Bittersweet Elementary School

Summary:

Bittersweet Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school serving 520 students in grades PK-5 in Mishawaka, Indiana. The school consistently ranks in the top 10-15% of Indiana elementary schools, outperforming district and state averages on standardized assessments.

Bittersweet Elementary stands out for its strong academic performance, with 65.52% of students proficient or better in ELA and 69.83% in Math, compared to the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp district averages of 62.2% and 60.4% respectively. The school also has a lower percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch (28.46%) compared to nearby schools like Elm Road Elementary School (43.27%) and Elsie Rogers Elementary School (41.45%), suggesting a higher socioeconomic status of the student population.

Another notable difference is Bittersweet Elementary's racial demographics, with a higher percentage of white students (83.08%) compared to the more diverse student populations at neighboring schools within the School City of Mishawaka district. Additionally, Bittersweet Elementary has lower chronic absenteeism rates (9.3%) than the district average, indicating strong student engagement and attendance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

55860 Bittersweet
Mishawaka, IN 46545

(574) 259-6341

District: Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
81^st of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,438

Students who attend Bittersweet Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Schmucker Middle School
High:	Penn High School

Student/teacher ratio: 22.3

Number of students: 515

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.7%

African American:

6.0%

Hispanic:

4.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.9%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Bittersweet Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bittersweet Elementary School ranks better than 92% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 5^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.04. (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: White (82.7%), African American (6%), Hispanic (4.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bittersweet Elementary School is 22.3, which is the highest among 11 elementary schools in the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp District! (See more...)

Compare Bittersweet Elementary School employs 23 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bittersweet Elementary School is $8,438. 8 elementary schools in the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp 26^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bittersweet Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	64.23	332^nd	959	65.4%
2006	71.77	229^th	961	76.2%
2007	73.44	212^th	985	78.5%
2008	72.39	229^th	996	77.0%
2009	53.34	548^th	1003	45.4%
2010	53.34	562^nd	1009	44.3%
2011	45.18	691^st	1025	32.6%
2012	76.88	199^th	1015	80.4%
2013	60.05	478^th	1035	53.8%
2014	72.83	240^th	1036	76.8%
2015	68.67	321^st	1040	69.1%
2016	73.37	246^th	1046	76.5%
2017	76.41	209^th	1033	79.8%
2018	75.22	226^th	1027	78.0%
2019	86.37	103^rd	1031	90.0%
2021	86.80	106^th	1016	89.6%
2022	88.28	88^th	1020	91.4%
2023	86.29	108^th	1016	89.4%
2024	89.04	81^st	1010	92.0%

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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Enrollment information for Bittersweet Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	482	4	10	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	497
1989	506	5	8	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	521
1990	470	3	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	482
1991	410	3	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	419
1992	426	4	8	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
1993	418	3	8	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	436
1994	381	3	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
1995	398	2	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	10	423
1996	398	2	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	10	423
1997	398	3	6	15	0	n/a	n/a	6	428
1998	431	3	9	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
1999	461	1	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
2000	511	2	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	522
2001	515	2	5	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	528
2002	503	4	8	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	524
2003	503	4	8	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	524
2004	500	4	7	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	522
2005	525	8	6	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	553
2006	439	12	7	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	468
2007	390	9	5	3	4	n/a	n/a	19	430
2008	384	6	8	4	4	n/a	n/a	22	428
2009	413	6	6	7	6	n/a	n/a	19	457
2010	403	10	5	6	7	n/a	n/a	22	453
2011	383	10	4	8	7	0	17	0	429
2012	377	9	4	8	4	0	15	0	417
2013	379	8	4	17	2	0	13	0	423
2014	377	8	4	14	2	1	11	0	417
2015	385	10	5	18	1	1	13	0	433
2016	460	8	10	20	2	0	23	0	523
2017	448	13	8	20	4	1	22	0	516
2018	487	11	6	15	3	1	25	0	548
2019	477	11	4	15	3	1	32	0	543
2020	405	14	1	13	1	1	31	0	466
2021	423	15	3	17	1	1	39	0	499
2022	424	27	4	25	1	1	39	0	521
2023	432	24	5	28	1	2	28	0	520
2024	426	31	7	24	1	5	21	0	515

