John I Meister Elementary School

Q: Is John I Meister Elementary School a good school?

John I Meister Elementary School ranks 711 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

John I Meister Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hobart, Indiana, serving 346 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the River Forest Community School Corp district, which is ranked 300 out of 381 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John I Meister Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (45.66%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 21.43% to 53.14% Hispanic. The school has also experienced a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 14.4% in 2020-2021 to 26.3% in 2022-2023, notably higher than the 14.5% to 31.8% range of nearby schools. Academically, John I Meister's test scores are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 25.99% of students proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts in 2023-2024, compared to the district average of 24.75% and the state average of 38.6-41.8%.

John I Meister's performance has declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 217 out of 1,036 Indiana elementary schools in 2013-2014 (4-star rating) to 711 out of 1,010 in 2023-2024 (1-star rating). This trend is concerning, and the school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 56.65% to 87.28% over the past three years, suggests that socioeconomic factors may be playing a significant role in the school's academic challenges. Addressing the root causes of the school's increasing chronic absenteeism should also be a priority for the school and district.

Detail:

Public K-5

3300 Jay St
Hobart, IN 46342

(219) 962-1103

District: River Forest Community School Corp

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,716

Students who attend John I Meister Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	River Forest Middle School
High:	River Forest High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 346

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.7%

White:

35.0%

Two or more races:

9.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.3%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare John I Meister Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John I Meister Elementary School ranks worse than 70.4% of elementary schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.79. (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: Hispanic (45.7%), White (35%), two or more races (9.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John I Meister Elementary School is 14.1. (See more...)

Compare John I Meister Elementary School employs 24.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John I Meister Elementary School is $10,716.

Schooldigger Rankings:

John I Meister Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

River Forest Community School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks River Forest Community School Corp 299^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for John I Meister Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	31.95	267^th	326	18.1%
2005	22.23	835^th	959	12.9%
2006	56.26	466^th	961	51.5%
2007	32.82	762^nd	985	22.6%
2008	43.87	670^th	996	32.7%
2009	48.39	620^th	1003	38.2%
2010	69.99	302^nd	1009	70.1%
2011	58.23	499^th	1025	51.3%
2012	56.12	520^th	1015	48.8%
2013	66.84	362^nd	1035	65.0%
2014	74.11	217^th	1036	79.1%
2015	68.90	317^th	1040	69.5%
2016	37.33	755^th	1046	27.8%
2017	51.72	574^th	1033	44.4%
2018	47.11	628^th	1027	38.9%
2019	57.14	467^th	1031	54.7%
2021	26.99	766^th	1016	24.6%
2022	32.23	728^th	1020	28.6%
2023	39.51	640^th	1016	37.0%
2024	31.79	711^th	1010	29.6%

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

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for John I Meister Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	273	0	3	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
1989	282	0	2	45	1	n/a	n/a	0	330
1990	263	0	3	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
1991	246	0	4	38	2	n/a	n/a	0	290
1992	249	0	3	26	3	n/a	n/a	0	281
1993	201	0	3	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	238
1994	208	0	2	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	256
1995	221	0	1	36	5	n/a	n/a	2	265
1996	221	0	1	36	5	n/a	n/a	2	265
1997	222	0	1	41	2	n/a	n/a	1	267
1998	238	1	0	55	5	n/a	n/a	0	299
1999	230	2	0	66	5	n/a	n/a	0	303
2000	238	1	0	72	5	n/a	n/a	0	316
2001	239	3	2	59	4	n/a	n/a	0	307
2002	193	10	4	69	2	n/a	n/a	0	278
2003	193	10	4	69	2	n/a	n/a	0	278
2004	202	5	2	78	1	n/a	n/a	0	288
2005	207	4	2	79	0	n/a	n/a	0	292
2006	188	4	2	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
2007	187	9	3	86	1	n/a	n/a	7	293
2008	148	9	4	85	2	n/a	n/a	4	252
2009	163	3	1	85	3	n/a	n/a	31	286
2010	145	5	2	83	2	n/a	n/a	31	268
2011	138	9	0	116	1	0	8	0	272
2012	122	8	0	106	2	0	8	0	246
2013	108	9	1	114	1	0	6	0	239
2014	117	9	3	102	1	0	7	0	239
2015	109	12	3	115	2	0	12	0	253
2016	138	23	5	163	4	0	22	0	355
2017	146	25	4	168	2	0	18	0	363
2018	146	21	5	171	2	1	21	0	367
2019	140	24	4	157	2	1	19	0	347
2020	129	23	3	157	2	1	19	0	334
2021	119	17	4	168	1	1	23	0	333
2022	118	19	2	175	1	1	30	0	346
2023	121	30	2	158	0	1	34	0	346

