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James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School

Public Grades K-5
610th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools
Better than 40% of Indiana elementary schools
Summary

James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School is a K–5 school serving 154 students at 1008 Upper 11th Street in Vincennes, Indiana, part of Vincennes Community School Corp.

Riley's state rank has climbed steadily, from the 15th percentile in 2015–2016 to 40th in 2025–2026, moving from 1 star to 2 stars. Attendance is a real bright spot: chronic absenteeism was 8.8% in 2024–2025, well below the district's 18.9% and the state's 16.7%, and lower than every same-district peer — Francis Vigo Elementary School at 11.3%, Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary School at 16.4%, and Benjamin Franklin Elementary School at 10.7%. Among nearby schools, only South Knox Elementary School did better, at 6.7%. Math is the strongest subject, with 46.58% all-grades proficiency, and 5th grade Math stands out at 60% — the highest among nearby schools with reported 5th grade results. ELA is weaker and very flat, around 30% in grades 3, 4, and 5, all below state benchmarks, and 5th grade Social Studies is 30%, below the district, state, and every nearby school reporting that data.

Riley is the smallest school in its comparison group and the best-resourced: per-student spending was $14,531 in 2023–2024 (highest among nearby schools) with a 10.7 student-teacher ratio (lowest). Yet outcomes trail 3-star Benjamin Franklin Elementary School and South Knox Elementary School in ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies, though Riley has better attendance and higher Science than Benjamin Franklin. With only 154 students, single-year swings should be read cautiously. Families should note strong attendance, an improving rank, and standout 5th grade Math, alongside ELA and Social Studies as areas to watch.

154
Students ?
10.7
Student/teacher ratio ?
$14,531
Per pupil spending ?
62.3%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
 1008 Upper 11th Street
       Vincennes, IN  47591

(812) 882-7953

District: Vincennes Community School Corp


Students who attend James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    George Rogers Clark School
High:    Lincoln High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
81.2%
African American:
7.1%
Hispanic:
5.2%
more
 See top rated Indiana elementary schools

 Compare James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 15th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026
Strengths
✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2016
✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Indiana average (38% vs 47% meeting standards)
!Social Studies scores 17 pts below the Indiana average
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school38%
District avg33%
Indiana avg47%
610th of 1,015
Indiana public elementary schools ?
Bottom 40%▲ up 25 pts since 2016
From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
2nd of 4Elementary Schools in the Vincennes Community School Corp
261st of 374Vincennes 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankIndiana percentileRating
202641.0610 of 101539.9%★★☆☆☆
202543.7585 of 100541.8%★★☆☆☆
202435.1675 of 101133.2%★★☆☆☆
202323.0792 of 101622.0%★☆☆☆☆
202221.7809 of 102020.7%★☆☆☆☆
202127.4764 of 101624.8%★☆☆☆☆
201922.4836 of 103118.9%★☆☆☆☆
201830.3788 of 102723.3%★☆☆☆☆
201722.9858 of 103316.9%★☆☆☆☆
201620.2891 of 104614.8%★☆☆☆☆
201545.4658 of 104036.7%★★☆☆☆
201448.5650 of 103637.3%★★☆☆☆
201363.1431 of 103558.4%★★★☆☆
201228.1827 of 101518.5%★☆☆☆☆
201131.2807 of 102521.3%★☆☆☆☆
201039.2720 of 100928.6%★☆☆☆☆
200940.8700 of 100330.2%★★☆☆☆
200848.2614 of 99638.4%★★☆☆☆
200749.2593 of 98539.8%★★☆☆☆
200659.5415 of 96156.8%★★★☆☆
200547.6592 of 95938.3%★★☆☆☆
By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?
Math47%
Science40%
English Language Arts30%
Social Studies30%-17 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School

Students at James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School are 81% White, 7% African American, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Students who attend James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : George Rogers Clark School
High : Lincoln High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 154 students attended James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School.

James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School ranks 610th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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Latest Indiana data All new data »
2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 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.

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