James A Garfield School 31

Summary:

James A Garfield School 31 is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Indianapolis, IN, part of the Indianapolis Public Schools district. The school has a diverse student population, with 41.5% White, 25.69% African American, and 24.9% Hispanic students.

James A Garfield School 31 faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 26.8% to 39.2% over the past 3 years, significantly higher than nearby schools like William McKinley School 39 and Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle. The school also has consistently low test scores, with only 20.57% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 19.15% in Math, compared to the Indianapolis Public Schools district averages of 20.72% and 19.27%, respectively. As a result, James A Garfield School 31 has been ranked in the bottom 20% of Indiana elementary schools for the past 10 years.

While James A Garfield School 31 faces these challenges, the nearby schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools district also struggle with similar issues, indicating a broader systemic problem within the district. The school has seen a significant increase in spending per student, from $13,124 in 2018-2019 to $20,692 in 2020-2021, but this increased funding has not translated into improved academic outcomes. The school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.9 to 12 students per teacher, suggests that the challenges it faces are likely more complex and systemic in nature.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 307 Lincoln St
       Indianapolis, IN  46225


(317) 226-4231

District: Indianapolis Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
783rd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $19,717 Help


Students who attend James A Garfield School 31 usually attend:

High:    Arsenal Technical High School
    Crispus Attucks High School
    George Washington High School
    Purdue Polytechnic High School Ind
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  12.0 Help
Number of students:  253

Racial breakdown:

White:
41.5%
African American:
25.7%
Hispanic:
24.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.9% Help


 See top rated Indiana elementary schools

 Compare James A Garfield School 31 to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details James A Garfield School 31 ranks worse than 77.5% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 11th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.8. (See more...)
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Compare Details James A Garfield School 31 ranks worse than 90.7% of middle schools in Indiana. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.98. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Student population at James A Garfield School 31 is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (41.5%), African American (25.7%), Hispanic (24.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 77.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James A Garfield School 31 is 12, which is the 5th best among 34 elementary schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare James A Garfield School 31 employs 21 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at James A Garfield School 31 is $19,717, which is the highest among 34 elementary schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools District!
Schooldigger Rankings:

James A Garfield School 31 was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks James A Garfield School 31 440th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See James A Garfield School 31 in the ranking list.)

Indianapolis Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Indianapolis Public Schools 290th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for James A Garfield School 31?

Rank History for James A Garfield School 31

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 28.34 780th 959 18.7%
2006 46.42 599th 961 37.7%
2007 27.61 798th 985 19.0%
2008 18.47 884th 996 11.2%
2009 23.11 835th 1003 16.7%
2010 3.65 990th 1009 1.9%
2011 4.71 990th 1025 3.4%
2012 14.21 926th 1015 8.8%
2013 11.57 968th 1035 6.5%
2014 11.61 966th 1036 6.8%
2015 6.70 988th 1040 5.0%
2016 15.00 929th 1046 11.2%
2017 17.37 894th 1033 13.5%
2018 13.24 911th 1027 11.3%
2019 15.15 898th 1031 12.9%
2021 15.06 855th 1016 15.8%
2022 24.14 786th 1020 22.9%
2023 25.49 771st 1016 24.1%
2024 22.80 783rd 1010 22.5%
See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for James A Garfield School 31

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools IN State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 22.94 363rd 423 14.2%
2010 8.26 410th 428 4.2%
2011 9.51 426th 451 5.5%
2012 1.29 441st 447 1.3%
2013 11.73 411th 444 7.4%
2014 14.97 422nd 470 10.2%
2015 15.89 420th 485 13.4%
2016 9.47 453rd 494 8.3%
2017 4.38 451st 472 4.4%
2018 8.32 442nd 473 6.6%
2019 7.08 444th 470 5.5%
2021 9.17 442nd 483 8.5%
2022 11.02 440th 490 10.2%
2023 8.35 460th 489 5.9%
2024 10.98 440th 485 9.3%
See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

James A Garfield School 31 Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 









Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Open Quote Hi....I taught at Public School #31 from 1977 to 1979 after graduating from Purdue University. It has brought many wonderful memories to my life. I went on to teach for 28 more years in California, but being part of IPS was a great way to start my career in elementary educaton. I would love to visit your school as I will be visiting in July of 2011. A walk down the halls of a school that means so much to me would be an inspiriational reminder of my early days of teaching. Close Quote



