Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

Q: Is Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School a good school?

Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School ranks 560 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 747 students in grades PK-4 in Bluffton, Indiana, which is part of the MSD Bluffton-Harrison school district. While the school has a predominantly White student population (84.74%), it faces several challenges, including lower-than-average test scores, increasing chronic absenteeism, and a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Bluffton-Harrison Elementary's test scores on the ILEARN assessments are generally below the state and district averages. For example, in 2023-2024, only 33.46% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38.08% for the district and 38.6% statewide for 3rd grade. In math, the school's proficiency rate of 48.53% was higher than the district's 39.38%, but still below the state's 52.4% for 3rd grade. Additionally, the school has seen a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.3% in 2020-2021 to 11.9% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Roanoke Elementary, which had significantly higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts (44.08% vs. 33.46%) and Math (57.35% vs. 48.53%) for all grades in 2023-2024, Bluffton-Harrison Elementary generally underperforms. The school also has a less diverse student population compared to some of the other nearby schools, such as Bellmont Elementary, which has a higher percentage of non-White students (21.8% in 2022-2023).

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

1100 E Spring St
Bluffton, IN 46714

(260) 824-0333

District: MSD Bluffton-Harrison

SchoolDigger Rank:
560^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,559

Students who attend Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Bluffton-Harrison Middle School
High:	Bluffton High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 750

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.9%

Hispanic:

8.8%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.4%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School ranks worse than 55.4% of elementary schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.89. (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: White (83.9%), Hispanic (8.8%), two or more races (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 52.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School is 14.1. (See more...)

Compare Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School employs 53 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School is $7,559.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

MSD Bluffton-Harrison:

SchoolDigger ranks MSD Bluffton-Harrison 114^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School.

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Rank History for Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	46.87	598^th	959	37.6%
2006	60.07	409^th	961	57.4%
2007	68.71	301^st	985	69.4%
2008	64.18	360^th	996	63.9%
2009	50.58	592^nd	1003	41.0%
2010	56.40	527^th	1009	47.8%
2011	48.22	646^th	1025	37.0%
2012	70.62	275^th	1015	72.9%
2013	78.52	159^th	1035	84.6%
2014	77.50	172^nd	1036	83.4%
2015	69.92	296^th	1040	71.5%
2016	59.92	474^th	1046	54.7%
2017	66.79	357^th	1033	65.4%
2018	53.90	539^th	1027	47.5%
2019	54.87	497^th	1031	51.8%
2021	56.08	460^th	1016	54.7%
2022	64.59	367^th	1020	64.0%
2023	47.97	559^th	1016	45.0%
2024	46.89	560^th	1010	44.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, January 17, 2020

My son is enrolled in school here and has been dealing with bullying for sometime now I have brought it to the schools attation and because he is getting bullied only in the bus by a middle schooler they are refusing to do anything about it because it's on an elementary student doing it Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, December 16, 2010

Excellent teachers, caring and compassionate staff. Goal-focused staff that meets the educational needs of the children while making school a safe, warm place that children enjoy attending. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	511	0	2	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	543
1989	512	3	2	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	536
1990	518	1	2	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	542
1991	533	2	1	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
1992	399	0	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	404
1993	389	1	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	400
1994	367	2	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	373
1995	594	2	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	12	620
1996	594	2	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	12	620
1997	587	1	3	36	0	n/a	n/a	12	639
1998	611	2	3	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	648
1999	613	0	0	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	636
2000	589	4	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	600
2001	577	3	6	25	6	n/a	n/a	0	617
2002	577	1	11	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	602
2003	577	1	11	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	602
2004	554	3	6	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	574
2005	541	5	8	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	571
2006	510	5	6	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	536
2007	523	6	8	12	0	n/a	n/a	2	551
2008	484	8	6	22	1	n/a	n/a	2	523
2009	465	5	1	20	1	n/a	n/a	6	498
2010	500	4	0	20	0	n/a	n/a	12	536
2011	522	10	1	20	0	0	1	0	554
2012	510	16	6	22	2	1	3	0	560
2013	543	12	7	31	0	1	1	0	595
2014	568	14	8	29	0	1	4	0	624
2015	583	12	10	20	0	1	7	0	633
2016	591	11	7	23	0	1	9	0	642
2017	574	11	3	27	0	1	9	0	625
2018	603	18	5	38	0	0	12	0	676
2019	606	13	4	40	0	1	18	0	682
2020	584	9	2	54	0	1	23	0	673
2021	572	12	2	62	0	1	19	0	668
2022	663	21	3	57	1	0	29	0	774
2023	633	17	2	59	0	1	35	0	747
2024	629	19	1	66	0	1	34	0	750

