Washington Center Elementary School

Q: Is Washington Center Elementary School a good school?

Washington Center Elementary School ranks 704 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Washington Center Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving 517 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Fort Wayne Community Schools district, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Washington Center has a higher percentage of White students (61.32%) compared to nearby schools like Franke Park Elementary (44.69%) and Northcrest Elementary (23.94%), it faces several challenges. The school has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 17.8% to 26.9% over the past three years, which is higher than the surrounding schools. Additionally, Washington Center's test scores on the ILEARN assessments are generally lower than the district and state averages, with only 28.34% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 28.81% for the Fort Wayne Community Schools district and 38.6% for the state.

The school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past several years, from 351 out of 1040 Indiana elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 704 out of 1010 in 2023-2024. This suggests a concerning trend of underperformance compared to other schools in the state. Washington Center also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 58.42% to 63.16% over the past three years, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. Despite increased per-student spending, from $7,920 in 2018-2019 to $10,189 in 2021-2022, the school's academic outcomes have not improved, and it generally underperforms compared to neighboring schools in the Northwest Allen County Schools district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1936 W Wallen Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46818

(260) 467-6250

District: Fort Wayne Community Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,189

Students who attend Washington Center Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shawnee Middle School
High:	Northrop High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 517

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.3%

Hispanic:

13.5%

African American:

12.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.7%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Washington Center Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Washington Center Elementary School ranks worse than 69.7% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 14^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 32.35. (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 Washington Center Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (61.3%), Hispanic (13.5%), African American (12.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Washington Center Elementary School is 17.2. 30 elementary schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Washington Center Elementary School employs 30 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Washington Center Elementary School is $10,189. 30 elementary schools in the Fort Wayne Community Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Washington Center 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:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Washington Center Elementary School.

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Rank History for Washington Center Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	70.75	242^nd	959	74.8%
2006	63.03	366^th	961	61.9%
2007	57.25	478^th	985	51.5%
2008	51.08	571^st	996	42.7%
2009	37.79	721^st	1003	28.1%
2010	37.97	731^st	1009	27.6%
2011	38.07	755^th	1025	26.3%
2012	45.54	671^st	1015	33.9%
2013	33.27	814^th	1035	21.4%
2014	36.27	787^th	1036	24.0%
2015	66.46	351^st	1040	66.3%
2016	53.79	555^th	1046	46.9%
2017	58.37	485^th	1033	53.0%
2018	54.29	534^th	1027	48.0%
2019	37.96	696^th	1031	32.5%
2021	30.56	739^th	1016	27.3%
2022	17.83	841^st	1020	17.5%
2023	31.43	714^th	1016	29.7%
2024	32.35	704^th	1010	30.3%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Washington Center Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	441	4	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	452
1989	508	5	2	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	521
1990	535	72	3	6	5	n/a	n/a	0	621
1991	548	74	1	7	8	n/a	n/a	0	638
1992	574	95	3	6	7	n/a	n/a	0	685
1993	618	120	4	11	5	n/a	n/a	0	758
1994	598	106	5	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	720
1995	612	89	7	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	720
1996	612	89	7	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	720
1997	616	99	9	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	734
1998	614	96	7	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	726
1999	609	109	11	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	743
2000	561	100	7	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	678
2001	540	77	13	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	644
2002	482	75	14	11	8	n/a	n/a	0	590
2003	482	75	14	11	8	n/a	n/a	0	590
2004	460	60	18	18	7	n/a	n/a	0	563
2005	428	66	21	23	6	n/a	n/a	0	544
2006	426	58	23	28	5	n/a	n/a	0	540
2007	403	78	25	28	1	n/a	n/a	23	558
2008	369	79	21	28	1	n/a	n/a	33	531
2009	367	86	22	24	0	n/a	n/a	18	517
2010	368	79	20	19	2	n/a	n/a	24	512
2011	362	90	26	24	2	1	40	0	545
2012	377	86	21	34	0	1	48	0	567
2013	354	70	19	36	1	1	57	0	538
2014	359	65	15	34	2	1	49	0	525
2015	338	61	13	30	0	0	42	0	484
2016	350	47	11	39	0	3	46	0	496
2017	363	39	17	56	1	3	45	0	524
2018	342	36	18	55	1	3	50	0	505
2019	298	58	26	47	1	3	55	0	488
2020	305	60	22	52	1	2	51	0	493
2021	308	62	23	55	0	1	45	0	494
2022	305	49	25	58	1	0	43	0	481
2023	317	64	27	70	1	0	38	0	517

