James H Watson Elementary School

Q: Is James H Watson Elementary School a good school?

James H Watson Elementary School ranks 203 rd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

James H Watson Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 656 students in grades PK-4 in Schererville, Indiana, which is part of the highly-ranked Lake Central School Corporation.

James H Watson Elementary consistently outperforms state and district averages on ILEARN tests, with 55.4% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 59.62% in Math, compared to the Lake Central School Corporation averages of 54.27% and 49.89%, respectively. The school also has a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 10-20% of Indiana elementary schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, the school has relatively low chronic absenteeism rates and a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch compared to nearby schools, indicating a higher socioeconomic status of the student population.

When compared to other nearby schools in the Lake Central School Corporation, such as Protsman Elementary School, Beiriger Elementary School, and Allen J Warren Elementary School, James H Watson Elementary School generally outperforms its peers in academic metrics, making it a standout institution within the district and the state of Indiana.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

333 W 77th St
Schererville, IN 46375

(219) 322-1365

District: Lake Central School Corporation

SchoolDigger Rank:
203^rd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,495

Students who attend James H Watson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Michael Grimmer Middle School
High:	Lake Central High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 655

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.6%

Hispanic:

21.2%

African American:

11.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23.4%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare James H Watson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James H Watson Elementary School ranks better than 79.9% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 4^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Lake Central School Corporation District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.9. (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 James H Watson Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Lake Central School Corporation District. Racial makeup is: White (57.6%), Hispanic (21.2%), African American (11.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 23.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James H Watson Elementary School is 17.2, which is the highest among 6 elementary schools in the Lake Central School Corporation District! (See more...)

Compare James H Watson Elementary School employs 38 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James H Watson Elementary School is $9,495. 4 elementary schools in the Lake Central School Corporation District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

James H Watson Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Lake Central School Corporation:

SchoolDigger ranks Lake Central School Corporation 34^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for James H Watson Elementary School.

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Rank History for James H Watson Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	84.76	82^nd	959	91.4%
2006	85.84	73^rd	961	92.4%
2007	84.41	89^th	985	91.0%
2008	86.15	68^th	996	93.2%
2009	91.03	26^th	1003	97.4%
2010	89.33	32^nd	1009	96.8%
2011	81.78	103^rd	1025	90.0%
2012	83.17	95^th	1015	90.6%
2013	83.36	86^th	1035	91.7%
2014	75.89	188^th	1036	81.9%
2015	82.93	116^th	1040	88.8%
2016	89.33	38^th	1046	96.4%
2017	88.38	63^rd	1033	93.9%
2018	76.74	200^th	1027	80.5%
2019	84.02	121^st	1031	88.3%
2021	87.06	100^th	1016	90.2%
2022	84.06	130^th	1020	87.3%
2023	81.15	169^th	1016	83.4%
2024	77.90	203^rd	1010	79.9%

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:

by a parent
Friday, May 24, 2019

Watson is amazing school. The teachers take the time to help and educate each and every student. They give free tutoring before school twice a week. It's TRUE dedication! The principal is caring and compassionate toward the students and their family.
Truly the best school system. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, September 29, 2018

Watson School is consistently a good school year after with excellent teaching and a alert focused staff
Thank you for all you do for the children Close Quote

Enrollment information for James H Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	429	0	12	14	6	n/a	n/a	0	461
1989	532	0	4	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	558
1990	561	3	7	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	589
1991	611	4	5	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	641
1992	646	3	13	25	1	n/a	n/a	0	688
1993	502	1	10	17	4	n/a	n/a	0	534
1994	494	5	11	30	6	n/a	n/a	0	546
1995	424	7	16	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	474
1996	424	7	16	26	1	n/a	n/a	0	474
1997	492	7	22	35	2	n/a	n/a	0	558
1998	511	8	20	39	2	n/a	n/a	0	580
1999	522	6	11	47	5	n/a	n/a	0	591
2000	531	6	17	57	5	n/a	n/a	0	616
2001	537	7	18	49	6	n/a	n/a	0	617
2002	562	9	21	70	4	n/a	n/a	0	666
2003	562	9	21	70	4	n/a	n/a	0	666
2004	571	12	24	72	2	n/a	n/a	0	681
2005	589	11	25	74	5	n/a	n/a	0	704
2006	608	10	19	62	3	n/a	n/a	0	702
2007	589	17	21	76	6	n/a	n/a	36	745
2008	578	17	24	80	7	n/a	n/a	42	748
2009	477	17	12	62	7	n/a	n/a	33	608
2010	497	19	11	67	7	n/a	n/a	42	643
2011	494	17	12	91	9	0	25	0	648
2012	461	22	16	82	6	0	30	0	617
2013	406	24	13	81	3	0	32	0	559
2014	380	23	15	84	0	0	31	0	533
2015	358	21	12	83	0	0	24	0	498
2016	417	29	15	89	0	0	23	0	573
2017	423	23	16	97	0	3	27	0	589
2018	360	38	20	101	0	2	25	0	546
2019	331	34	18	106	0	2	27	0	518
2020	348	31	19	107	0	2	32	0	539
2021	319	40	14	119	0	1	30	0	523
2022	374	58	18	143	0	1	33	0	627
2023	397	59	18	148	0	0	34	0	656
2024	377	78	22	139	2	0	37	0	655