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 Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	543	24.2	22.4	8.5
1989	536	24.6	21.7	6.3
1990	542	26.0	20.8	10.5
1991	548	25.5	21.4	8.4
1992	404	20.3	19.9	16.6
1993	400	20.3	19.7	22.3
1994	373	19.4	19.2	19.6
1995	620	31.6	19.6	17.6
1996	620	31.6	19.6	17.6
1997	639	31.6	20.2	21.1
1998	648	30.5	21.2	23.1
1999	636	31.0	20.5	29.4
2000	600	31.5	19.0	29
2001	617	31.0	19.9	21.7
2002	602	30.0	20.1	28.1
2003	602	30.0	20.1	28.1
2004	574	28.9	19.9	29.3
2005	571	27.5	20.8	29.9
2006	536	23.5	22.8	16.2
2007	551	n/a	n/a	36.4
2008	523	30.5	17.1	38.8
2009	498	33.8	14.7	43.3
2010	536	32.2	16.6	49
2011	554	27.3	20.2	48.6
2012	560	35.5	15.7	48.9
2013	595	31.0	19.1	51.3
2014	624	32.7	19.0	50.2
2015	633	34.0	18.6	49.4
2016	642	34.0	18.8	49.5
2017	625	34.0	18.3	49.1
2018	676	36.0	18.7	51
2019	682	36.7	18.5	52.6
2020	673	36.0	18.6	53.8
2021	668	36.8	18.1	47.5
2022	774	53.0	14.6	40.1
2023	747	54.0	13.8	55.4
2024	750	53.0	14.1	52.4

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 Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	543	24.2	22.4	8.5
1989	536	24.6	21.7	6.3
1990	542	26.0	20.8	10.5
1991	548	25.5	21.4	8.4
1992	404	20.3	19.9	16.6
1993	400	20.3	19.7	22.3
1994	373	19.4	19.2	19.6
1995	620	31.6	19.6	17.6
1996	620	31.6	19.6	17.6
1997	639	31.6	20.2	21.1
1998	648	30.5	21.2	23.1
1999	636	31.0	20.5	29.4
2000	600	31.5	19.0	29
2001	617	31.0	19.9	21.7
2002	602	30.0	20.1	28.1
2003	602	30.0	20.1	28.1
2004	574	28.9	19.9	29.3
2005	571	27.5	20.8	29.9
2006	536	23.5	22.8	16.2
2007	551	n/a	n/a	36.4
2008	523	30.5	17.1	38.8
2009	498	33.8	14.7	43.3
2010	536	32.2	16.6	49
2011	554	27.3	20.2	48.6
2012	560	35.5	15.7	48.9
2013	595	31.0	19.1	51.3
2014	624	32.7	19.0	50.2
2015	633	34.0	18.6	49.4
2016	642	34.0	18.8	49.5
2017	625	34.0	18.3	49.1
2018	676	36.0	18.7	51
2019	682	36.7	18.5	52.6
2020	673	36.0	18.6	53.8
2021	668	36.8	18.1	47.5
2022	774	53.0	14.6	40.1
2023	747	54.0	13.8	55.4
2024	750	53.0	14.1	52.4

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 Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$339 (4.5%)	$7,242 (95.5%)	$7,582
2020	$370 (5.1%)	$6,904 (94.9%)	$7,274
2021	$693 (8.8%)	$7,218 (91.2%)	$7,911
2022	$824 (10.9%)	$6,735 (89.1%)	$7,559

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

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 497^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 559^th of 1016 Elementary schools	6.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School)	40.9	34.9	6.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (MSD Bluffton-Harrison)	40.9	34.9	6.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School)	58.2	51.5	6.7%
3rd Grade Math (MSD Bluffton-Harrison)	58.2	51.5	6.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School)	45.8	34.2	11.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (MSD Bluffton-Harrison)	45.8	34.2	11.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School)	54.2	46.2	8%
4th Grade Math (MSD Bluffton-Harrison)	54.2	46.2	8%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School)	52.9	32.5	20.4%
4th Grade Science (MSD Bluffton-Harrison)	52.9	32.5	20.4%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	682	747	9.5%
African American	13	17	30.8%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	2	50%
Hispanic	40	59	47.5%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	606	633	4.5%
Two or More Races	18	35	94.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.6%	55.4%	2.8%