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 Washington Center Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	452	20.6	21.9	7.1
1989	521	24.1	21.6	5.6
1990	621	24.1	25.7	12.2
1991	638	28.2	22.6	14.4
1992	685	29.0	23.6	20.3
1993	758	30.0	25.3	23
1994	720	31.5	22.9	21.3
1995	720	33.5	21.5	23.6
1996	720	33.5	21.5	23.6
1997	734	30.5	24.1	22.9
1998	726	30.5	23.8	21.9
1999	743	35.5	20.9	27.5
2000	678	35.5	19.1	24.2
2001	644	33.5	19.2	23.9
2002	590	29.1	20.3	27.8
2003	590	29.1	20.3	27.8
2004	563	26.5	21.2	33.7
2005	544	29.5	18.4	35.5
2006	540	29.5	18.3	39.1
2007	558	n/a	n/a	43.2
2008	531	29.6	17.9	54.6
2009	517	28.5	18.1	56.9
2010	512	29.2	17.4	59
2011	545	30.3	17.9	60.6
2012	567	33.5	16.9	61.4
2013	538	29.5	18.2	69.1
2014	525	28.0	18.7	65.5
2015	484	26.0	18.6	54.8
2016	496	24.0	20.6	53.4
2017	524	26.0	20.1	52.3
2018	505	24.0	21.0	56.4
2019	488	23.0	21.2	50.2
2020	493	23.0	21.4	56.2
2021	494	26.0	19.0	63.2
2022	481	29.2	16.4	58.4
2023	517	30.0	17.2	61.7

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 Washington Center Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	452	20.6	21.9	7.1
1989	521	24.1	21.6	5.6
1990	621	24.1	25.7	12.2
1991	638	28.2	22.6	14.4
1992	685	29.0	23.6	20.3
1993	758	30.0	25.3	23
1994	720	31.5	22.9	21.3
1995	720	33.5	21.5	23.6
1996	720	33.5	21.5	23.6
1997	734	30.5	24.1	22.9
1998	726	30.5	23.8	21.9
1999	743	35.5	20.9	27.5
2000	678	35.5	19.1	24.2
2001	644	33.5	19.2	23.9
2002	590	29.1	20.3	27.8
2003	590	29.1	20.3	27.8
2004	563	26.5	21.2	33.7
2005	544	29.5	18.4	35.5
2006	540	29.5	18.3	39.1
2007	558	n/a	n/a	43.2
2008	531	29.6	17.9	54.6
2009	517	28.5	18.1	56.9
2010	512	29.2	17.4	59
2011	545	30.3	17.9	60.6
2012	567	33.5	16.9	61.4
2013	538	29.5	18.2	69.1
2014	525	28.0	18.7	65.5
2015	484	26.0	18.6	54.8
2016	496	24.0	20.6	53.4
2017	524	26.0	20.1	52.3
2018	505	24.0	21.0	56.4
2019	488	23.0	21.2	50.2
2020	493	23.0	21.4	56.2
2021	494	26.0	19.0	63.2
2022	481	29.2	16.4	58.4
2023	517	30.0	17.2	61.7

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 Washington Center Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$807 (10.2%)	$7,113 (89.8%)	$7,920
2020	$638 (7.7%)	$7,614 (92.3%)	$8,252
2021	$992 (10.5%)	$8,496 (89.5%)	$9,488
2022	$1,334 (13.1%)	$8,855 (86.9%)	$10,189

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Washington Center 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 696^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 714^th of 1016 Elementary schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Washington Center Elementary School)	34.6	34.5	0.1%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	60.5	38.1	22.4%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	25.7	29.2	3.5%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	40	30.8	9.2%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	37.1	33.9	3.3%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	42.9	22.6	20.3%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	45.7	28.2	17.5%
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 (Washington Center Elementary School)	38.6	18.8	19.8%
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	488	517	5.9%
African American	58	64	10.3%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	26	27	3.8%
Hispanic	47	70	48.9%
Pacific Islander	3	0	100%
White	298	317	6.4%
Two or More Races	55	38	30.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50.2%	61.7%	11.5%

