Joseph Hess Elementary School

Summary:

Joseph Hess Elementary School is a public elementary school in School City of Hammond, Indiana, serving 688 students in grades PK-6. The school faces significant challenges, with a student population that is predominantly minority and economically disadvantaged, as well as consistently low academic performance and high chronic absenteeism rates.

Compared to other nearby schools in the Hammond district, such as Thomas Jefferson Elementary and Frank O'Bannon Elementary, Joseph Hess has a similar demographic profile and academic standing, all ranking in the bottom 20% of Indiana elementary schools. However, when compared to higher-performing schools in neighboring districts like Ernest R. Elliott Elementary in School Town of Munster and Southridge Elementary in School Town of Highland, the differences in student demographics and academic performance are stark.

The high chronic absenteeism rates at Joseph Hess and other nearby schools in the Hammond district suggest that addressing attendance and engagement issues may be a critical factor in improving academic outcomes. Additionally, the increase in per-student spending at Joseph Hess over the past few years indicates a potential focus on providing additional resources and support, but the academic performance has not yet shown significant improvement. Addressing the challenges faced by Joseph Hess Elementary will likely require a multi-faceted approach, including targeted interventions to improve student engagement and academic support, as well as broader district-level initiatives to address systemic inequities and resource disparities.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3640 Orchard Dr
Hammond, IN 46323

(219) 989-7355

District: School City of Hammond

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,883

Students who attend Joseph Hess Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Charles N Scott Middle School
High:	Morton Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.5

Number of students: 688

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.4%

African American:

39.5%

White:

13.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Joseph Hess Elementary School ranks worse than 85.5% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 7^th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the School City of Hammond District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.37. (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 Joseph Hess Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (42.4%), African American (39.5%), White (13.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 75.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Joseph Hess Elementary School is 18.5. 10 elementary schools in the School City of Hammond District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Joseph Hess Elementary School employs 37 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Joseph Hess Elementary School is $10,883. 10 elementary schools in the School City of Hammond District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Joseph Hess Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

School City of Hammond:

SchoolDigger ranks School City of Hammond 332^nd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Joseph Hess Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2010	17.51	891^st	1009	11.7%
2011	18.10	910^th	1025	11.2%
2012	10.62	951^st	1015	6.3%
2013	18.34	926^th	1035	10.5%
2014	25.06	888^th	1036	14.3%
2015	13.89	949^th	1040	8.8%
2016	33.58	793^rd	1046	24.2%
2017	35.58	749^th	1033	27.5%
2018	27.19	814^th	1027	20.7%
2019	26.45	812^th	1031	21.2%
2021	9.96	908^th	1016	10.6%
2022	15.06	868^th	1020	14.9%
2023	14.85	862^nd	1016	15.2%
2024	15.37	864^th	1010	14.5%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Joseph Hess Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	219	169	0	192	0	n/a	n/a	25	605
2009	235	213	4	241	0	n/a	n/a	44	737
2010	215	225	6	211	3	n/a	n/a	41	701
2011	210	199	2	227	2	0	19	0	659
2012	206	165	2	233	2	0	22	0	630
2013	157	159	2	248	3	0	24	0	593
2014	176	172	2	248	4	0	19	0	621
2015	145	197	2	256	2	0	18	0	620
2016	143	214	1	245	2	0	21	0	626
2017	141	233	2	246	2	0	26	0	650
2018	128	255	2	228	2	0	32	0	647
2019	109	252	2	233	2	0	34	0	632
2020	95	258	1	238	1	0	32	0	625
2021	80	239	1	233	1	0	31	0	585
2022	97	274	0	294	1	0	34	0	700
2023	93	272	0	292	0	0	31	0	688

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 Joseph Hess Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	605	32.0	18.9	69.3
2009	737	33.3	22.1	69.6
2010	701	33.3	21.0	72
2011	659	28.7	22.9	63
2012	630	28.0	22.5	67
2013	593	28.0	21.1	72.5
2014	621	29.0	21.4	79.4
2015	620	30.0	20.6	74.8
2016	626	30.0	20.8	74.9
2017	650	32.3	20.0	63.4
2018	647	32.0	20.2	73.4
2019	632	30.0	21.0	78.2
2020	625	34.0	18.3	57.9
2021	585	31.0	18.8	80.5
2022	700	37.7	18.5	71.1
2023	688	37.0	18.5	75.6

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 Joseph Hess Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	605	32.0	18.9	69.3
2009	737	33.3	22.1	69.6
2010	701	33.3	21.0	72
2011	659	28.7	22.9	63
2012	630	28.0	22.5	67
2013	593	28.0	21.1	72.5
2014	621	29.0	21.4	79.4
2015	620	30.0	20.6	74.8
2016	626	30.0	20.8	74.9
2017	650	32.3	20.0	63.4
2018	647	32.0	20.2	73.4
2019	632	30.0	21.0	78.2
2020	625	34.0	18.3	57.9
2021	585	31.0	18.8	80.5
2022	700	37.7	18.5	71.1
2023	688	37.0	18.5	75.6

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 Joseph Hess Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$860 (9.9%)	$7,792 (90.1%)	$8,652
2020	$742 (9.0%)	$7,510 (91.0%)	$8,252
2021	$1,352 (14.7%)	$7,870 (85.3%)	$9,223
2022	$1,907 (17.5%)	$8,976 (82.5%)	$10,883

