Lebanon Schools New School Need

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The Lebanon School Superintendent announced at a 2016 meeting of the Lebanon School Board that he expects to build a new school in Whitestown the next four to seven years because of continued population growth in Whitestown and Worth Township. This does not seem to make sense because most developers of subdivisions and apartment complexes in the Whitestown area have thus far chosen to put their new residences within the Zionsville school district instead of the Lebanon school district.

According to http://www.stats.indiana.edu/population/sub_cnty_estimates/2017/e2017_places.asp, the Whitestown population increased 5,312 the past 7 years:
2017 = 8,179
2016 = 7,598
2015 = 6,766
2014 = 5,788
2013 = 4,480
2012 = 3,985
2011 = 3,453
2010 = 2,867

According to http://www.stats.indiana.edu/population/sub_cnty_estimates/2017/e2017_townships.asp, the Worth Township population increased 1,185 the past 7 years:
2017 = 3,639
2016 = 3,292
2015 = 3,136
2014 = 2,879
2013 = 2,420
2012 = 2,289
2011 = 2,112
2010 = 2,454

According to http://www.stats.indiana.edu/stats_dpage/dpage.asp?id=71&view_number=2&menu_level=&panel_number=, the 2016 Boone County School Age (5 to 17) Population was 19.84 percent of the total county population.

Because 19.84 percent of the total county population is school age, school enrollment from the 2010 to 2017 Whitestown and Worth Township population growth should have increased by 1,289 students [(5,312 + 1,185) x 0.1984].

Where did the 1,289 new students go to school? It is obvious that not many new students are at the Lebanon schools because their total student enrollment actually declined from 3,459 in 2010 to 3,434 in 2017! Meanwhile, total enrollment in the Zionsville schools increased by 1,361 students from 5,570 in 2010 to 6,931 in 2017. The Lebanon and Zionsville student enrollments listed next were obtained from https://www.doe.in.gov/accountability/annual-school-performance-reports.

Lebanon Community School Corporation (0665) Student Enrollment
2017 = 3,434
2016 = 3,520
2015 = 3,573
2014 = 3,527
2013 = 3,557
2012 = 3,547
2011 = 3,552
2010 = 3,459

Zionsville Community Schools (0630) Student Enrollment
2017 = 6,931
2016 = 6,722
2015 = 6,424
2014 = 6,266
2013 = 5,923
2012 = 5,750
2011 = 5,644
2010 = 5,570

Some Whitestown students live within the Zionsville school district boundaries, while the remainder reside within the Lebanon school district. Whitestown students who attend the Zionsville schools live within the area roughly bounded by CR 600 E at the southern end of the county, straight north through I-65 Exit 130 to CR 500 S, CR 500 S to CR 650 E, CR 650 E to CR 550 S, CR 550 S to CR 700 E, CR 700 E to Whitestown Parkway (old IN 334), Whitestown Parkway to I-65, and I-65 to the southern end of the county. A significant number of new Whitestown residences have been built within the Zionsville school boundaries at Clark Meadows, Clark Neighborhoods at Anson, Woodlands Luxury Apartments, The Boulevards at Anson, Townhomes at Anson, Westhaven Luxury Apartments, Westwood Landing, and Eagles Nest – these new Whitestown subdivisions and apartment complexes account for a great deal of the 2010-2017 student enrollment growth in the Zionsville schools.

Major Whitestown subdivisions within the Lebanon school district include Walker Farms and Harvest Park. Walker Farms and Harvest Park elementary students are assigned to Lebanon’s Perry Worth Elementary School. Student enrollment at Perry Worth Elementary has been static since 2014.

Perry Worth Elementary School Student Enrollment
2017 = 373
2016 = 375
2015 = 372
2014 = 373
2013 = 347
2012 = 338
2011 = 320
2010 = 270

Why are most developers in the Whitestown area choosing to put their new residences within the Zionsville school district instead of the Lebanon school district? The 2017 Accountability Grades listed next probably are a big reason.

Zionsville Community Schools 2017 A-F Accountability Grades
Boone Meadow Elementary = A
Eagle Elementary = A
Pleasant View Elementary = A
Stonegate Elementary = A
Union Elementary= A
Zionsville Middle School = A
Zionsville West Middle School = A
Zionsville Community High School = A
ZCS TOTAL = A

Lebanon Community School Corporation 2017 A-F Accountability Grades
Central Elementary = B
Harney Elementary = C
Perry Worth Elementary = A
Stokes Elementary = C
Lebanon Middle School = B
Lebanon Senior High School = A
LCSC TOTAL = B

It is also noteworthy that, according to https://www.doe.in.gov/accountability/annual-school-performance-reports, the percentage of 2016-17 students who moved from one school to another in a different school corporation was 9.7 percent at the Lebanon Community School Corporation, but only 2.4 percent at the Zionsville Community Schools. NOTE: Lebanon students are not transferring to the Zionsville schools because the Zionsville schools do not accept tuition students who reside outside their attendance boundaries.

It does not make sense for the Lebanon Community Schools Corporation to build a new school in Whitestown unless a significant number of developers in the Whitestown area unexpectedly start to build their new residences within the Lebanon schools district instead of the Zionsville schools district. It is certainly hoped that the Lebanon School Superintendent does not believe that simply erecting a new school building will by itself attract new residential developers! Lebanon schools need to focus on improving their academic programs and outcomes before deciding to build a costly and unneeded new school in Whitestown.

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This page was last updated on 06/18/20 .