Schools Near Washington Center 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
Washington Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1936 W Wallen Rd	Fort Wayne	46818	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-6250	517	30	17.2	61.7%	317 (61.3%)	64 (12.4%)	70 (13.5%)	27 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.4%)	32.4	704^th of 1010 public elementary schools	30.3%		31.4	714^th of 1016 public elementary schools	29.7%	10	31.3	27.3	26.3	28.3	38.6	32.6	30.6	34.0	29.3	$10,189	$1,334	$8,855
Hickory Center Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3606 Baird Rd	Fort Wayne	46818	Allen County	Northwest Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 637-3758	462	32	14.4	25.3%	358 (77.5%)	13 (2.8%)	28 (6.1%)	34 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.8%)	65.2	351^st of 1010 public elementary schools	65.2%		73	263^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	74.1%	88	43.5	41.1	41.3	41.9	66.7	48.0	46.7	53.5	46.7	$9,608	$491	$9,117
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-5	1001 E Cook Rd	Fort Wayne	46825	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-5400	616	40	15.4	71.4%	202 (32.8%)	150 (24.4%)	154 (25.0%)	40 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	66 (10.7%)	62.6	382^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	62.2%		61.9	391^st of 1016 public elementary schools	61.5%	9	43.3	54.8	55.3	51.0	39.8	51.0	62.8	50.8	21.3	$10,088	$1,306	$8,783
Eel River Elementary School	Public	K-5	12723 Bethel Rd	Fort Wayne	46818	Allen County	Northwest Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 338-5395	412	31	13.4	29.4%	296 (71.8%)	22 (5.3%)	28 (6.8%)	41 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)	65.1	354^th of 1010 public elementary schools	65.0%		69.9	304^th of 1016 public elementary schools	70.1%	50	33.9	47.5	43.8	42.5	61.0	58.8	39.7	52.8	46.6	$9,845	$775	$9,069
Mabel K Holland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7000 Red Haw Dr	Fort Wayne	46825	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-7075	489	33	15.0	66.3%	243 (49.7%)	47 (9.6%)	99 (20.2%)	31 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	67 (13.7%)	51.4	510^th of 1010 public elementary schools	49.5%		50.8	534^th of 1016 public elementary schools	47.4%	24	39.4	36.8	45.6	40.3	50.0	26.5	43.9	39.8	40.4	$12,569	$1,573	$10,996
Northcrest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5301 Archwood Ln	Fort Wayne	46825	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-5450	493	31	15.9	70.6%	118 (23.9%)	153 (31.0%)	107 (21.7%)	63 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (10.3%)	20.4	806^th of 1010 public elementary schools	20.2%		13.7	876^th of 1016 public elementary schools	13.8%	70	22.1	29.9	27.4	26.2	26.3	22.4	17.7	22.4	16.1	$11,467	$1,651	$9,816
Aspen Meadow Elementary School	Public	K-5	2650 Hathaway Rd	Fort Wayne	46818	Allen County	Northwest Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 338-5345	555	35	15.7	24.9%	411 (74.1%)	29 (5.2%)	35 (6.3%)	42 (7.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.5%)	65.2	352^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	65.1%		66.6	342^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	66.3%	10	49.4	39.8	48.0	45.9	55.2	53.4	32.4	46.2	55.9	$7,814	$460	$7,354
Perry Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	13121 Coldwater Rd	Fort Wayne	46845	Allen County	Northwest Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 637-3158	544	30	18.4	18.9%	455 (83.6%)	12 (2.2%)	29 (5.3%)	16 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (5.7%)	72.7	264^th of 1010 public elementary schools	73.9%		76.6	213^th of 1016 public elementary schools	79.0%	51	45.7	47.5	52.5	48.6	63.0	54.5	40.4	52.4	62.6	$8,607	$302	$8,305
Oak View Elementary School	Public	K-5	13123 Coldwater Rd	Fort Wayne	46845	Allen County	Northwest Allen County Schools	No	No	No	No	(260) 637-5117	453	29	15.3	14.3%	354 (78.1%)	17 (3.8%)	28 (6.2%)	35 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.2%)	87.8	100^th of 1010 public elementary schools	90.1%		88.8	73^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	92.8%	27	65.2	65.4	52.4	60.7	84.9	75.3	47.6	68.1	62.2	$9,297	$270	$9,027
Franke Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	828 Mildred Ave	Fort Wayne	46808	Allen County	Fort Wayne Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(260) 467-6925	405	26	15.5	78.3%	181 (44.7%)	49 (12.1%)	96 (23.7%)	14 (3.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (15.6%)	37.1	660^th of 1010 public elementary schools	34.7%		41.1	626^th of 1016 public elementary schools	38.4%	34	33.9	38.0	46.8	38.9	36.5	31.4	19.2	30.0	21.3	$11,627	$1,849	$9,778

Frequently Asked Questions about Washington Center Elementary School

How many students attend Washington Center Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 517 students attended Washington Center Elementary School.

Is Washington Center Elementary School a good school?

Washington Center Elementary School ranks 704^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Washington Center Elementary School in?

Fort Wayne Community Schools

What schools do graduates of Washington Center Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Washington Center Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shawnee Middle School
High : Northrop High School

What is the racial makeup of Washington Center Elementary School?

Students at Washington Center Elementary School are 61% White, 14% Hispanic, 12% African American, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

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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.