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 John I Meister Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	311	15.8	19.6	7.1
1989	330	15.8	20.8	19.7
1990	306	16.0	19.1	18
1991	290	16.0	18.1	22.8
1992	281	15.3	18.3	26.7
1993	238	13.6	17.5	26.5
1994	256	13.2	19.4	43.4
1995	265	14.7	18.0	35.4
1996	265	14.7	18.0	35.4
1997	267	14.3	18.7	35.7
1998	299	15.3	19.5	36.1
1999	303	15.6	19.4	39.6
2000	316	16.6	19.0	45.3
2001	307	15.6	19.7	50.5
2002	278	16.7	16.6	58.3
2003	278	16.7	16.6	58.3
2004	288	16.0	18.0	63.2
2005	292	16.0	18.3	60.6
2006	275	16.0	17.2	65.1
2007	293	n/a	n/a	67.1
2008	252	13.0	19.4	70.6
2009	286	15.0	19.1	80
2010	268	15.0	17.8	89.5
2011	272	13.8	19.6	81.6
2012	246	15.0	16.4	80.9
2013	239	11.0	21.7	76.6
2014	239	11.0	21.7	71.5
2015	253	11.0	23.0	80.6
2016	355	14.0	25.3	76.9
2017	363	15.0	24.2	76.9
2018	367	19.0	19.3	79
2019	347	17.0	20.3	74.9
2020	334	21.0	15.9	79
2021	333	21.0	15.8	73.6
2022	346	22.5	15.3	56.6
2023	346	24.5	14.1	87.3

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 John I Meister Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	311	15.8	19.6	7.1
1989	330	15.8	20.8	19.7
1990	306	16.0	19.1	18
1991	290	16.0	18.1	22.8
1992	281	15.3	18.3	26.7
1993	238	13.6	17.5	26.5
1994	256	13.2	19.4	43.4
1995	265	14.7	18.0	35.4
1996	265	14.7	18.0	35.4
1997	267	14.3	18.7	35.7
1998	299	15.3	19.5	36.1
1999	303	15.6	19.4	39.6
2000	316	16.6	19.0	45.3
2001	307	15.6	19.7	50.5
2002	278	16.7	16.6	58.3
2003	278	16.7	16.6	58.3
2004	288	16.0	18.0	63.2
2005	292	16.0	18.3	60.6
2006	275	16.0	17.2	65.1
2007	293	n/a	n/a	67.1
2008	252	13.0	19.4	70.6
2009	286	15.0	19.1	80
2010	268	15.0	17.8	89.5
2011	272	13.8	19.6	81.6
2012	246	15.0	16.4	80.9
2013	239	11.0	21.7	76.6
2014	239	11.0	21.7	71.5
2015	253	11.0	23.0	80.6
2016	355	14.0	25.3	76.9
2017	363	15.0	24.2	76.9
2018	367	19.0	19.3	79
2019	347	17.0	20.3	74.9
2020	334	21.0	15.9	79
2021	333	21.0	15.8	73.6
2022	346	22.5	15.3	56.6
2023	346	24.5	14.1	87.3

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 John I Meister Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$536 (5.7%)	$8,822 (94.3%)	$9,357
2020	$844 (8.5%)	$9,037 (91.5%)	$9,881
2021	$775 (7.8%)	$9,129 (92.2%)	$9,904
2022	$1,281 (12.0%)	$9,434 (88.0%)	$10,716

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John I Meister 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 467^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 640^th of 1016 Elementary schools	17.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (John I Meister Elementary School)	43.9	22.2	21.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Community School Corp)	37.1	22.9	14.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (John I Meister Elementary School)	56.1	29.6	26.5%
3rd Grade Math (River Forest Community School Corp)	50.5	31.1	19.4%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (John I Meister Elementary School)	58.9	52.6	6.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Community School Corp)	51.9	49.5	2.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (John I Meister Elementary School)	55.4	54.4	1%
4th Grade Math (River Forest Community School Corp)	55.6	47.7	7.9%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (John I Meister Elementary School)	50	42.1	7.9%
4th Grade Science (River Forest Community School Corp)	46.3	35.5	10.8%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (John I Meister Elementary School)	50.7	25	25.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Community School Corp)	42.6	21.6	21%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (John I Meister Elementary School)	55.2	19.2	36%
5th Grade Math (River Forest Community School Corp)	45.6	16.2	29.4%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (John I Meister Elementary School)	31.3	13.5	17.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (River Forest Community School Corp)	25.7	15.3	10.4%
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	347	346	0.3%
African American	24	30	25%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	4	2	50%
Hispanic	157	158	0.6%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	140	121	13.6%
Two or More Races	19	34	78.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74.9%	87.3%	12.4%

