River Forest Middle School

Summary:

River Forest Middle School is a public middle school in Hobart, Indiana, serving 379 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the River Forest Community School Corporation, which is ranked 300 out of 381 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

River Forest Middle School faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools. It has a much higher percentage of Hispanic students (42.48%) and an extremely high rate of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.87% to 87.07% over the past three years. This is in stark contrast to schools like Union Township Middle School, which has a majority white student population and a free/reduced lunch rate of only 30.25%. River Forest Middle School also consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Indiana middle schools, with proficiency rates in ILEARN English Language Arts and Math well below the state averages and the performance of nearby schools.

The school's challenges extend beyond academics, with a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 10.7% to 17.5% over the past three years, compared to the 4.2% rate at Union Township Middle School. This, combined with the school's high poverty rate, suggests that River Forest Middle School serves a predominantly disadvantaged population, raising concerns about equity and access to quality education in the region.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3300 Indiana St
Hobart, IN 46342

(219) 962-7551

District: River Forest Community School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
400^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,369

Students who attend River Forest Middle School usually attend:

High:

River Forest High School

Feeder schools for River Forest Middle School:

Elementary:	Henry S Evans Elementary School
	John I Meister Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 379

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.5%

White:

35.9%

African American:

13.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.1%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare River Forest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details River Forest Middle School ranks worse than 82.5% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.56. (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 River Forest Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (42.5%), White (35.9%), African American (13.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 87.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at River Forest Middle School is 16.8. (See more...)

Compare River Forest Middle School employs 22.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at River Forest Middle School is $8,369.

Schooldigger Rankings:

River Forest Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks River Forest Middle School 400^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See River Forest Middle School in the ranking list.)

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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Your rating for River Forest Middle School?

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Rank History for River Forest Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2009	46.56	272^nd	423	35.7%
2010	33.90	337^th	428	21.3%
2011	60.42	199^th	451	55.9%
2012	33.19	354^th	447	20.8%
2014	61.89	202^nd	470	57.0%
2015	34.94	361^st	485	25.6%
2016	25.68	405^th	494	18.0%
2017	19.72	397^th	472	15.9%
2018	25.91	383^rd	473	19.0%
2019	17.55	404^th	470	14.0%
2021	22.52	372^nd	483	23.0%
2022	23.20	375^th	490	23.5%
2023	19.75	393^rd	489	19.6%
2024	17.56	400^th	485	17.5%

See the entire list of Indiana Middle 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 River Forest Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	294	0	0	52	0	n/a	n/a	0	346
1989	268	0	1	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	318
1990	265	1	0	59	3	n/a	n/a	0	328
1991	254	0	0	67	1	n/a	n/a	0	322
1992	246	1	0	52	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
1993	208	1	0	50	3	n/a	n/a	0	262
1994	180	0	0	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	221
1995	155	0	0	43	3	n/a	n/a	3	204
1996	155	0	0	43	3	n/a	n/a	3	204
1997	159	0	0	39	2	n/a	n/a	1	201
1998	175	1	0	57	2	n/a	n/a	0	235
1999	172	0	0	68	3	n/a	n/a	0	243
2000	146	1	0	72	1	n/a	n/a	0	220
2001	154	1	0	63	4	n/a	n/a	0	222
2002	151	2	0	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	222
2003	151	2	0	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	222
2004	161	5	0	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	242
2005	168	6	0	75	1	n/a	n/a	0	250
2006	122	11	0	102	0	n/a	n/a	0	235
2007	118	11	0	96	0	n/a	n/a	12	237
2008	174	10	0	117	8	n/a	n/a	12	321
2009	167	6	1	109	2	n/a	n/a	24	309
2010	173	7	1	128	1	n/a	n/a	36	346
2011	171	9	0	147	1	1	15	0	344
2012	164	16	0	155	2	0	27	0	364
2013	166	16	0	140	2	0	33	0	357
2014	144	12	0	143	1	0	21	0	321
2015	123	12	1	85	1	0	10	0	232
2016	166	30	1	141	1	0	16	0	355
2017	176	35	1	139	2	0	22	0	375
2018	174	37	0	151	2	0	27	0	391
2019	143	43	2	164	3	0	27	0	382
2020	141	34	3	175	0	0	25	0	378
2021	139	34	3	184	2	0	28	0	390
2022	139	35	4	184	2	1	29	0	394
2023	136	51	2	161	2	1	26	0	379

