East Chicago Lighthouse

Summary:

East Chicago Lighthouse is a public charter elementary school serving 473 students in grades K-8 in East Chicago, Indiana, a city that is part of the School City of East Chicago district.

East Chicago Lighthouse faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools. The student body is predominantly minority, with 43.97% African American and 53.07% Hispanic students, and nearly all (99.39%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating high economic disadvantage. Academically, the school consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Indiana elementary schools, with proficiency rates well below state averages. For example, Abraham Lincoln Elementary has a 21.22% proficiency rate in English Language Arts, compared to just 13.9% at East Chicago Lighthouse. Additionally, East Chicago Lighthouse has extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, with 40.9% of students chronically absent in the 2022-2023 school year.

Despite spending significantly more per student ($11,401 in 2021-2022) than the state average and having a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.7, East Chicago Lighthouse has not shown meaningful improvement in its academic performance or other key metrics over the past 10 years. The school's challenges appear to be persistent and deeply rooted, requiring a comprehensive, long-term strategy to address the underlying issues and improve outcomes for its students.

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

3916 Pulaski
East Chicago, IN 46312

(219) 378-7450

District: East Chicago Lighthouse Charter

SchoolDigger Rank:
962^nd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,401

Student/teacher ratio: 15.7

Number of students: 473

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.1%

African American:

44.0%

Two or more races:

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare East Chicago Lighthouse to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details East Chicago Lighthouse ranks worse than 95.2% of elementary schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.47. (See more...)

Compare Details East Chicago Lighthouse ranks worse than 93% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.54. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (53.1%), African American (44%), two or more races (2.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at East Chicago Lighthouse is 15.7. (See more...)

Compare East Chicago Lighthouse employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at East Chicago Lighthouse is $11,401.

Schooldigger Rankings:

East Chicago Lighthouse was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks East Chicago Lighthouse 451^st of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See East Chicago Lighthouse in the ranking list.)

East Chicago Lighthouse Charter:

SchoolDigger ranks East Chicago Lighthouse Charter 362^nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for East Chicago Lighthouse

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2008	3.31	976^th	996	2.0%
2009	5.79	970^th	1003	3.3%
2010	15.34	910^th	1009	9.8%
2011	10.47	956^th	1025	6.7%
2012	16.73	917^th	1015	9.7%
2013	17.82	930^th	1035	10.1%
2014	18.68	933^rd	1036	9.9%
2015	18.40	920^th	1040	11.5%
2016	6.96	989^th	1046	5.4%
2017	4.81	989^th	1033	4.3%
2018	5.64	976^th	1027	5.0%
2019	11.89	925^th	1031	10.3%
2021	7.39	951^st	1016	6.4%
2022	7.25	966^th	1020	5.3%
2023	8.03	950^th	1016	6.5%
2024	7.47	962^nd	1010	4.8%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for East Chicago Lighthouse

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2009	3.83	411^th	423	2.8%
2010	26.82	358^th	428	16.4%
2011	15.30	415^th	451	8.0%
2012	11.48	414^th	447	7.4%
2013	8.16	425^th	444	4.3%
2014	10.34	435^th	470	7.4%
2015	29.47	384^th	485	20.8%
2016	13.93	434^th	494	12.1%
2017	8.22	434^th	472	8.1%
2018	11.94	426^th	473	9.9%
2019	13.73	415^th	470	11.7%
2021	10.90	435^th	483	9.9%
2022	12.01	433^rd	490	11.6%
2023	14.33	421^st	489	13.9%
2024	9.54	451^st	485	7.0%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for East Chicago Lighthouse

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2007	0	76	0	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	115
2008	6	129	0	67	0	n/a	n/a	2	204
2009	10	159	3	119	1	n/a	n/a	0	292
2010	13	144	2	195	0	n/a	n/a	2	356
2011	12	156	1	231	1	0	10	0	411
2012	15	162	1	318	1	0	14	0	511
2013	15	179	1	367	1	0	12	0	575
2014	10	146	0	262	0	0	11	0	429
2015	6	154	0	264	0	0	9	0	433
2016	2	173	0	251	0	0	5	0	431
2017	4	181	0	249	0	0	6	0	440
2018	6	209	0	274	1	0	5	0	495
2019	8	208	0	279	1	0	5	0	501
2020	5	207	0	275	1	0	7	0	495
2021	3	212	0	289	1	0	10	0	515
2022	1	211	0	270	0	0	9	0	491
2023	2	208	0	251	0	0	12	0	473

