Enrollment
246
Elementary
DISTRICT 268 · STATE 436
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NEW CASTLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORP·NCES 180744001286
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School
1201 Riley Rd, New Castle, IN 47362 · (765) 521-7211 · Henry County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL246 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 64% of Indiana public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Indiana public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
14.5:1
17 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.0:1 · STATE 15.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
122 students
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 50%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 11 | 4% |
| Kindergarten | 43 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 47 | 19% |
| Grade 2 | 41 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 34 | 14% |
| Grade 4 | 27 | 11% |
| Grade 5 | 43 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (43) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (43).
Student demographics
21%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 27% · STATE 57% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
ILEARN 2024-25 . % At or Above ProficiencyEnglish Language Arts
42.6%
IN avg 39.2%
Math
56.4%
IN avg 41.1%
What this means: On the ILEARN, Indiana's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 56 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Indiana schools, those numbers are about 39 and 41.
Source: ILEARN. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
46.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
40.5%
based on IN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.0pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 46% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 40% typical for Indiana schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Indiana's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like James Whitcomb Riley Elem School
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School's state test result (46.5% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Whitcomb Riley Elem School this school | 246 | 49.6% | 46.5% |
| Dillsboro Elementary School Dillsboro | 267 | 50.2% | 51.4% |
| Central Noble Elementary School Albion | 247 | 50.6% | 32.7% |
| Otterbein Elementary School Otterbein | 245 | 48.6% | 45.0% |
| Helmsburg Elementary School Morgantown | 224 | 49.1% | 67.8% |
| Crothersville Elementary School Crothersville | 230 | 46.5% | 25.1% |
Matched among Indiana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where James Whitcomb Riley Elem School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Indiana | In Henry County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.5% | #374 of 983 | #4 of 9 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 56.4% | #298 of 986 | #4 of 9 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.6% | #388 of 986 | #4 of 9 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 246 | #933 of 1,079 | #9 of 9 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.5:1 | #392 of 991 | #5 of 9 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 21.1% | #740 of 996 | #4 of 9 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 49.6% | #608 of 1,058 | #7 of 9 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -2.8% | #528 of 597 | #5 of 6 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
246
-28 (-10%) vs 2020
+2% since 1990-91, when it was 242
Student : Teacher
14.5:1
was 15.2:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 246 | 17 | 14.5:1 | 50% (122) |
| 2023-24 | 253 | 17.8 | 14.2:1 | 46% (117) |
| 2022-23 | 235 | 14.8 | 15.9:1 | 54% (126) |
| 2020-21 | 274 | 18 | 15.2:1 | 37% (102) |
| 2017-18 | 253 | 16 | 15.8:1 | 45% (113) |
| 2015-16 | 264 | 16 | 16.5:1 | 40% (105) |
| 2010-11 | 339 | 16 | 21.2:1 | 42% (142) |
| 2000-01 | 295 | 14 | 21.1:1 | 17% (50) |
| 1990-91 | 242 | 13 | 18.6:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for James Whitcomb Riley Elem School.
About James Whitcomb Riley Elem School
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is a low-enrollment elementary school in New Castle, Indiana, administered by New Castle Community School Corp. Grades offered run from pre-K through 6, with 246 students enrolled. For comparison, elementary schools in Indiana average about 436 students.
New Castle Community School Corp counts 2,881 students in its 8 schools, and James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is one of them.
Federal enrollment data show James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is 89% White. Enrollment also includes 4% multiracial, 3% Hispanic, and 3% Asian. James Whitcomb Riley Elem School's diversity index is 21%, against a US figure of 70%.
Teachers at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School total 17 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 14.5:1. That is 1.0 students per teacher below the 15.5:1 average for elementary schools in Indiana. Federal records put free or reduced-price lunch eligibility at 50%. That tracks the 51% average for public schools in Henry County.
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is graded B by allk12, scoring above 64% of Indiana public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
On BeatsExpectations, James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is 6.0 points above its prediction, a result in the middle 80% of Indiana schools.
Federal survey data for Henry County show that the median household income is $63,150, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of people live in poverty. There are 21 public schools in Henry County, enrolling about 7,081 students in all.
Of nearby public schools, New Castle High School is the closest, at about 0.8 miles. James Whitcomb Riley Elem School has at least 8 other public schools within five miles. James Whitcomb Riley Elem School comes in 2nd of 8 nearby schools on average proficiency.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Town: Distant: in a town some distance from an urbanized area.
2024-25 enrollment was 246, a 10% decrease from 274 in 2020-21.
Parents and students can post about sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Henry County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
48,970
Census ACS
Median income
$63,150
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
21
7,081 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in New Castle Community School Corp
- New Castle High SchoolHigh · 828 students
- New Castle Middle SchoolMiddle · 627 students
- Wilbur Wright Elementary SchoolElementary · 305 students
- Parker Elementary SchoolElementary · 278 students
- Eastwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 257 students
- Westwood Elementary SchoolElementary · 256 students
Other schools in New Castle
- New Castle High SchoolHigh · 828 students
- New Castle Middle SchoolMiddle · 627 students
- Blue River Valley Elementary SchElementary · 331 students
- Wilbur Wright Elementary SchoolElementary · 305 students
- Blue River Valley Jr-Sr High SchHigh · 289 students
- Parker Elementary SchoolElementary · 278 students
Nearby schools
- New Castle High School0.8 mi · 828
- New Castle Middle School0.9 mi · 627
- Parker Elementary School0.9 mi · 278
- Eastwood Elementary School1.7 mi · 257
- Westwood Elementary School2.5 mi · 256
- Wilbur Wright Elementary School2.7 mi · 305
Frequently asked questions
About James Whitcomb Riley Elem SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School enrolls approximately 246 students in grades PK-06.
What grades does James Whitcomb Riley Elem School serve?
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School serves grades PK-06.
How many students per teacher at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
Approximately 14.5:1 students per teacher at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at James Whitcomb Riley Elem School?
At James Whitcomb Riley Elem School, the student body is approximately 89% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% Black, 3% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Is James Whitcomb Riley Elem School public or private?
James Whitcomb Riley Elem School is a public K-12 school, overseen by New Castle Community School Corp.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.