Schools Near Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th 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
Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1100 E Spring St	Bluffton	46714	Wells County	MSD Bluffton-Harrison	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 824-0333	750	53	14.1	52.4%	629 (83.9%)	19 (2.5%)	66 (8.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.5%)	46.9	560^th of 1010 public elementary schools	44.6%		48	559^th of 1016 public elementary schools	45.0%	1	28.3	39.4			33.5	53.1	43.3			48.5		$7,559	$824	$6,735
Lancaster Central School	Public	PK, KG-5	3240 E 300 N	Bluffton	46714	Wells County	Norwell Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 565-3135	542	35	15.4	36.9%	474 (87.5%)	8 (1.5%)	40 (7.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	72	271^st of 1010 public elementary schools	73.2%		65.6	353^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	65.3%	82	39.4	53.9	45.3		46.1	62.8	52.8	59.0		58.2	47.4	$9,428	$757	$8,671
Southern Wells Elementary School	Public	K-6	9120 S 300 W	Poneto	46781	Wells County	Southern Wells Com Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(765) 728-2121	499	28	17.8	54.9%	466 (93.4%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	51.6	507^th of 1010 public elementary schools	49.8%		56.5	470^th of 1016 public elementary schools	53.7%	37	26.9	40.3	40.0	35.5	35.6	43.6	44.2	47.1	39.5	43.5	38.6	$9,743	$561	$9,182
Ossian Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	213 S Jefferson	Ossian	46777	Wells County	Norwell Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 622-4179	568	38	14.9	39.4%	511 (90.0%)	7 (1.2%)	32 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (2.6%)	64.1	367^th of 1010 public elementary schools	63.7%		67.9	326^th of 1016 public elementary schools	67.9%	41	40.0	59.1	36.7		45.4	58.8	60.2	40.8		52.8	36.7	$9,767	$587	$9,180
Adams Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	222 W Washington St	Monroe	46772	Adams County	Adams Central Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 692-6629	635	46	13.9	29.1%	577 (90.9%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (5.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.5%)	59.8	417^th of 1010 public elementary schools	58.7%		59.9	418^th of 1016 public elementary schools	58.9%	1	37.1	45.7	32.4		38.3	62.9	56.4	43.1		53.7	38.2	$9,158	$1,784	$7,374
South Adams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1012 Starfire Way	Berne	46711	Adams County	South Adams Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 589-1101	647	44	14.6	45.3%	565 (87.3%)	3 (0.5%)	60 (9.3%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (1.7%)	66.3	342^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	66.1%		59.2	430^th of 1016 public elementary schools	57.7%	88	34.4	44.0	44.4		41.1	60.0	56.0	56.7		57.5	43.3	$10,870	$2,996	$7,874
Salamonie Elementary School	Public	K-5	1063 E 900 S	Warren	46792	Huntington County	Huntington County Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 468-3093	278	19	14.6	49.6%	259 (93.2%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.6%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	70.5	291^st of 1010 public elementary schools	71.2%		70.4	296^th of 1016 public elementary schools	70.9%	5	32.7	42.1	54.8		42.6	56.3	68.4	65.9		63.7	46.3	$10,427	$612	$9,815
Bellmont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 North Adams Drive	Decatur	46733	Adams County	North Adams Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 724-3633	684	49	13.9	55.4%	506 (74.0%)	26 (3.8%)	90 (13.2%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (8.2%)	43.4	592^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	41.4%		34.5	684^th of 1016 public elementary schools	32.7%	92	24.0	45.1	42.7		36.6	45.0	36.7	22.0		35.3	37.8	$10,994	$3,225	$7,769
Bloomfield Elementary School	Public	K-6	350 E 500 N	Bryant	47326	Jay County	Jay School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 726-9417	281	21	13.4	44.8%	269 (95.7%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	67.3	324^th of 1010 public elementary schools	67.9%		64.6	360^th of 1016 public elementary schools	64.6%	36	41.5	43.8	41.0	50.0	44.1	61.0	46.9	48.7	55.0	53.3	38.5	$10,071	$1,911	$8,160
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-5	2037 E Taylor St	Huntington	46750	Huntington County	Huntington County Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 356-2914	338	33	10.2	82.5%	290 (85.8%)	5 (1.5%)	28 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.1%)	33.6	689^th of 1010 public elementary schools	31.8%		38.6	647^th of 1016 public elementary schools	36.3%	42	20.7	19.0	21.6		20.4	32.8	51.7	49.0		44.3	23.5	$10,742	$1,242	$9,500

Frequently Asked Questions about Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School

What district is Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School in?

MSD Bluffton-Harrison

Is Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School a good school?

Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School ranks 560^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 750 students attended Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School?

Students at Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School are 84% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bluffton-Harrison Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bluffton-Harrison Middle School
High : Bluffton High School

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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.