Enrollment information for James A Garfield School 31

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 292 90 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 389
1989 298 52 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 350
1990 531 189 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 725
1991 548 187 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 737
1992 542 192 1 6 1 n/a n/a 0 742
1993 595 145 0 2 2 n/a n/a 0 744
1994 431 174 0 1 2 n/a n/a 0 608
1995 437 226 0 6 3 n/a n/a 1 673
1996 437 226 0 6 3 n/a n/a 1 673
1997 404 232 0 6 4 n/a n/a 4 650
1998 584 144 0 11 2 n/a n/a 0 741
1999 514 135 0 8 2 n/a n/a 0 659
2000 491 115 0 12 2 n/a n/a 0 620
2001 499 109 0 15 1 n/a n/a 0 624
2002 396 89 0 31 1 n/a n/a 0 517
2003 396 89 0 31 1 n/a n/a 0 517
2004 368 94 0 27 1 n/a n/a 0 490
2005 324 75 0 21 1 n/a n/a 0 421
2006 304 70 4 18 1 n/a n/a 0 397
2007 270 79 1 51 3 n/a n/a 14 418
2008 240 62 3 50 0 n/a n/a 9 364
2009 268 62 3 75 3 n/a n/a 25 436
2010 238 64 0 93 0 n/a n/a 33 428
2011 261 47 0 95 0 0 34 0 437
2012 262 57 0 101 0 0 27 0 447
2013 257 70 0 124 2 0 35 0 488
2014 306 106 2 151 0 0 50 0 615
2015 275 133 1 155 0 0 48 0 612
2016 274 89 1 135 1 0 35 0 535
2017 250 81 0 112 0 0 42 0 485
2018 193 77 0 94 0 0 38 0 402
2019 178 60 0 76 3 0 27 0 344
2020 169 57 0 80 0 0 31 0 337
2021 136 60 0 66 0 0 22 0 284
2022 111 60 0 62 0 0 22 0 255
2023 105 65 0 63 0 0 20 0 253

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 James A Garfield School 31

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 389 15.2 25.5 50.6
1989 350 15.2 23.0 50.9
1990 725 15.2 47.6 57
1991 737 39.4 18.7 59.2
1992 742 37.8 19.6 71.8
1993 744 38.8 19.2 71.9
1994 608 53.5 11.4 75.8
1995 673 36.7 18.3 82.7
1996 673 36.7 18.3 82.7
1997 650 36.6 17.8 75.5
1998 741 41.6 17.8 72.5
1999 659 35.8 18.4 85
2000 620 37.4 16.6 85.8
2001 624 35.4 17.6 91.3
2002 517 34.9 14.8 95.6
2003 517 34.9 14.8 95.6
2004 490 34.0 14.4 83.9
2005 421 32.0 13.2 87.9
2006 397 29.0 13.7 94.5
2007 418 n/a n/a 98.3
2008 364 32.4 11.2 93.8
2009 436 38.3 11.4 92.5
2010 428 36.6 11.6 90.1
2011 437 38.9 11.2 89
2012 447 33.0 13.5 89
2013 488 38.0 12.8 86.7
2014 615 60.0 10.2 88.3
2015 612 42.0 14.5 85.1
2016 535 38.0 14.0 84.1
2017 485 33.5 14.4 74.6
2018 402 31.3 12.8 83.3
2019 344 25.0 13.7 69.8
2020 337 47.0 7.1 77.4
2021 284 28.6 9.9 77.5
2022 255 24.0 10.6 77.3
2023 253 21.0 12.0 77.9

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 James A Garfield School 31

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 389 15.2 25.5 50.6
1989 350 15.2 23.0 50.9
1990 725 15.2 47.6 57
1991 737 39.4 18.7 59.2
1992 742 37.8 19.6 71.8
1993 744 38.8 19.2 71.9
1994 608 53.5 11.4 75.8
1995 673 36.7 18.3 82.7
1996 673 36.7 18.3 82.7
1997 650 36.6 17.8 75.5
1998 741 41.6 17.8 72.5
1999 659 35.8 18.4 85
2000 620 37.4 16.6 85.8
2001 624 35.4 17.6 91.3
2002 517 34.9 14.8 95.6
2003 517 34.9 14.8 95.6
2004 490 34.0 14.4 83.9
2005 421 32.0 13.2 87.9
2006 397 29.0 13.7 94.5
2007 418 n/a n/a 98.3
2008 364 32.4 11.2 93.8
2009 436 38.3 11.4 92.5
2010 428 36.6 11.6 90.1
2011 437 38.9 11.2 89
2012 447 33.0 13.5 89
2013 488 38.0 12.8 86.7
2014 615 60.0 10.2 88.3
2015 612 42.0 14.5 85.1
2016 535 38.0 14.0 84.1
2017 485 33.5 14.4 74.6
2018 402 31.3 12.8 83.3
2019 344 25.0 13.7 69.8
2020 337 47.0 7.1 77.4
2021 284 28.6 9.9 77.5
2022 255 24.0 10.6 77.3
2023 253 21.0 12.0 77.9

