James R Watson Elementary School

Q: Is James R Watson Elementary School a good school?

James R Watson Elementary School ranks 272 nd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

James R Watson Elementary School is a public elementary school in Auburn, Indiana, serving 588 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the DeKalb County Ctl United School District, which is ranked 146 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

James R Watson Elementary School consistently outperforms the district and state averages in ILEARN test scores, with 46.21% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to 44.28% for the district and 38.6% for the state, and 58.94% proficient or better in Math compared to 40.98% for the district. The school ranks in the top 25% of Indiana elementary schools, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 33.16% to 40.82% over the past three years, which is higher than the state average.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the same district, such as Country Meadow Elementary School and Waterloo Elementary School, James R Watson Elementary School stands out as a higher-performing school with significantly better ILEARN proficiency rates and higher statewide rankings. The school's consistent academic performance, strong statewide ranking, and ability to outpace district and state averages are notable strengths, though addressing chronic absenteeism and continuing to support the needs of economically disadvantaged students may be areas for further exploration and improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

901 Eckhart Ave
Auburn, IN 46706

(260) 920-1014

District: DeKalb County Ctl United School District

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,399

Students who attend James R Watson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	DeKalb Middle School
High:	DeKalb High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.2

Number of students: 588

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.8%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Two or more races:

2.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.8%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare James R Watson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James R Watson Elementary School ranks better than 73.1% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks first among 4 ranked elementary schools in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.94. (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 (91.8%), Hispanic (4.6%), two or more races (2.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James R Watson Elementary School is 18.2. 2 elementary schools in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare James R Watson Elementary School employs 32.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James R Watson Elementary School is $9,399. 2 elementary schools in the DeKalb County Ctl United School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

James R Watson Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

DeKalb County Ctl United School District:

SchoolDigger ranks DeKalb County Ctl United School District 146^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for James R Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	59.71	417^th	959	56.5%
2006	58.16	436^th	961	54.6%
2007	51.91	561^st	985	43.0%
2008	62.05	395^th	996	60.3%
2009	70.42	294^th	1003	70.7%
2010	64.05	391^st	1009	61.2%
2011	68.60	318^th	1025	69.0%
2012	55.05	537^th	1015	47.1%
2013	68.24	334^th	1035	67.7%
2014	69.88	308^th	1036	70.3%
2015	69.73	298^th	1040	71.3%
2016	68.50	329^th	1046	68.5%
2017	73.11	266^th	1033	74.2%
2018	68.10	337^th	1027	67.2%
2019	73.18	255^th	1031	75.3%
2021	84.28	131^st	1016	87.1%
2022	87.60	95^th	1020	90.7%
2023	77.82	202^nd	1016	80.1%
2024	71.94	272^nd	1010	73.1%

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 James R Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	318	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	324
1989	336	0	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
1990	372	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	374
1991	500	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
1992	420	1	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	423
1993	393	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	395
1994	396	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
1995	428	0	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	6	439
1996	428	0	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	6	439
1997	439	0	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	5	453
1998	541	2	4	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	561
1999	563	2	7	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	584
2000	576	1	5	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	599
2001	548	4	5	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	574
2002	636	2	8	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	659
2003	636	2	8	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	659
2004	628	1	8	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	647
2005	637	2	7	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	660
2006	609	3	6	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	631
2007	639	0	7	21	3	n/a	n/a	7	677
2008	641	5	9	27	0	n/a	n/a	7	689
2009	625	1	10	20	0	n/a	n/a	10	666
2010	617	1	14	21	0	n/a	n/a	16	669
2011	549	1	8	18	0	0	19	0	595
2012	531	1	10	19	0	0	18	0	579
2013	546	1	10	14	0	0	23	0	594
2014	548	2	8	16	1	0	23	0	598
2015	567	2	7	25	0	0	24	0	625
2016	560	3	6	28	0	0	24	0	621
2017	542	3	7	19	0	0	34	0	605
2018	543	3	5	37	0	0	20	0	608
2019	524	3	3	21	0	0	16	0	567
2020	531	4	2	18	0	0	15	0	570
2021	491	2	1	17	0	0	17	0	528
2022	521	5	2	22	0	1	19	0	570
2023	540	3	1	27	0	0	17	0	588