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Joseph Hess 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 812^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 862^nd of 1016 Elementary schools	6.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	33.3	14.6	18.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (School City of Hammond)	28.4	15.1	13.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	44.4	25.8	18.6%
3rd Grade Math (School City of Hammond)	41.4	20.9	20.5%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	37	16.5	20.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (School City of Hammond)	31.3	15.9	15.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	35.9	20.3	15.7%
4th Grade Math (School City of Hammond)	37.5	20.8	16.7%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	27.2	16.5	10.7%
4th Grade Science (School City of Hammond)	24.7	10.7	14%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	39.2	18.4	20.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (School City of Hammond)	34.5	17.8	16.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	36.7	18.4	18.3%
5th Grade Math (School City of Hammond)	30.1	16.8	13.3%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Joseph Hess Elementary School)	21.5	14.5	7%
5th Grade Social Studies (School City of Hammond)	28.8	16.6	12.2%
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	632	688	8.9%
African American	252	272	7.9%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	233	292	25.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	109	93	14.7%
Two or More Races	34	31	8.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.2%	75.6%	2.6%

Schools Near Joseph Hess 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 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th 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 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th 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
Joseph Hess Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3640 Orchard Dr	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7355	688	37	18.5	75.6%	93 (13.5%)	272 (39.5%)	292 (42.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (4.5%)	15.4	864^th of 1010 public elementary schools	14.5%		14.8	862^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	15.2%	2	17.7	17.8	20.3	15.9			18.0	32.9	23.3	18.2	5.8			20.5	15.6	$10,883	$1,907	$8,976
Judith Morton Johnston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8220 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-2428	364	19	19.6	53.6%	180 (49.5%)	27 (7.4%)	148 (40.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	64.1	366^th of 1010 public elementary schools	63.8%		66.5	344^th of 1016 public elementary schools	66.1%	22	40.0	35.7	45.6				40.4	60.0	51.4	48.5				52.5	48.5	$9,577	$635	$8,942
Morton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7006 Marshall Ave	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7336	476	30	15.6	68.1%	45 (9.5%)	176 (37.0%)	235 (49.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	12.4	903^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	10.6%		12.6	887^th of 1016 public elementary schools	12.7%	16	9.4	16.7	21.7	12.1			14.8	9.4	9.2	26.1	10.3			13.7	17.4	$11,989	$1,868	$10,121
Warren G Harding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3211 165th St	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7351	684	43	15.8	77.2%	109 (15.9%)	223 (32.6%)	311 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	26.1	759^th of 1010 public elementary schools	24.9%		29.1	737^th of 1016 public elementary schools	27.5%	22	23.4	25.6	20.7	24.1			23.5	26.3	31.4	35.4	19.5			28.1	25.6	$11,963	$1,968	$9,995
Southridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	9221 Johnston St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5650	398	20	19.9	42.7%	237 (59.5%)	20 (5.0%)	126 (31.7%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	54.8	470^th of 1010 public elementary schools	53.5%		61.7	396^th of 1016 public elementary schools	61.0%	74	39.0	37.5	33.8				36.8	61.0	47.2	43.7				50.9	33.8	$9,083	$469	$8,613
Mildred Merkley Elementary School	Public	K-5	9340 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5640	265	15	17.6	46.8%	133 (50.2%)	26 (9.8%)	94 (35.5%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	64.4	361^st of 1010 public elementary schools	64.3%		57.1	457^th of 1016 public elementary schools	55.0%	96	39.2	40.4	52.0				43.9	60.8	57.5	42.9				53.7	37.5	$10,375	$536	$9,839
Aspire Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	4900 W 15th Ave	Gary	46406	Lake County	Aspire Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 944-7400	666			98.3%	3 (0.5%)	532 (79.9%)	53 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (11.7%)	33.8	684^th of 1010 public elementary schools	32.3%		23.9	784^th of 1016 public elementary schools	22.8%	100	26.1	34.2	46.2	33.8	17.2	28.8	31.2	33.3	23.1	27.0	17.8	7.8	12.1	20.3	26.6	$14,719	$2,623	$12,096
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6940 Northcote Ave	Hammond	46324	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7353	439	28	15.4	76.8%	65 (14.8%)	148 (33.7%)	195 (44.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.1%)	19.7	818^th of 1010 public elementary schools	19.0%		17.4	845^th of 1016 public elementary schools	16.8%	27	16.4	23.4	30.0	6.7			19.5	29.9	25.0	32.0	4.4			23.9	20.0	$13,828	$1,872	$11,956
Ernest R Elliott Elementary School	Public	K-5	8718 White Oak Ave	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 838-5250	472	27	17.8	25.2%	257 (54.4%)	19 (4.0%)	156 (33.1%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.5%)	86.5	109^th of 1010 public elementary schools	89.2%		93.3	41^st of 1016 public elementary schools	96.0%	68	52.4	64.6	64.0				60.5	66.7	70.7	57.0				64.3	55.0	$9,837	$921	$8,916
Frank O'Bannon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1317 173rd St	Hammond	46324	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7360	544	38	14.4	77.9%	70 (12.9%)	292 (53.7%)	161 (29.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.5%)	13.2	900^th of 1010 public elementary schools	10.9%		11.7	899^th of 1016 public elementary schools	11.5%	1	10.8	10.0	14.8	28.8			16.0	10.9	14.3	18.3	10.6			13.5	18.0	$12,749	$2,434	$10,315

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph Hess Elementary School

What district is Joseph Hess Elementary School in?

School City of Hammond

How many students attend Joseph Hess Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 688 students attended Joseph Hess Elementary School.

Is Joseph Hess Elementary School a good school?

Joseph Hess Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.5% of Indiana elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Joseph Hess Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Joseph Hess Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Charles N Scott Middle School
High : Morton Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Joseph Hess Elementary School?

Students at Joseph Hess Elementary School are 42% Hispanic, 40% African American, 14% White, 5% Two or more races.

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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.