South Wayne Elementary School

Summary:

South Wayne Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 362 students in grades PK-5 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which is part of the Fort Wayne Community Schools district.

While South Wayne has a more diverse student population compared to surrounding schools, with higher percentages of African American (27.35%) and Hispanic (35.08%) students, the school consistently performs below district and state averages on ILEARN assessments for English Language Arts, Math, and other subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, only 11.17% of South Wayne students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 28.81% for the district. South Wayne also has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.9% in 2022-2023 to 40% in 2020-2021, and a very high percentage of students (over 87%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

While South Wayne has the highest per-student spending among the nearby schools, with $12,520 spent per student in 2021-2022, this additional funding does not appear to be translating into improved student outcomes. In fact, South Wayne's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past decade, from 876 out of 1,036 Indiana elementary schools in 2013-2014 to 948 out of 1,010 in 2023-2024. Nearby schools like Indian Village Elementary School, Merle J Abbett Elementary School, and John S Irwin Elementary School also serve high-needs communities but generally outperform South Wayne on academic measures, suggesting that the school's challenges present opportunities for targeted interventions and support systems to address the specific needs of its student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

810 Cottage Ave
Fort Wayne, IN 46807

(260) 467-8100

District: Fort Wayne Community Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,520

Students who attend South Wayne Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Portage Middle School
High:	South Side High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.7

Number of students: 353

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.8%

African American:

28.9%

White:

22.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81.3%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare South Wayne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Wayne Elementary School ranks worse than 93.9% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 28^th among 31 ranked elementary schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.56. (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 Student population at South Wayne Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (34.8%), African American (28.9%), White (22.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 81.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Wayne Elementary School is 10.7, which is the 6^th best among 31 elementary schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare South Wayne Elementary School employs 32.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Wayne Elementary School is $12,520, which is the 11^th highest among 31 elementary schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

South Wayne Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Fort Wayne Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Wayne Community Schools 283^rd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for South Wayne Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	11.78	895^th	959	6.7%
2006	4.32	935^th	961	2.7%
2007	4.37	960^th	985	2.5%
2008	22.35	849^th	996	14.8%
2009	10.91	936^th	1003	6.7%
2010	15.63	907^th	1009	10.1%
2011	16.84	921^st	1025	10.1%
2012	17.10	913^th	1015	10.0%
2013	10.76	975^th	1035	5.8%
2014	26.16	876^th	1036	15.4%
2015	4.97	1002^nd	1040	3.7%
2016	15.54	925^th	1046	11.6%
2017	9.92	948^th	1033	8.2%
2018	14.41	902^nd	1027	12.2%
2019	11.65	928^th	1031	10.0%
2021	15.36	852^nd	1016	16.1%
2022	13.62	881^st	1020	13.6%
2023	8.47	936^th	1016	7.9%
2024	8.56	948^th	1010	6.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a student on FaceBook
Friday, September 23, 2011

I went there as a child. I remember it being awesome ! Close Quote

Enrollment information for South Wayne Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	399	66	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	478
1989	372	57	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	441
1990	340	49	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1991	308	66	1	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	390
1992	272	80	1	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	372
1993	306	132	1	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	470
1994	283	122	2	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	439
1995	260	109	7	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	410
1996	260	109	7	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	410
1997	263	118	1	23	5	n/a	n/a	0	410
1998	255	150	4	42	8	n/a	n/a	0	459
1999	236	135	3	48	7	n/a	n/a	0	429
2000	191	139	4	44	5	n/a	n/a	0	383
2001	192	146	1	39	10	n/a	n/a	0	388
2002	167	170	3	69	4	n/a	n/a	0	413
2003	167	170	3	69	4	n/a	n/a	0	413
2004	150	154	4	84	0	n/a	n/a	0	392
2005	147	136	3	93	1	n/a	n/a	0	380
2006	135	130	3	120	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
2007	113	114	2	94	1	n/a	n/a	33	357
2008	105	93	2	96	2	n/a	n/a	46	344
2009	87	97	3	72	1	n/a	n/a	38	298
2010	79	78	1	72	1	n/a	n/a	39	270
2011	70	90	0	84	2	2	45	0	293
2012	79	113	0	68	3	1	43	0	307
2013	80	114	1	66	3	1	48	0	313
2014	112	102	5	79	0	1	70	0	369
2015	95	124	9	95	0	0	67	0	390
2016	84	109	9	101	1	0	65	0	369
2017	88	114	16	105	1	0	57	0	381
2018	79	128	9	123	1	1	48	0	389
2019	79	144	9	125	1	0	61	0	419
2020	67	123	10	138	1	0	50	0	389
2021	73	119	14	118	0	0	49	0	373
2022	82	107	3	120	0	0	53	0	365
2023	89	99	1	127	4	0	42	0	362
2024	81	102	5	123	4	0	38	0	353