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at East Chicago Lighthouse

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	115	n/a	n/a	88.7
2008	204	10.0	20.4	82.2
2009	292	12.9	22.6	92.8
2010	356	17.0	20.9	94.4
2011	411	20.0	20.5	92.5
2012	511	24.0	21.2	90.4
2013	575	9.0	63.8	90.8
2014	429	26.0	16.5	91.6
2015	433	20.0	21.6	93.8
2016	431	28.0	15.3	88.6
2017	440	24.0	18.3	100
2018	495	27.8	17.8	98
2019	501	25.5	19.6	100
2020	495	28.6	17.2	100
2021	515	23.6	21.7	99.8
2022	491	30.0	16.3	99.4
2023	473	30.0	15.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio East Chicago Lighthouse

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2007	115	n/a	n/a	88.7
2008	204	10.0	20.4	82.2
2009	292	12.9	22.6	92.8
2010	356	17.0	20.9	94.4
2011	411	20.0	20.5	92.5
2012	511	24.0	21.2	90.4
2013	575	9.0	63.8	90.8
2014	429	26.0	16.5	91.6
2015	433	20.0	21.6	93.8
2016	431	28.0	15.3	88.6
2017	440	24.0	18.3	100
2018	495	27.8	17.8	98
2019	501	25.5	19.6	100
2020	495	28.6	17.2	100
2021	515	23.6	21.7	99.8
2022	491	30.0	16.3	99.4
2023	473	30.0	15.7	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for East Chicago Lighthouse

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,402 (16.6%)	$7,043 (83.4%)	$8,445
2020	$1,336 (15.7%)	$7,194 (84.3%)	$8,530
2021	$1,978 (23.5%)	$6,456 (76.5%)	$8,434
2022	$4,331 (38.0%)	$7,071 (62.0%)	$11,401

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on East Chicago Lighthouse

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 925^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 950^th of 1016 Elementary schools	3.8%
Ranks 415^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 421^st of 489 Middle schools	2.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse)	13.6	3.8	9.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	13.6	3.8	9.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse)	25.6	11.3	14.3%
3rd Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	25.6	11.3	14.3%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse)	24.1	19.6	4.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	24.1	19.6	4.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse)	33.3	17.7	15.7%
4th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	33.3	17.7	15.7%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (East Chicago Lighthouse)	14.8	15.7	0.9%
4th Grade Science (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	14.8	15.7	0.9%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse)	43.8	0	43.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	43.8	0	43.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse)	22.9	4.1	18.8%
5th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	22.9	4.1	18.8%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (East Chicago Lighthouse)	18.8	2	16.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	18.8	2	16.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse)	11.8	7	4.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	11.8	7	4.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse)	11.8	11.6	0.2%
6th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	11.8	11.6	0.2%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (East Chicago Lighthouse)	7.8	7.1	0.7%
6th Grade Science (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	7.8	7.1	0.7%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse)	30.8	25	5.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	30.8	25	5.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse)	7.7	2.5	5.2%
7th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	7.7	2.5	5.2%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse)	31.1	23.6	7.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	31.1	23.6	7.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse)	35.6	10.9	24.7%
8th Grade Math (East Chicago Lighthouse Charter)	35.6	10.9	24.7%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	501	473	5.6%
African American	208	208
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	279	251	10%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	8	2	75%
Two or More Races	5	12	140%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near East Chicago Lighthouse