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 H Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	461	20.9	22.0	3.5
1989	558	24.4	22.8	3.6
1990	589	25.6	23.0	1.4
1991	641	31.0	20.6	1.6
1992	688	31.5	21.8	1.7
1993	534	27.5	19.4	6.4
1994	546	39.5	13.8	5.1
1995	474	26.0	18.2	6.1
1996	474	26.0	18.2	6.1
1997	558	26.5	21.1	4.8
1998	580	28.5	20.4	5.5
1999	591	29.5	20.0	4.6
2000	616	30.0	20.5	7.6
2001	617	30.5	20.2	8.8
2002	666	30.5	21.8	12
2003	666	30.5	21.8	12
2004	681	31.5	21.6	10.9
2005	704	32.2	21.9	10.4
2006	702	31.5	22.3	10.5
2007	745	n/a	n/a	11
2008	748	35.0	21.4	11.3
2009	608	32.0	19.0	14.1
2010	643	33.0	19.4	14.5
2011	648	31.2	20.7	14.5
2012	617	32.0	19.2	17.7
2013	559	28.5	19.6	19.7
2014	533	29.0	18.3	22
2015	498	27.0	18.4	19.7
2016	573	28.0	20.4	19.2
2017	589	28.0	21.0	19
2018	546	27.0	20.2	27.8
2019	518	26.0	19.9	22.8
2020	539	27.0	19.9	23.7
2021	523	49.0	10.6	22
2022	627	37.8	16.5	23
2023	656	38.8	16.8	24.4
2024	655	38.0	17.2	23.4

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 H Watson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	461	20.9	22.0	3.5
1989	558	24.4	22.8	3.6
1990	589	25.6	23.0	1.4
1991	641	31.0	20.6	1.6
1992	688	31.5	21.8	1.7
1993	534	27.5	19.4	6.4
1994	546	39.5	13.8	5.1
1995	474	26.0	18.2	6.1
1996	474	26.0	18.2	6.1
1997	558	26.5	21.1	4.8
1998	580	28.5	20.4	5.5
1999	591	29.5	20.0	4.6
2000	616	30.0	20.5	7.6
2001	617	30.5	20.2	8.8
2002	666	30.5	21.8	12
2003	666	30.5	21.8	12
2004	681	31.5	21.6	10.9
2005	704	32.2	21.9	10.4
2006	702	31.5	22.3	10.5
2007	745	n/a	n/a	11
2008	748	35.0	21.4	11.3
2009	608	32.0	19.0	14.1
2010	643	33.0	19.4	14.5
2011	648	31.2	20.7	14.5
2012	617	32.0	19.2	17.7
2013	559	28.5	19.6	19.7
2014	533	29.0	18.3	22
2015	498	27.0	18.4	19.7
2016	573	28.0	20.4	19.2
2017	589	28.0	21.0	19
2018	546	27.0	20.2	27.8
2019	518	26.0	19.9	22.8
2020	539	27.0	19.9	23.7
2021	523	49.0	10.6	22
2022	627	37.8	16.5	23
2023	656	38.8	16.8	24.4
2024	655	38.0	17.2	23.4

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 H Watson Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$453 (4.8%)	$8,902 (95.2%)	$9,355
2020	$423 (4.6%)	$8,862 (95.4%)	$9,285
2021	$519 (5.1%)	$9,637 (94.9%)	$10,156
2022	$483 (5.1%)	$9,012 (94.9%)	$9,495

