Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Q: Is Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend a good school?

Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend ranks 281 st of 431 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is a public charter high school serving grades 9-12 in South Bend, Indiana, with a relatively small student population of 141 students as of the 2022-2023 school year.

While the school ranked 11th out of 409 Indiana high schools in 2021-2022, earning a 5-star rating, it has since experienced significant fluctuations in its statewide ranking and rating, dropping to 192nd out of 398 schools in 2022-2023 with a 3-star rating, and further declining to 290th out of 431 schools in the current 2023-2024 school year with a 2-star rating. The school's performance varies greatly across different student subgroups, with Hispanic and female students performing much worse than their White and low-socioeconomic status peers. Additionally, the school has a relatively low 4-year graduation rate of 57.1% and a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 38.0% in 2020-2021 to 71.0% in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Jimtown High School, Penn High School, and Career Academy High School, Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend stands out with its smaller size, lower graduation rates, higher chronic absenteeism, and consistently lower test scores, particularly in mathematics, indicating significant challenges in providing a high-quality education for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public, Charter 9-12

635 S Lafayette Blvd
South Bend, IN 46601

(765) 494-7872

District: Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

SchoolDigger Rank:
281^st of 431 Indiana High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,270

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 154

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.2%

Hispanic:

29.9%

African American:

17.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend ranks worse than 65.2% of high schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.05. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 Student population at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44.2%), Hispanic (29.9%), African American (17.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is 14. (See more...)

Compare Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend employs 11 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend is $16,270.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend:

SchoolDigger ranks Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend 281^st of 431 Indiana public high schools. (See Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend:

SchoolDigger ranks Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend 255^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

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Rank History for all students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile
2022	96.89	11^th	409	97.3%
2023	47.71	192^nd	398	51.8%
2024	36.05	281^st	431	34.8%

See the entire list of Indiana High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	58.27	120^th	379	68.3%
2024	58.23	122^nd	377	67.6%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	34.22	265^th	388	31.7%
2024	25.54	301^st	392	23.2%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	58.87	122^nd	383	68.1%
2024	35.28	257^th	392	34.4%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.78	137^th	184	25.5%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IN State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	56.68	116^th	375	69.1%
2024	57.36	121^st	381	68.2%

See the entire list of Best Indiana High Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2021	13	3	1	5	2	3	27
2022	35	12	2	35	2	7	93
2023	56	24	3	46	1	11	141
2024	68	27	4	46	0	9	154

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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	27	6.0	4.5	51.9
2022	93	7.0	13.2	50.5
2023	141	16.0	8.8	56.7
2024	154	11.0	14.0	61

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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	27	6.0	4.5	51.9
2022	93	7.0	13.2	50.5
2023	141	16.0	8.8	56.7
2024	154	11.0	14.0	61

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 Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2021	$6,087 (12.6%)	$42,197 (87.4%)	$48,284
2022	$2,130 (13.1%)	$14,141 (86.9%)	$16,270

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Schools Near Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2024)	SAT Mathematics (2024)	ILEARN Biology (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	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend	Public, Charter	9-12	635 S Lafayette Blvd	South Bend	46601	St. Joseph County	Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend	Yes	No	No	No	(765) 494-7872	154	11	14.0	61.0%	68 (44.2%)	27 (17.5%)	46 (29.9%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.8%)	36	281^st of 431 public high schools	34.8%		47.7	192^nd of 398 public high schools	51.8%	89	40.0	13.3	36.0	$16,270	$2,130	$14,141
Riley High School	Public	9-12	1902 Fellows St	South Bend	46613	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-5100	998	88	11.3	59.3%	279 (28.0%)	350 (35.1%)	245 (24.5%)	7 (0.7%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	115 (11.5%)	20.1	345^th of 431 public high schools	20.0%		23.2	317^th of 398 public high schools	20.4%	28	34.3	5.6	22.3	$15,330	$2,616	$12,715
Adams High School	Public	9-12	808 S Twyckenham Dr	South Bend	46615	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-5300	1,987	134	14.8	52.0%	641 (32.3%)	525 (26.4%)	621 (31.3%)	44 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	155 (7.8%)	43.2	246^th of 431 public high schools	42.9%		45.5	208^th of 398 public high schools	47.7%	38	49.2	18.0	25.4	$12,340	$2,470	$9,870
Rise Up Academy at Eggleston	Public	9-12	740 N Eddy Street	South Bend	46617	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-3500	175	24	7.2	62.3%	24 (13.7%)	94 (53.7%)	38 (21.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	18 (10.3%)	5.4	420^th of 431 public high schools	2.6%		4.2	392^nd of 398 public high schools	1.5%	28	6.0	0.0		$20,033	$2,944	$17,089
Excel Center - South Bend	Public, Charter	9-12	2721 Kenwood Avenue	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Excel Center - South Bend	Yes	No	No	No	(574) 314-5570	184	7	26.2	52.7%	43 (23.4%)	91 (49.5%)	33 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.1%)								(n/a)				$4,022	$00	$4,022
Washington High School	Public	9-12	4747 W Washington Ave	South Bend	46619	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-5500	812	70	11.6	66.9%	81 (10.0%)	428 (52.7%)	243 (29.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.9%)	8.3	396^th of 431 public high schools	8.1%		8.7	368^th of 398 public high schools	7.5%	28	11.5	3.4	12.1	$14,939	$2,864	$12,075
Clay High School	Public	9-12	19131 Darden Rd	South Bend	46637	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4900	477	74	6.4	61.8%	150 (31.4%)	200 (41.9%)	75 (15.7%)	7 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.0%)	21.2	339^th of 431 public high schools	21.3%		23.3	316^th of 398 public high schools	20.6%	23	36.7	7.3	12.5	$17,717	$2,816	$14,901
Mishawaka High School	Public	9-12	1202 Lincolnway E	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	No	(574) 254-7300	1,437	98	14.7	63.7%	956 (66.5%)	188 (13.1%)	143 (10.0%)	6 (0.4%)	6 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	137 (9.5%)	36.8	278^th of 431 public high schools	35.5%		34.1	278^th of 398 public high schools	30.2%		39.9	18.2	27.6	$9,831	$1,260	$8,571
Career Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3801 Crescent Circle	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Career Academy High School	Yes	No	No	No	(574) 299-9800	448	57	7.8	54.9%	209 (46.7%)	151 (33.7%)	46 (10.3%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.8%)	23.8	328^th of 431 public high schools	23.9%		39.7	244^th of 398 public high schools	38.7%	84	36.4	9.1	20.7	$11,956	$988	$10,968
Penn High School	Public	9-12	56100 Bittersweet Rd	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 259-7961	3,847	182	21.1	24.9%	2,623 (68.2%)	372 (9.7%)	371 (9.6%)	233 (6.1%)	14 (0.4%)	3 (0.1%)	231 (6.0%)	87.2	23^rd of 431 public high schools	94.7%		89.4	17^th of 398 public high schools	95.7%	6	64.6	40.2	67.5	$9,068	$377	$8,691

Frequently Asked Questions about Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

Is Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend a good school?

Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend ranks 281^st of 431 Indiana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?

In the 2023-24 school year, 154 students attended Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend.

What is the racial makeup of Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend?

Students at Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend are 44% White, 30% Hispanic, 18% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend in?

Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend

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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.