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 James A Garfield School 31

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,628 (12.4%) $11,496 (87.6%) $13,124
2020 $1,379 (8.5%) $14,917 (91.5%) $16,296
2021 $1,503 (7.3%) $19,189 (92.7%) $20,692
2022 $2,020 (10.2%) $17,697 (89.8%) $19,717

Data source: Indiana Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James A Garfield School 31

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 898th of 1031 Elementary schoolsRanks 771st of 1016 Elementary schools
 11.2%
Ranks 444th of 470 Middle schoolsRanks 460th of 489 Middle schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James A Garfield School 31)23.139.4
 16.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indianapolis Public Schools)19.421.5
 2.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)46.339.7
 6.6%
3rd Grade Math (James A Garfield School 31)38.560.6
 22.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Indianapolis Public Schools)28.730.6
 1.9%
   3rd Grade Math (Indiana)58.753.1
 5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (James A Garfield School 31)20.729
 8.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Indianapolis Public Schools)19.919.9
 0%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)45.840.3
 5.5%
4th Grade Math (James A Garfield School 31)37.932.3
 5.6%
   4th Grade Math (Indianapolis Public Schools)2525
 0%
   4th Grade Math (Indiana)5448.8
 5.2%
4th Grade Science (James A Garfield School 31)20.712.9
 7.8%
   4th Grade Science (Indianapolis Public Schools)18.116.2
 1.9%
   4th Grade Science (Indiana)46.337
 9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (James A Garfield School 31)26.817.9
 8.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Indianapolis Public Schools)2219.6
 2.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)47.540.2
 7.3%
5th Grade Math (James A Garfield School 31)36.618.5
 18.1%
   5th Grade Math (Indianapolis Public Schools)20.120.1
 0%
   5th Grade Math (Indiana)47.841.1
 6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (James A Garfield School 31)2214.3
 7.7%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Indianapolis Public Schools)16.915.2
 1.7%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)4639.1
 6.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (James A Garfield School 31)26.816.7
 10.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Indianapolis Public Schools)2223
 1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)47.840.8
 7%
6th Grade Math (James A Garfield School 31)12.26.7
 5.5%
   6th Grade Math (Indianapolis Public Schools)18.818.7
 0.1%
   6th Grade Math (Indiana)46.438.3
 8.1%
6th Grade Science (James A Garfield School 31)14.63.3
 11.3%
   6th Grade Science (Indianapolis Public Schools)1817.8
 0.2%
   6th Grade Science (Indiana)48.638.2
 10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (James A Garfield School 31)13.512.9
 0.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Indianapolis Public Schools)23.921.6
 2.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)49.739.5
 10.2%
7th Grade Math (James A Garfield School 31)10.83.2
 7.6%
   7th Grade Math (Indianapolis Public Schools)16.115.5
 0.6%
   7th Grade Math (Indiana)4232.9
 9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (James A Garfield School 31)14.79.7
 5%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Indianapolis Public Schools)27.428.6
 1.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)50.743.8
 6.9%
8th Grade Math (James A Garfield School 31)11.83.2
 8.6%
   8th Grade Math (Indianapolis Public Schools)1514.7
 0.3%
   8th Grade Math (Indiana)3831.4
 6.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students344253
 26.5%
African American6065
 8.3%
American Indian30
 100%
Asian00
Hispanic7663
 17.1%
Pacific Islander00
White178105
 41%
Two or More Races2720
 25.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients69.8%77.9%
 8.1%


Schools Near James A Garfield School 31









Frequently Asked Questions about James A Garfield School 31

James A Garfield School 31 ranks in the bottom 22.5% of Indiana elementary schools.

Students at James A Garfield School 31 are 42% White, 26% African American, 25% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 253 students attended James A Garfield School 31.


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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.





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