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 James R Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	324	15.5	20.9	3.7
1989	339	16.0	21.1	4.7
1990	374	17.0	22.0	4.5
1991	502	23.3	21.5	4.4
1992	423	18.1	23.3	6.1
1993	395	17.5	22.6	4.8
1994	398	18.5	21.5	8.5
1995	439	21.5	20.4	8.3
1996	439	21.5	20.4	8.3
1997	453	21.5	21.1	8.7
1998	561	27.7	20.3	12.8
1999	584	29.5	19.8	15.9
2000	599	33.0	18.2	15.2
2001	574	32.4	17.7	15
2002	659	33.5	19.7	23.2
2003	659	33.5	19.7	23.2
2004	647	32.5	19.9	29.7
2005	660	32.3	20.4	30.2
2006	631	31.5	20.0	27.7
2007	677	n/a	n/a	31.6
2008	689	31.7	21.7	36.7
2009	666	31.5	21.1	36.9
2010	669	30.0	22.3	40.3
2011	595	27.0	22.0	36.6
2012	579	28.0	20.6	41.1
2013	594	29.0	20.4	42.1
2014	598	29.0	20.6	40.6
2015	625	28.0	22.3	42.2
2016	621	28.0	22.1	42.4
2017	605	29.1	20.7	39
2018	608	29.2	20.8	45.2
2019	567	28.0	20.2	36.7
2020	570	30.0	19.0	36.8
2021	528	27.0	19.5	35.6
2022	570	28.2	20.1	33.2
2023	588	32.2	18.2	40.8

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 James R Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	324	15.5	20.9	3.7
1989	339	16.0	21.1	4.7
1990	374	17.0	22.0	4.5
1991	502	23.3	21.5	4.4
1992	423	18.1	23.3	6.1
1993	395	17.5	22.6	4.8
1994	398	18.5	21.5	8.5
1995	439	21.5	20.4	8.3
1996	439	21.5	20.4	8.3
1997	453	21.5	21.1	8.7
1998	561	27.7	20.3	12.8
1999	584	29.5	19.8	15.9
2000	599	33.0	18.2	15.2
2001	574	32.4	17.7	15
2002	659	33.5	19.7	23.2
2003	659	33.5	19.7	23.2
2004	647	32.5	19.9	29.7
2005	660	32.3	20.4	30.2
2006	631	31.5	20.0	27.7
2007	677	n/a	n/a	31.6
2008	689	31.7	21.7	36.7
2009	666	31.5	21.1	36.9
2010	669	30.0	22.3	40.3
2011	595	27.0	22.0	36.6
2012	579	28.0	20.6	41.1
2013	594	29.0	20.4	42.1
2014	598	29.0	20.6	40.6
2015	625	28.0	22.3	42.2
2016	621	28.0	22.1	42.4
2017	605	29.1	20.7	39
2018	608	29.2	20.8	45.2
2019	567	28.0	20.2	36.7
2020	570	30.0	19.0	36.8
2021	528	27.0	19.5	35.6
2022	570	28.2	20.1	33.2
2023	588	32.2	18.2	40.8

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 James R Watson Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$237 (3.0%)	$7,737 (97.0%)	$7,974
2020	$225 (2.8%)	$7,795 (97.2%)	$8,020
2021	$305 (3.4%)	$8,625 (96.6%)	$8,930
2022	$747 (7.9%)	$8,652 (92.1%)	$9,399

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James R Watson 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 255^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 202^nd of 1016 Elementary schools	4.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James R Watson Elementary School)	65.8	38.4	27.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	52.8	29.5	23.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (James R Watson Elementary School)	61.6	60.5	1.1%
3rd Grade Math (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	63.3	54.6	8.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (James R Watson Elementary School)	51.9	49.4	2.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	47.2	37.3	9.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (James R Watson Elementary School)	67.3	72.3	5%
4th Grade Math (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	62.2	56.2	6%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (James R Watson Elementary School)	52.9	50.6	2.3%
4th Grade Science (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	45.7	37.3	8.4%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (James R Watson Elementary School)	56.8	57	0.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	46.4	42.3	4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (James R Watson Elementary School)	55.8	55.9	0.1%
5th Grade Math (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	46.4	43.9	2.5%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (James R Watson Elementary School)	61.1	57	4.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (DeKalb County Ctl United School District)	46	41.9	4.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	567	588	3.7%
African American	3	3
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	21	27	28.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	524	540	3.1%
Two or More Races	16	17	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36.7%	40.8%	4.1%