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 South Wayne Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	478	25.8	18.5	29.1
1989	441	23.2	19.0	38.5
1990	403	23.2	17.3	42.7
1991	390	18.7	20.8	44.1
1992	372	17.0	21.8	63.7
1993	470	20.0	23.5	68.3
1994	439	21.5	20.4	67.4
1995	410	24.0	17.1	72.4
1996	410	24.0	17.1	72.4
1997	410	27.0	15.2	69.3
1998	459	25.5	18.0	66
1999	429	25.5	16.8	69.2
2000	383	22.0	17.4	79.9
2001	388	22.9	16.9	81.4
2002	413	29.0	14.2	82.6
2003	413	29.0	14.2	82.6
2004	392	30.5	12.9	81.9
2005	380	29.5	12.9	83.7
2006	388	29.5	13.2	87.4
2007	357	n/a	n/a	93.8
2008	344	26.4	13.0	102
2009	298	24.1	12.4	105.8
2010	270	18.3	14.7	105.2
2011	293	18.6	15.7	93.9
2012	307	21.5	14.2	88.9
2013	313	18.0	17.3	91.1
2014	369	20.0	18.4	89.4
2015	390	20.0	19.5	90.8
2016	369	21.0	17.5	85.9
2017	381	20.0	18.9	82.4
2018	389	22.0	17.6	85.3
2019	419	22.6	18.5	74.5
2020	389	23.1	16.8	81
2021	373	21.0	17.7	84.5
2022	365	29.5	12.3	87.4
2023	362	29.9	12.0	87.6
2024	353	32.9	10.7	81.3

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 South Wayne Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	478	25.8	18.5	29.1
1989	441	23.2	19.0	38.5
1990	403	23.2	17.3	42.7
1991	390	18.7	20.8	44.1
1992	372	17.0	21.8	63.7
1993	470	20.0	23.5	68.3
1994	439	21.5	20.4	67.4
1995	410	24.0	17.1	72.4
1996	410	24.0	17.1	72.4
1997	410	27.0	15.2	69.3
1998	459	25.5	18.0	66
1999	429	25.5	16.8	69.2
2000	383	22.0	17.4	79.9
2001	388	22.9	16.9	81.4
2002	413	29.0	14.2	82.6
2003	413	29.0	14.2	82.6
2004	392	30.5	12.9	81.9
2005	380	29.5	12.9	83.7
2006	388	29.5	13.2	87.4
2007	357	n/a	n/a	93.8
2008	344	26.4	13.0	102
2009	298	24.1	12.4	105.8
2010	270	18.3	14.7	105.2
2011	293	18.6	15.7	93.9
2012	307	21.5	14.2	88.9
2013	313	18.0	17.3	91.1
2014	369	20.0	18.4	89.4
2015	390	20.0	19.5	90.8
2016	369	21.0	17.5	85.9
2017	381	20.0	18.9	82.4
2018	389	22.0	17.6	85.3
2019	419	22.6	18.5	74.5
2020	389	23.1	16.8	81
2021	373	21.0	17.7	84.5
2022	365	29.5	12.3	87.4
2023	362	29.9	12.0	87.6
2024	353	32.9	10.7	81.3

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 South Wayne Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,804 (19.9%)	$7,268 (80.1%)	$9,072
2020	$1,991 (19.6%)	$8,189 (80.4%)	$10,180
2021	$2,521 (21.1%)	$9,406 (78.9%)	$11,927
2022	$2,590 (20.7%)	$9,930 (79.3%)	$12,520

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Wayne 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 928^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 936^th of 1016 Elementary schools	2.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Wayne Elementary School)	18.5	13.3	5.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	34.2	29.4	4.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (South Wayne Elementary School)	29.6	11.7	17.9%
3rd Grade Math (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	44.4	36.5	7.9%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Wayne Elementary School)	21.2	9.1	12.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	34.2	30.6	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (South Wayne Elementary School)	42.4	16.4	26%
4th Grade Math (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	40.9	33.6	7.3%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (South Wayne Elementary School)	23.1	5.5	17.7%
4th Grade Science (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	31.3	25.4	5.9%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Wayne Elementary School)	16.2	15.7	0.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	34.9	29.5	5.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (South Wayne Elementary School)	19.1	11.8	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	37.3	25.8	11.5%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (South Wayne Elementary School)	13.2	11.8	1.4%
5th Grade Social Studies (Fort Wayne Community Schools)	31.2	24.8	6.4%
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	419	362	13.6%
African American	144	99	31.3%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	9	1	88.9%
Hispanic	125	127	1.6%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	79	89	12.7%
Two or More Races	61	42	31.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74.5%	87.6%	13.1%