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 River Forest Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	346	17.0	20.3	10.4
1989	318	16.0	19.8	36.5
1990	328	15.4	21.2	30.2
1991	322	15.5	20.7	37.3
1992	299	15.4	19.4	33.8
1993	262	13.1	20.0	37.8
1994	221	11.8	18.7	38.5
1995	204	12.0	17.0	42.3
1996	204	12.0	17.0	42.3
1997	201	12.3	16.3	40.5
1998	235	12.6	18.7	47.2
1999	243	12.3	19.8	60.1
2000	220	12.5	17.6	52.7
2001	222	12.0	18.5	64
2002	222	11.1	20.0	78.4
2003	222	11.1	20.0	78.4
2004	242	11.3	21.4	80.6
2005	250	10.7	23.4	76
2006	235	11.1	21.2	78.7
2007	237	n/a	n/a	76.4
2008	321	16.6	19.3	75.4
2009	309	18.1	17.1	87.4
2010	346	18.0	19.1	90
2011	344	18.1	18.9	78.8
2012	364	n/a	n/a	82.7
2013	357	28.0	12.7	82.4
2014	321	21.5	14.9	76.6
2015	232	17.0	13.6	84.5
2016	355	23.0	15.4	80
2017	375	27.5	13.6	81.1
2018	391	28.0	13.9	71.9
2019	382	28.0	13.6	77
2020	378	26.0	14.5	82
2021	390	27.0	14.4	74.4
2022	394	27.5	14.3	57.9
2023	379	22.5	16.8	87.1

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 River Forest Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	346	17.0	20.3	10.4
1989	318	16.0	19.8	36.5
1990	328	15.4	21.2	30.2
1991	322	15.5	20.7	37.3
1992	299	15.4	19.4	33.8
1993	262	13.1	20.0	37.8
1994	221	11.8	18.7	38.5
1995	204	12.0	17.0	42.3
1996	204	12.0	17.0	42.3
1997	201	12.3	16.3	40.5
1998	235	12.6	18.7	47.2
1999	243	12.3	19.8	60.1
2000	220	12.5	17.6	52.7
2001	222	12.0	18.5	64
2002	222	11.1	20.0	78.4
2003	222	11.1	20.0	78.4
2004	242	11.3	21.4	80.6
2005	250	10.7	23.4	76
2006	235	11.1	21.2	78.7
2007	237	n/a	n/a	76.4
2008	321	16.6	19.3	75.4
2009	309	18.1	17.1	87.4
2010	346	18.0	19.1	90
2011	344	18.1	18.9	78.8
2012	364	n/a	n/a	82.7
2013	357	28.0	12.7	82.4
2014	321	21.5	14.9	76.6
2015	232	17.0	13.6	84.5
2016	355	23.0	15.4	80
2017	375	27.5	13.6	81.1
2018	391	28.0	13.9	71.9
2019	382	28.0	13.6	77
2020	378	26.0	14.5	82
2021	390	27.0	14.4	74.4
2022	394	27.5	14.3	57.9
2023	379	22.5	16.8	87.1

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 River Forest Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$316 (4.3%)	$6,961 (95.7%)	$7,277
2020	$326 (4.0%)	$7,737 (95.9%)	$8,064
2021	$476 (5.8%)	$7,672 (94.2%)	$8,148
2022	$453 (5.4%)	$7,916 (94.6%)	$8,369

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on River Forest Middle 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 404^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 393^rd of 489 Middle schools	5.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Middle School)	28	25	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Community School Corp)	28	25	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (River Forest Middle School)	29	14.8	14.2%
6th Grade Math (River Forest Community School Corp)	29	14.8	14.2%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (River Forest Middle School)	32.7	21.3	11.4%
6th Grade Science (River Forest Community School Corp)	32.7	21.3	11.4%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Middle School)	26.2	21.1	5.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Community School Corp)	26.2	21.1	5.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (River Forest Middle School)	23.3	11.4	11.9%
7th Grade Math (River Forest Community School Corp)	23.3	11.4	11.9%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Middle School)	22.7	20.8	1.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (River Forest Community School Corp)	22.7	20.8	1.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (River Forest Middle School)	18.6	9.9	8.7%
8th Grade Math (River Forest Community School Corp)	18.6	9.9	8.7%
8th Grade Math (Indiana)	38	31.4	6.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	382	379	0.8%
African American	43	51	18.6%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	164	161	1.8%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	143	136	4.9%
Two or More Races	27	26	3.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77%	87.1%	10.1%