Schools Near James R Watson 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
James R Watson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Eckhart Ave	Auburn	46706	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1014	588	32	18.2	40.8%	540 (91.8%)	3 (0.5%)	27 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.9%)	71.9	272^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	73.1%		77.8	202^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	80.1%	70	39.4	41.5	60.3		46.2	55.8	61.0	61.0		58.9	51.3	$9,399	$747	$8,652
McKenney-Harrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 South Indiana Ave	Auburn	46706	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1015	644	35	18.6	55.7%	595 (92.4%)	2 (0.3%)	33 (5.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.6%)	55.9	465^th of 1010 public elementary schools	54.0%		51.5	524^th of 1016 public elementary schools	48.4%	59	36.1	33.7	40.7		36.7	49.5	51.0	46.5		49.1	43.5	$8,668	$1,055	$7,613
Waterloo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 E Douglas St	Waterloo	46793	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1011	220	15	14.4	66.4%	200 (90.9%)	3 (1.4%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.0%)	27.7	748^th of 1010 public elementary schools	25.9%		27.2	757^th of 1016 public elementary schools	25.5%	9	26.7	25.0	7.7		20.8	40.0	52.5	19.2		39.6	0.0	$13,844	$1,503	$12,341
J E Ober Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Houston St	Garrett	46738	DeKalb County	Garrett-Keyser-Butler Com School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 357-3112	727	46	15.8	54.9%	674 (92.7%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.2%)	29 (4.0%)	24.8	769^th of 1010 public elementary schools	23.9%		31	719^th of 1016 public elementary schools	29.2%	50	14.8	35.9	20.0		23.0	28.7	40.8	25.5		31.3	18.4	$8,732	$927	$7,805
Country Meadow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2410 Cr 10	Ashley	46705	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Ctl United School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 920-1017	314	21	15.2	43.3%	291 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	44.3	585^th of 1010 public elementary schools	42.1%		39.1	644^th of 1016 public elementary schools	36.6%	59	32.5	29.1	39.5		33.1	47.5	40.0	36.8		41.4	36.8	$10,238	$983	$9,255
Riverdale Elementary School	Public	K-6	6127 Sr 1	Saint Joe	46785	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Eastern Com School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 337-5464	293	17	17.7	36.9%	277 (94.5%)	3 (1.0%)	8 (2.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	78.1	202^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	80.0%		77.8	201^st of 1016 public elementary schools	80.2%	1	40.0	47.5	47.1	52.4	46.6	71.1	65.0	64.7	47.6	62.1	58.8	$10,297	$481	$9,816
Butler Elementary School	Public	K-6	1025 S Broadway	Butler	46721	DeKalb County	DeKalb County Eastern Com School District	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 868-2123	357	29	12.5	59.7%	329 (92.2%)	5 (1.4%)	14 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	14	883^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	12.6%		29.2	736^th of 1016 public elementary schools	27.6%	147	7.8	20.8	7.3	18.2	13.4	31.4	25.0	10.9	21.8	22.0	9.1	$11,608	$490	$11,118
Avilla Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 W Washington St	Avilla	46710	Noble County	East Noble School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(260) 897-2301	469	25	18.7	39.9%	435 (92.8%)	3 (0.6%)	23 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	52.5	501^st of 1010 public elementary schools	50.4%		52.8	507^th of 1016 public elementary schools	50.1%	6	33.8	46.2	43.9		40.3	52.0	42.3	28.1		41.9	40.4	$9,010	$591	$8,419
Cedar Canyon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	15011 Coldwater Rd	Fort Wayne	46845	Allen County	Northwest Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 637-6101	531	34	15.6	11.1%	434 (81.7%)	11 (2.1%)	24 (4.5%)	33 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.3%)	81.6	164^th of 1010 public elementary schools	83.8%		84.2	140^th of 1016 public elementary schools	86.2%	24	53.8	44.8	57.6		51.6	70.0	57.1	63.0		62.8	70.7	$8,523	$328	$8,195
South Side Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 S Sherman St	Kendallville	46755	Noble County	East Noble School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 349-2200	284	22	13.0	67.6%	231 (81.3%)	5 (1.8%)	40 (14.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	34.5	681^st of 1010 public elementary schools	32.6%		26.1	768^th of 1016 public elementary schools	24.4%	87	21.2	22.0	42.6		28.6	15.7	9.8	51.1		25.9	36.2	$9,491	$764	$8,727

Frequently Asked Questions about James R Watson Elementary School

Is James R Watson Elementary School a good school?

James R Watson Elementary School ranks 272^nd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is James R Watson Elementary School in?

DeKalb County Ctl United School District

What schools do graduates of James R Watson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James R Watson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : DeKalb Middle School
High : DeKalb High School

What is the racial makeup of James R Watson Elementary School?

Students at James R Watson Elementary School are 92% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend James R Watson Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 588 students attended James R Watson Elementary 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.