Schools Near John I Meister 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
John I Meister Elementary School	Public	K-5	3300 Jay St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1103	346	25	14.1	87.3%	121 (35.0%)	30 (8.7%)	158 (45.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	34 (9.8%)	31.8	711^th of 1010 public elementary schools	29.6%		39.5	640^th of 1016 public elementary schools	37.0%	71	17.8	13.0	52.0				26.0	23.3	5.7	54.0				26.7	32.7	$10,716	$1,281	$9,434
Alexander Hamilton Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 Lake St	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	Lake Station Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1824	239	17	13.7	87.0%	82 (34.3%)	21 (8.8%)	127 (53.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.8%)	29.6	732^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	27.5%		39.3	642^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	36.8%	90	30.3	8.3	39.1				27.0	30.3	22.2	21.7				24.4	32.6	$11,695	$2,024	$9,670
Early Learning Center-George Earle	Public	PK-K	400 N Wilson St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-7263	307	14	21.9	57.0%	167 (54.4%)	32 (10.4%)	90 (29.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)								(n/a)																$9,923	$1,068	$8,855
Liberty Elementary School	Public	1-5	130 N Liberty St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-4251	423	23	18.8	50.1%	262 (61.9%)	50 (11.8%)	94 (22.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	62.7	379^th of 1010 public elementary schools	62.5%		71.7	279^th of 1016 public elementary schools	72.5%	100	36.6	38.6	42.7				39.2	61.3	64.8	47.6				58.2	35.4	$10,284	$1,345	$8,940
Veterans Elementary School at Mundell	Public	1-5	52 North Wisconsin St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-5614	560	26	21.5	61.3%	355 (63.4%)	44 (7.9%)	120 (21.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.6%)	54.1	480^th of 1010 public elementary schools	52.5%		52.9	506^th of 1016 public elementary schools	50.2%	26	30.9	39.9	46.0				39.0	44.6	48.1	41.8				45.0	40.9	$9,486	$1,336	$8,150
Virgil I Bailey Elementary School	Public	K-5	2100 Union St	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	Lake Station Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1302	270	19	13.9	84.1%	99 (36.7%)	22 (8.1%)	119 (44.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.7%)	16.2	858^th of 1010 public elementary schools	15.0%		18.5	830^th of 1016 public elementary schools	18.3%	28	18.4	13.5	19.2				17.3	36.7	18.9	21.3				26.3	10.6	$11,306	$1,666	$9,639
Henry S Evans Elementary School	Public	K-5	2915 E 35th Ave	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1608	389	23	17.2	88.7%	144 (37.0%)	46 (11.8%)	169 (43.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.2%)	23.5	777^th of 1010 public elementary schools	23.1%		28.4	745^th of 1016 public elementary schools	26.7%	32	16.0	42.3	24.1				27.6	16.0	30.8	25.9				24.4	11.1	$11,013	$1,597	$9,417
Joan Martin Elementary School	Public	1-5	301 E 10th St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 947-7869	501	24	20.8	45.3%	315 (62.9%)	34 (6.8%)	130 (25.9%)	7 (1.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.6%)	59.8	415^th of 1010 public elementary schools	58.9%		68.5	318^th of 1016 public elementary schools	68.7%	97	40.7	52.0	35.0				42.6	52.3	55.1	41.0				49.3	37.0	$10,167	$962	$9,205
Charter School of the Dunes	Public, Charter	K-8	7300 East Melton Rd	Gary	46403	Lake County	Charter School of the Dunes	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 939-9690	684	38	18.0	97.1%	8 (1.2%)	614 (89.8%)	21 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.3%)	5.7	991^st of 1010 public elementary schools	1.9%		5.7	991^st of 1016 public elementary schools	2.5%		3.7	11.1	9.2	11.1	23.5	22.2	13.7	13.6	4.8	4.7	3.3	3.7	4.2	6.0	7.7	$9,995	$1,936	$8,059
George L Myers Elementary School	Public	K-5	3100 Willowdale	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8035	331	18	18.9	57.4%	178 (53.8%)	25 (7.6%)	99 (29.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (8.5%)	32.7	697^th of 1010 public elementary schools	31.0%		33.4	694^th of 1016 public elementary schools	31.7%	3	30.0	46.8	30.0				35.0	25.5	48.9	16.7				29.1	15.0	$11,230	$1,346	$9,885

Frequently Asked Questions about John I Meister Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of John I Meister Elementary School?

Students at John I Meister Elementary School are 46% Hispanic, 35% White, 10% Two or more races, 9% African American.

What schools do graduates of John I Meister Elementary School attend?

Students who attend John I Meister Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : River Forest Middle School
High : River Forest High School

Is John I Meister Elementary School a good school?

John I Meister Elementary School ranks 711^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is John I Meister Elementary School in?

River Forest Community School Corp

How many students attend John I Meister Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 346 students attended John I Meister Elementary School.

Rate John I Meister 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.