59.5	183^rd of 480 public middle schools	61.9%	62		29.2	28.7	36.8	31.6		36.2	35.7	33.2	35.0	37.2	37.2		$10,268	$395	$9,873
Austin Middle School	Public	6-8	401 S Hwy 31	Austin	47102	Scott County	Scott County School District 1	No	No	No	No	(812) 794-8740	254	1	254.0	45.7%	232 (91.3%)	4 (1.6%)	9 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.5%)	28.4	349^th of 486 public middle schools	28.2%		22.8	367^th of 480 public middle schools	23.5%	18		26.8	33.3	20.0	26.6		19.6	24.7	14.1	19.4	28.9	28.9		$10,820	$127	$10,692

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Southwestern Middle School?

Students at Southwestern Middle School are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Southwestern Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 280 students attended Southwestern Middle School.

What district is Southwestern Middle School in?

Southwestern-Jefferson County Con

Is Southwestern Middle School a good school?

Southwestern Middle School ranks 289^th of 486 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Southwestern Middle School attend?

Students who attend Southwestern Middle School usually go on to attend Southwestern High School

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INIndiana Middle School Rankings

INIndiana District Rankings

Schools in Hanover, IN

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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)NewOct 20, 2026

2023–24 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 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.