Prairie Trace Elementary School

Located at 14200 N River Rd, in Carmel, Indiana, Prairie Trace Elementary School is a heavily attended elementary-level community that hosts 715 students (grades pre-K through 5), operated by Carmel Clay Schools. Enrollment runs roughly 64% larger than the state mean of about 436.

Within Carmel Clay Schools, which oversees 15 schools and 16,145 students, Prairie Trace Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Prairie Trace Elementary School shows that 61% of the student body identifies as White; the rest is composed of 24% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 5% Black, 4% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 80% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 48 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.9:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 11% of students at Prairie Trace Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Hamilton County (around 21%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Prairie Trace Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 67.7%; this one delivers 79.9%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Hamilton County shows median household earnings sit near $121,530, roughly 62% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 3% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Prairie Trace Elementary School is one of 69 public schools in Hamilton County (combined enrollment of about 63,065 students).

Cherry Tree Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.3 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Prairie Trace Elementary School ranks 1st on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 64.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a downtown area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 12%: 640 students in 2018 compared to 715 in 2025. The White share of enrollment ticked down from 70% to 61% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 18.8:1 in 2018 to 14.9:1 today.

On this page, members of the Prairie Trace Elementary School community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.