Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School

Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School operates as a low-enrollment elementary school in Indianapolis, Indiana, operated by Indianapolis Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 228 students spanning grades 1 through 5. That puts it 48% below the typical public school in Indiana, which averages around 436 students.

Indianapolis Public Schools comprises 49 schools with combined enrollment of 21,055 students; Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School is among them.

On the student-mix side, Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School reports that the largest single group is Black at 39%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 31% White, 19% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 3% Asian. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 27%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school reports having 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.9:1. The state averages around 15.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 48% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is lower than Marion County's rate of about 60%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School sits in the top 10% of Indiana schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 41.7%; actual is 68.1%, +26.4 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the area at large, census data for Marion County shows median household earnings sit near $66,346, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. In all, Marion County runs 274 public schools (combined enrollment of about 161,456 students), of which Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School is one.

The closest other public school is ACE Preparatory Academy, roughly 0.9 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School at 1st of 7; the average score across the group is 38.0%.

Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School operates from an urban location.

Five-year trend. Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School's enrollment has fell 36% since 2018, when it stood at 357 (now 228). The White share of enrollment shrank from 48% to 31% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 18.5:1 in 2018 to 10.9:1 today.

On this page, members of the Merle Sidener Academy 59 - a High Ability School community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.