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James H Watson 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 121^st of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 169^th of 1016 Elementary schools	4.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James H Watson Elementary School)	58.2	51	7.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lake Central School Corporation)	65.1	57.3	7.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (James H Watson Elementary School)	73.6	64	9.6%
3rd Grade Math (Lake Central School Corporation)	75.1	69.4	5.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (James H Watson Elementary School)	57.3	56.2	1.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lake Central School Corporation)	60.3	53.2	7.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (James H Watson Elementary School)	78.7	64	14.7%
4th Grade Math (Lake Central School Corporation)	75	64.7	10.3%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (James H Watson Elementary School)	78.7	57.3	21.4%
4th Grade Science (Lake Central School Corporation)	70.8	53.6	17.2%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	518	656	26.6%
African American	34	59	73.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	18	18
Hispanic	106	148	39.6%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	331	397	19.9%
Two or More Races	27	34	25.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.8%	24.4%	1.6%

Schools Near James H Watson 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
James H Watson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	333 W 77th St	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-1365	655	38	17.2	23.4%	377 (57.6%)	78 (11.9%)	139 (21.2%)	22 (3.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.6%)	77.9	203^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	79.9%		81.1	169^th of 1016 public elementary schools	83.4%	34	52.7	58.3		55.4	63.6	55.3		59.6		$9,495	$483	$9,012
Homan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	210 E Joliet	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-4451	450	34	13.4	39.8%	245 (54.4%)	48 (10.7%)	111 (24.7%)	15 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.2%)	74	253^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	75.0%		83.5	146^th of 1016 public elementary schools	85.6%	107	43.4	52.8		48.5	60.5	62.9		61.8		$12,811	$659	$12,152
Kolling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	8801 Wicker Ave	Saint John	46373	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 365-8577	630	38	16.8	16.0%	459 (72.9%)	31 (4.9%)	112 (17.8%)	10 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.9%)	84.5	136^th of 1010 public elementary schools	86.5%		80.6	177^th of 1016 public elementary schools	82.6%	41	62.4	57.5		59.6	65.0	66.0		65.6		$9,322	$115	$9,206
Peifer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1824 S Cline	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-5335	444	29	15.5	38.1%	238 (53.6%)	57 (12.8%)	111 (25.0%)	14 (3.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.0%)	66.8	332^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	67.1%		69.8	306^th of 1016 public elementary schools	69.9%	26	50.0	45.1		47.2	57.9	52.0		54.5		$11,444	$345	$11,099
George Bibich Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	14600 W 81st St	Dyer	46311	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-1185	560	33	16.9	23.0%	352 (62.9%)	36 (6.4%)	140 (25.0%)	14 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.0%)	91.7	59^th of 1010 public elementary schools	94.2%		91.7	52^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	94.9%	7	57.1	66.4		62.3	81.6	73.6		77.1		$10,797	$282	$10,515
Protsman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1121 Harrison	Dyer	46311	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-2040	642	44	14.7	29.1%	359 (55.9%)	48 (7.5%)	161 (25.1%)	34 (5.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.1%)	88	94^th of 1010 public elementary schools	90.7%		84.2	141^st of 1016 public elementary schools	86.1%	47	65.3	55.2		59.7	76.3	69.4		72.5		$11,941	$1,095	$10,847
Beiriger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 N Lillian St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 924-4030	455	35	13.0	57.6%	197 (43.3%)	92 (20.2%)	143 (31.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.8%)	54.8	472^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	53.3%		57.4	451^st of 1016 public elementary schools	55.6%	21	28.4	28.2	46.4	34.3	51.6	38.2	47.1	46.0	60.7	$10,095	$1,747	$8,348
Allen J Warren Elementary School	Public	K-5	2901 100th St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5660	283	16	18.2	51.9%	107 (37.8%)	61 (21.6%)	98 (34.6%)	11 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	72.9	263^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	74.0%		70.2	298^th of 1016 public elementary schools	70.7%	35	51.0	49.0	42.9	47.7	60.8	63.3	59.2	61.1	38.8	$10,023	$509	$9,514
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-2	12245 W 109th Ave	Cedar Lake	46303	Lake County	Hanover Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 374-3600	322	22	14.9	12.4%	243 (75.5%)	17 (5.3%)	41 (12.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.6%)								(n/a)										$9,117	$431	$8,686
Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	600 N Jay St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-4488	452	37	12.2	44.2%	168 (37.2%)	111 (24.6%)	150 (33.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)								(n/a)										$8,908	$1,681	$7,226

Frequently Asked Questions about James H Watson Elementary School

What schools do graduates of James H Watson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James H Watson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Michael Grimmer Middle School
High : Lake Central High School

Is James H Watson Elementary School a good school?

James H Watson Elementary School ranks 203^rd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James H Watson Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 655 students attended James H Watson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of James H Watson Elementary School?

Students at James H Watson Elementary School are 58% White, 21% Hispanic, 12% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is James H Watson Elementary School in?

Lake Central School Corporation

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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.