Indy Steam Academy vs Fishback Creek Public Academy

Indy Steam Academy holds a 1.1-point overall rating advantage over Fishback Creek Public Academy — 9.8 versus 8.7 out of 10 — and that gap carries real weight in context: Indy Steam Academy ranks #1 of 1,823 Indiana schools while Fishback Creek Public Academy ranks #85 of 1,823. Both are exceptional by any statewide measure, but Indy Steam Academy sits at the absolute top of the state, not merely near it.

On academics, the two schools are close: Indy Steam Academy scores 9.3/10 versus Fishback Creek Public Academy's 9.1/10, a difference of 0.2 points. Where Indy Steam Academy separates itself decisively is growth — a perfect 10.0/10 compared to Fishback Creek's already-strong 9.2/10. That 0.8-point growth gap means students at Indy Steam Academy are outpacing academic expectations at a higher rate, regardless of where they start.

Indy Steam Academy enrolls 176 students against Fishback Creek Public Academy's 480, and that size difference shows up directly in the classroom: Indy Steam Academy's student-teacher ratio is 11.0:1 versus 16.0:1 at Fishback Creek. The socioeconomic profiles diverge as well — 78% of Indy Steam Academy students qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to 50% at Fishback Creek Public Academy. Indy Steam Academy is producing its #1-in-state results while serving a substantially higher-poverty student population, which makes its growth score particularly notable.

The two schools also differ in structure and grade span. Indy Steam Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through 6th grade, built around a STEAM-focused curriculum. Fishback Creek Public Academy is a traditional public school running pre-K through 5th grade, giving it a pre-kindergarten entry point that Indy Steam Academy does not offer. Families with a pre-K-age child have only one option here; those with kids entering kindergarten or above have both schools available, separated by 12.1 miles across Indianapolis.