Schools Near South Wayne 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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th 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
South Wayne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	810 Cottage Ave	Fort Wayne	46807	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-8100	353	33	10.7	81.3%	81 (22.9%)	102 (28.9%)	123 (34.8%)	5 (1.4%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (10.8%)	8.6	948^th of 1010 public elementary schools	6.1%		8.5	936^th of 1016 public elementary schools	7.9%	12	11.7	8.3	13.6	11.2	20.0	13.3	11.9	15.1	11.9	$12,520	$2,590	$9,930
Fairfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2825 Fairfield Ave	Fort Wayne	46807	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-5900	480	35	13.7	77.7%	69 (14.4%)	124 (25.8%)	221 (46.0%)	22 (4.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.0%)	10.3	927^th of 1010 public elementary schools	8.2%		17.4	844^th of 1016 public elementary schools	16.9%	83	7.1	22.6	15.3	14.2	12.9	17.7	13.9	14.6	13.9	$11,471	$2,268	$9,204
Harrison Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	355 S Cornell Cir	Fort Wayne	46807	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-7000	642	50	12.8	74.6%	90 (14.0%)	180 (28.0%)	222 (34.6%)	98 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (7.9%)	19.9	815^th of 1010 public elementary schools	19.3%		20.1	819^th of 1016 public elementary schools	19.4%	4	24.7	19.5	23.5	22.7	25.8	27.9	22.0	25.1	17.5	$11,477	$2,507	$8,971
Study Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2414 Brooklyn Ave	Fort Wayne	46802	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-8500	256	25	10.4	84.8%	63 (24.6%)	74 (28.9%)	73 (28.5%)	7 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (15.2%)	6.1	985^th of 1010 public elementary schools	2.5%		5.8	988^th of 1016 public elementary schools	2.8%	3	9.5	12.5	10.3	10.9	11.9	6.3	10.3	9.3	5.1	$12,572	$2,573	$9,999
Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1015 W Wash Blvd	Fort Wayne	46802	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-8150	210	21	9.9	80.0%	68 (32.4%)	46 (21.9%)	66 (31.4%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (12.9%)	16.9	847^th of 1010 public elementary schools	16.1%		23.9	785^th of 1016 public elementary schools	22.7%	62	19.4	24.2	21.9	21.9	25.8	24.2	15.6	21.9	15.6	$14,354	$2,668	$11,686
Weisser Park Elementary School	Public, Magnet	1-5	902 Colerick St	Fort Wayne	46806	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(260) 467-8875	600	42	14.3	59.3%	221 (36.8%)	218 (36.3%)	107 (17.8%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.3%)	58.9	423^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	58.1%		61.4	400^th of 1016 public elementary schools	60.6%	23	50.0	46.7	42.4	46.4	52.5	40.0	36.4	43.0	40.2	$12,020	$2,065	$9,955
Whitney M Young Early Childhood	Public, Magnet	PK-K	1026 E Pontiac St	Fort Wayne	46803	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(260) 467-8950	215	16	13.5	51.6%	78 (36.3%)	68 (31.6%)	45 (20.9%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (9.3%)								(n/a)										$15,845	$3,571	$12,275
Bunche Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK-K	1111 Greene St	Fort Wayne	46803	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(260) 467-4790	233	16	14.7	54.1%	96 (41.2%)	63 (27.0%)	38 (16.3%)	5 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (12.9%)								(n/a)										$12,508	$1,206	$11,303
Indian Village Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3835 Wenonah Ln	Fort Wayne	46809	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-5200	352	29	12.0	73.6%	122 (34.7%)	87 (24.7%)	108 (30.7%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (8.0%)	17.3	840^th of 1010 public elementary schools	16.8%		20.3	817^th of 1016 public elementary schools	19.6%	23	29.3	25.5	11.6	23.1	31.0	21.8	9.3	21.8	4.7	$11,889	$2,037	$9,852
Merle J Abbett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4325 Smith St	Fort Wayne	46806	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-5800	450	70	6.4	81.1%	23 (5.1%)	133 (29.6%)	219 (48.7%)	40 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.8%)	7.5	961^st of 1010 public elementary schools	4.9%		5.2	995^th of 1016 public elementary schools	2.1%	34	9.5	15.3	13.9	12.8	6.8	11.3	15.3	11.1	2.8	$11,302	$2,509	$8,793

Frequently Asked Questions about South Wayne Elementary School

What district is South Wayne Elementary School in?

Fort Wayne Community Schools

Is South Wayne Elementary School a good school?

South Wayne Elementary School ranks in the bottom 6.1% of Indiana elementary schools.

How many students attend South Wayne Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 353 students attended South Wayne Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of South Wayne Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Wayne Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Portage Middle School
High : South Side High School

What is the racial makeup of South Wayne Elementary School?

Students at South Wayne Elementary School are 35% Hispanic, 29% African American, 23% White, 11% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% American Indian.

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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.