Summary:
ZIP code 47523 in Dale, Indiana has one elementary school: David Turnham Education Center, which serves students in grades PK through 6 and enrolls 299 students as part of the North Spencer County School Corp district.
That school is a strong statewide performer. In 2025–26 it ranked 176th of 1,015 Indiana elementary schools — the 83rd percentile, or roughly the top 17% — and earned 4 stars, up from 251st of 1,005 the year before. It exceeded the state in every reported grade-level subject in 2025–26: ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Fourth grade was the standout, with 4th grade ELA at 73.68% proficient, above both the district (71.43%) and the state (42.2%), and 4th grade Math also at 73.68%. Fifth grade was the relative watch point: ELA 46.81%, Math 51.06%, and Social Studies 48.94% — each still above the state, though Social Studies fell from 64.1% the prior year. At the all-grades level, the school trails its district in ELA (59.38% vs. 63.63%), Math (61.25% vs. 67.41%), and Science (55.13% vs. 61.79%). That district is exceptionally high-performing, ranking 11th of 374 districts with 5 stars.
Core academic momentum is positive: from 2024–25 to 2025–26, all-grades ELA rose 7.57 points, Math 5.23 points, and Science 11.76 points. Chronic absenteeism is a major strength at 5.9%, below the district's 7.0% and far below the state's 16.7%. For context, 52.17% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, per-student spending is $10,048, and the student-teacher ratio is 16:1; the data provided give no district or state comparisons for those three figures.
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