Summary:
ZIP code 47951 in Kentland, Indiana, has exactly one middle school: South Newton Middle School, which serves grades 6–8 with 191 students and belongs to South Newton School Corp. Because it is the only middle school in the area, parents should compare it with district and state benchmarks rather than with other nearby middle schools. The school is on an upward trend: it rose from 264th of 491 schools in 2023–2024 (46th percentile, 2 stars) to 170th of 486 in 2025–2026 (65th percentile, 3 stars).
Academically, results are mixed. Eighth-grade ELA is a clear strength at 51.02% proficient, above Indiana’s 44%, and 6th-grade Math is also strong at 52.63% versus the state’s 40.2%. Sixth-grade Science is 47.37%, above the state’s 41.2%. All-grades ELA is 43.37%, essentially tied with the district’s 43.26%, while all-grades Science is 47.37%, above the district’s 41.38%. The main concern is upper-grade math: 7th-grade Math is 31.67% versus the state’s 35.9%, and 8th-grade Math is 24.49% versus the state’s 34.2%. All-grades Math is 36.75%, below the district’s 41.57%.
Year over year, all-grades ELA improved from 36.02% to 43.37% and Math from 31.72% to 36.75%, while Science declined from 52.94% to 47.37%; relative to the district, the school improved in all three subjects. Chronic absenteeism is 10.7%, better than Indiana’s 16.7% but slightly above the district’s 10.0%. Additional context: 46.6% free/reduced lunch, $9,375 per-student spending, and a 13.1 student-teacher ratio. Overall, the school shows positive momentum, with strong 8th-grade ELA, 6th-grade Math, and 6th-grade Science, but math in grades 7 and 8 is the clearest area to watch.
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