Best Public Schools in Zip Code 46781

ZIP code 46781 in Poneto, Indiana contains two public schools, both in the Southern Wells Com Schools district and both located at 9120 S 300 W: Southern Wells Elementary School (K–6, 496 students) and Southern Wells Junior-Senior High School (7–12, 384 students), serving 880 students total with no standalone middle or alternative school. The district is ranked 152 of 374 in Indiana, at the 59th percentile, with 3 stars.

For parents comparing the two, the junior-senior high is the stronger standout on key outcomes. It reports a 100.0% graduation rate in 2024–2025, above Indiana’s 89.7%, and its ELA results are notably strong: 65.22% proficient in ILEARN ELA All Grades, with 8th grade at 73.13% and 7th grade at 57.75%, well above state. SAT math was also above state in both years shown. However, some results dropped from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, including biology and SAT reading/writing, so performance varies by assessment and cohort.

The elementary school’s clearest relative strengths are attendance and a slight math edge: chronic absenteeism was 15.6%, below the district’s 16.5% and the state’s 16.7%, and Math All Grades was 33.45%, just above the district’s 32.21%. Still, its overall rank slipped from the 50th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 34th percentile in 2025–2026 at 2 stars, and most elementary grade-level scores are below state. At the junior-senior high, chronic absenteeism is 17.6%, above district and state. Resource differences are also notable: the junior-senior high spends $11,699 per student with a 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio, while the elementary spends $8,914 per student with a 17.7:1 ratio.