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2024)							ILEARN Math (2024)							ILEARN Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ILEARN English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 4th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 5th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
East Chicago Lighthouse	Public, Charter	K-8	3916 Pulaski	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	East Chicago Lighthouse Charter	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 378-7450	473	30	15.7	100.0%	2 (0.4%)	208 (44.0%)	251 (53.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.5%)	7.5	962^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	4.8%		8	950^th of 1016 public elementary schools	6.5%	12	15.7	9.1	17.4	5.4	15.2	24.4	13.9	11.8	14.8	6.5	1.8	4.4	2.4	7.1	8.9	$11,401	$4,331	$7,071
George Washington Elementary School	Public	K-6	2400 Cardinal Drive	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4169	462	32	14.6	80.1%	11 (2.4%)	260 (56.3%)	180 (39.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)	9.7	936^th of 1010 public elementary schools	7.3%		10.2	911^th of 1016 public elementary schools	10.3%	25	6.6	0.0	19.1	8.1			8.5	13.3	12.9	27.0	8.2			15.5	6.4	$13,003	$2,900	$10,103
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-6	3551 Block Avenue	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4096	286	23	12.3	87.1%	6 (2.1%)	231 (80.8%)	45 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	10.4	926^th of 1010 public elementary schools	8.3%		7.8	956^th of 1016 public elementary schools	5.9%	30	12.9	16.7	11.8	13.3			13.7	22.6	13.9	14.7	16.7			16.8	2.9	$14,073	$2,820	$11,253
East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1402 E Chicago Ave	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	East Chicago Urban Enterprise Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 392-3650	423	28	15.1	90.5%	2 (0.5%)	172 (40.7%)	239 (56.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.4%)	41	618^th of 1010 public elementary schools	38.8%		27.8	749^th of 1016 public elementary schools	26.3%	131	40.0	34.0	29.4	29.6	17.5	30.6	30.6	56.0	46.8	27.5	9.1	12.5	10.2	27.8	29.4	$12,007	$4,994	$7,014
Benjamin Harrison Elementary School	Public	K-6	4411 Magoun	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4192	396	34	11.7	82.3%	20 (5.1%)	103 (26.0%)	266 (67.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	14.3	877^th of 1010 public elementary schools	13.2%		12.8	885^th of 1016 public elementary schools	12.9%	8	19.6	12.8	10.9	22.6			16.5	17.7	25.5	10.9	22.6			18.9	9.1	$13,841	$2,610	$11,231
William McKinley Elementary School	Public	K-6	4825 Magoun Ave	East Chicago	46312	Lake County	School City of East Chicago	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 391-4186	488	33	14.6	80.3%	10 (2.0%)	194 (39.8%)	270 (55.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.9%)	11.2	916^th of 1010 public elementary schools	9.3%		8.9	933^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	8.2%	17	11.1	18.5	9.0	18.3			13.9	21.0	16.9	15.4	16.9			17.6	5.1	$12,065	$2,489	$9,576
Warren G Harding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3211 165th St	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7351	684	43	15.8	77.2%	109 (15.9%)	223 (32.6%)	311 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	26.1	759^th of 1010 public elementary schools	24.9%		29.1	737^th of 1016 public elementary schools	27.5%	22	23.4	25.6	20.7	24.1			23.5	26.3	31.4	35.4	19.5			28.1	25.6	$11,963	$1,968	$9,995
Washington Irving Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4727 Pine Ave	Hammond	46327	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 933-2467	728	47	15.4	82.7%	43 (5.9%)	146 (20.1%)	496 (68.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.5%)	9.1	943^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	6.6%		7.5	963^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	5.2%	20	14.3	17.1	12.5	9.0			13.6	24.8	5.4	5.8	3.9			10.3	14.4	$11,110	$1,753	$9,357
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4221 Towle Ave	Hammond	46327	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 933-2475	546	30	17.9	74.9%	66 (12.1%)	65 (11.9%)	390 (71.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	18	836^th of 1010 public elementary schools	17.2%		21.3	809^th of 1016 public elementary schools	20.4%	27	12.9	16.1	22.5	31.9			21.2	14.3	23.2	10.0	22.2			16.9	17.5	$12,023	$2,072	$9,951
Nathan Hale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1831 Oliver St	Whiting	46394	Lake County	School City of Whiting	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 659-0738	391	25	15.4	77.7%	64 (16.4%)	12 (3.1%)	302 (77.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	51.2	516^th of 1010 public elementary schools	48.9%		60.4	409^th of 1016 public elementary schools	59.7%	107	41.8	34.9	43.2				40.2	52.2	38.1	43.2				44.6	27.0	$10,178	$1,083	$9,095

Frequently Asked Questions about East Chicago Lighthouse

How many students attend East Chicago Lighthouse?

In the 2022-23 school year, 473 students attended East Chicago Lighthouse.

Is East Chicago Lighthouse a good school?

East Chicago Lighthouse ranks in the bottom 4.8% of Indiana elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of East Chicago Lighthouse?

Students at East Chicago Lighthouse are 53% Hispanic, 44% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What district is East Chicago Lighthouse in?

East Chicago Lighthouse Charter

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.