Ben Davis High School
1200 N Girls Sch Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46214-6699 -  Map
tel: (317)244-7691
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms Ben Davis High School
School Level High school
Grades Offered Grades 10 - 12
County Marion County, IN
Students & Faculty
Total Students 2961 students
% Male / % Female 50%  /  50%
Total Classroom Teachers 176 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 10 - 1047 students
Grade 11 - 1040 students
Grade 12 - 874 students
This School ( IN ) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:17 1:18
Students by Ethnicity
This School ( IN ) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 2% 1%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Black 31% 13%
% White 59% 79%
Additional Student Information
This School ( IN ) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 35% 32%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 12% 8%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
( IN ) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name M S D Wayne Township School District
This School's Agency ( IN ) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 16 4
Number of Students Managed 15,676 students 1,844 students
District Total Revenue $164,825,000 $18,816,000
District Expenditure $186,921,000 $18,251,000
District Revenue / Student $10,514 $13,221
District Expenditure / Student $11,924 $11,482
District Graduation Rates 81% 100%
School Notes:
  • Ben Davis High School (BDHS) is a 3-year high school in Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • Ben Davis was first established in 1892. The current school building was constructed in 1965. The school underwent extensive construction and renovation from 1998-2002 and is currently experiencing another addition of more classrooms. With the newly opened Ninth Grade Center, the school boasts over 1,000,000 square feet under one roof.
  • The school is named for 1880's Vandalia Railroad Executive Benjamin Davis. He was instrumental in getting a stop on the railroad for a small community that would come to bear his name. The community members were so appreciative of Mr. Davis' efforts that they named the stop after him. The community around the stop became known as "Ben Davis".
  • The first Ben Davis High School was built in 1892. That school was replaced in the early 1900's by a bigger building at the corner of what is now Morris Street and High School Road. During the Depression, a larger school was built just up the road as part of the WPA. Ben Davis High School remained in that location until the current building was established in 1965. The Ben Davis High School that served from the 30's through the mid 1960's is still used as a 7th and 8th grade center. It will close permanently as a school in 2007.
  • BDHS has received the National Award for Excellence in Education from the US Department of Education.
  • The school is part of the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township.
  • Athletics and programs: Ben Davis High School has won many state championships in the school's history. Ben Davis boys and girls basketball have also enjoyed much success over the years being nationally ranked at times and winning a combined four state titles. The team nickname is the "Giants."
  • The Ben Davis marching band has enjoyed international success and recognition, traveling worldwide on invitation to march in various parades and festivals, including the King Kamehameha parade in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The band has won numerous Indiana state titles and has also competed on the national level, finishing second in the National Marching Band Competition in 1982.
  • The school also has a wellknown speech, debate, journalism, and communications program. Ben Davis is home to WBDG, a 400-Watt FM radio station operated by students. WBDG went on the air in 1966 and continues to broadcast today 24 hours, 7 days per week. BDHS is also home to the award winning Keyhole yearbook and the Giant Visions literary magazine. Its award-winning bi-weekly newspaper, the Spotlight is a member of the High School National Ad Network.
  • Ben Davis is home to a career center serving nine Central Indiana schools and containing programs from hair design to aviation flight to radio and television broadcasting to web design to culinary arts and everything in between.
  • Notable alumni: Morten Andersen (b. 1960), American Football player.
  • Steve Allee, jazz musician and composer.
  • Don Gummer, sculptor, husband of Meryl Streep.
  • Randy Wittman, American Basketball player (NBA player and coach).
  • Corey Harris, American Football player.
  • Shyra Ely, American Basketball player (University of Tennessee star and WNBA player).
  • Kristi Lee, national radio personality.
  • Kevin Calabro, American basketball broadcaster (NBA's Seattle SuperSonics).
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (46214)
School Zip (46214) (IN) State Average
Population (Approximate) 22,287 people 5,873,444 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 40% 20%
Population Average Age 33 years old 35.2 years old
Average Household size 2.1 persons 2.4 persons
Median Household Income $44,201 $42,072
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 4.8 rooms 5.5 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 28 years old 43 years old
View current housing listings in 46214
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (46214)



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% Owning / % Renting 47% / 53% 69% / 31%
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  Nearby Schools:

1. Speedway Senior High School - 487 students - view location
2. Community Academy High School - 44 students - view location
3. Decatur Discovery Academy - 97 students - view location
4. Avon High School - 2010 students - view location
5. Decatur Central High School - 1589 students - view location
View all schools in: Indianapolis Town, Marion County, Zip 46214 
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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