Schools Near River Forest Middle 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)	ILEARN Biology (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 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 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
River Forest Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 Indiana St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-7551	379	23	16.8	87.1%	136 (35.9%)	51 (13.5%)	161 (42.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (6.9%)	17.6	400^th of 485 public middle schools	17.5%		19.8	393^rd of 489 public middle schools	19.6%	7		23.4	20.8	24.4	22.9		10.8	9.9	6.5	9.0			$8,369	$453	$7,916
Hobart Middle School	Public	6-8	36 E 8th St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	No	(219) 942-8541	917	49	18.9	53.7%	546 (59.5%)	78 (8.5%)	239 (26.1%)	14 (1.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (4.0%)	60.3	184^th of 485 public middle schools	62.1%		56.9	207^th of 489 public middle schools	57.7%	23		41.7	43.0	43.9	42.9		41.8	29.1	26.2	32.5		60.7	$10,636	$916	$9,720
Bailly Middle School	Public	6-8	4621 Georgia St	Gary	46409	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-6326	383	30	12.7	85.1%	5 (1.3%)	337 (88.0%)	29 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	9.9	448^th of 485 public middle schools	7.6%		7.4	470^th of 489 public middle schools	3.9%	22		15.7	16.9	14.7	15.7		6.1	3.4	1.8	3.9			$16,955	$5,209	$11,746
William Fegely Middle School	Public	6-8	5384 Stone Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8150	633	41	15.6	66.2%	283 (44.7%)	111 (17.5%)	188 (29.7%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.1%)	36.8	317^th of 485 public middle schools	34.6%		38.9	304^th of 489 public middle schools	37.8%	13		32.0	29.5	30.3	30.6		15.2	27.9	24.1	22.2		62.5	$11,068	$915	$10,153
Gary Middle School	Public	6-8	301 Parke St	Gary	46403	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 321-8547	326	21	15.5	89.3%	2 (0.6%)	295 (90.5%)	17 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	7.3	470^th of 485 public middle schools	3.1%		5.6	480^th of 489 public middle schools	1.8%	10		12.6	10.9	14.0	12.5		2.5	0.0	0.0	1.0			$18,213	$5,210	$13,003
Merrillville Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1400 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5306	855	60	14.3	71.3%	79 (9.2%)	549 (64.2%)	173 (20.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	49 (5.7%)								(n/a)	25.6	28.5			27.2	31.3	26.5			28.8	24.2		$9,473	$1,287	$8,186
Willowcreek Middle School	Public	6-8	5962 Central Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8090	949	62	15.4	59.0%	483 (50.9%)	148 (15.6%)	266 (28.0%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (5.0%)	41.6	290^th of 485 public middle schools	40.2%		42.8	271^st of 489 public middle schools	44.6%	19		27.1	31.3	37.5	32.1		25.8	25.9	25.9	25.9		74.4	$10,764	$898	$9,866
Lake Ridge New Technical Middle School	Public	5-8	3601 W 41st Ave	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-0730	476	27	17.9	91.8%	153 (32.1%)	165 (34.7%)	119 (25.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.4%)	7.6	469^th of 485 public middle schools	3.3%		11.8	439^th of 489 public middle schools	10.2%	30	13.8	12.0	10.4	11.1	11.8	9.6	2.9	4.7	1.7	4.5	5.3		$12,639	$2,884	$9,755
Pierce Middle School	Public	7-8	199 E 70th Pl	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5308	919	63	14.5	70.1%	66 (7.2%)	617 (67.1%)	172 (18.7%)	9 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.0%)	27.8	354^th of 485 public middle schools	27.0%		28.8	349^th of 489 public middle schools	28.6%	5			27.8	32.5	30.2			11.0	14.5	12.8			$10,395	$1,172	$9,223
Union Township Middle School	Public	6-8	599 W 300 N	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Union Township School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 759-2562	324	24	13.5	30.2%	270 (83.3%)	6 (1.9%)	37 (11.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	94.7	19^th of 485 public middle schools	96.1%		86.2	54^th of 489 public middle schools	89.0%	35		64.6	72.6	73.3	70.0		51.8	62.8	61.0	58.3			$10,046	$235	$9,811

Frequently Asked Questions about River Forest Middle School

What high school do graduates of River Forest Middle School attend?

Students who attend River Forest Middle School usually go on to attend River Forest High School

How many students attend River Forest Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 379 students attended River Forest Middle School.

Is River Forest Middle School a good school?

River Forest Middle School ranks in the bottom 17.5% of Indiana middle schools.

What district is River Forest Middle School in?

River Forest Community School Corp

What is the racial makeup of River Forest Middle School?

Students at River Forest Middle School are 42% Hispanic, 36% White, 13% African American, 7% 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.