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 Bittersweet Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	497	20.9	23.7	2.2
1989	521	24.9	20.9	2.1
1990	482	21.3	22.6	2.1
1991	419	20.3	20.6	1.9
1992	444	21.5	20.6	8.3
1993	436	21.5	20.3	8.5
1994	397	20.5	19.4	7.8
1995	423	22.0	19.2	7.3
1996	423	22.0	19.2	7.3
1997	428	21.0	20.4	8.1
1998	456	22.5	20.3	7.5
1999	477	22.5	21.2	7.1
2000	522	23.0	22.7	6.7
2001	528	23.4	22.6	7.4
2002	524	24.0	21.8	11.3
2003	524	24.0	21.8	11.3
2004	522	23.0	22.7	11.3
2005	553	23.0	24.0	13.2
2006	468	19.8	23.6	12.4
2007	430	n/a	n/a	13.9
2008	428	18.0	23.8	12.1
2009	457	19.1	23.9	17.1
2010	453	20.0	22.6	22.7
2011	429	20.2	21.1	18.9
2012	417	24.0	17.3	25.4
2013	423	19.0	22.2	29.8
2014	417	19.0	21.9	27.3
2015	433	19.0	22.7	30.3
2016	523	20.0	26.1	24.1
2017	516	20.0	25.8	23.4
2018	548	21.0	26.0	25
2019	543	22.0	24.6	23.6
2020	466	22.0	21.1	30
2021	499	20.9	23.8	22.2
2022	521	24.2	21.4	17.1
2023	520	22.5	23.1	28.5
2024	515	23.0	22.3	29.9

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 Bittersweet Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	497	20.9	23.7	2.2
1989	521	24.9	20.9	2.1
1990	482	21.3	22.6	2.1
1991	419	20.3	20.6	1.9
1992	444	21.5	20.6	8.3
1993	436	21.5	20.3	8.5
1994	397	20.5	19.4	7.8
1995	423	22.0	19.2	7.3
1996	423	22.0	19.2	7.3
1997	428	21.0	20.4	8.1
1998	456	22.5	20.3	7.5
1999	477	22.5	21.2	7.1
2000	522	23.0	22.7	6.7
2001	528	23.4	22.6	7.4
2002	524	24.0	21.8	11.3
2003	524	24.0	21.8	11.3
2004	522	23.0	22.7	11.3
2005	553	23.0	24.0	13.2
2006	468	19.8	23.6	12.4
2007	430	n/a	n/a	13.9
2008	428	18.0	23.8	12.1
2009	457	19.1	23.9	17.1
2010	453	20.0	22.6	22.7
2011	429	20.2	21.1	18.9
2012	417	24.0	17.3	25.4
2013	423	19.0	22.2	29.8
2014	417	19.0	21.9	27.3
2015	433	19.0	22.7	30.3
2016	523	20.0	26.1	24.1
2017	516	20.0	25.8	23.4
2018	548	21.0	26.0	25
2019	543	22.0	24.6	23.6
2020	466	22.0	21.1	30
2021	499	20.9	23.8	22.2
2022	521	24.2	21.4	17.1
2023	520	22.5	23.1	28.5
2024	515	23.0	22.3	29.9

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 Bittersweet Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$282 (3.6%)	$7,523 (96.4%)	$7,805
2020	$256 (2.9%)	$8,467 (97.1%)	$8,723
2021	$418 (5.0%)	$8,016 (95.0%)	$8,434
2022	$501 (5.9%)	$7,937 (94.1%)	$8,438

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bittersweet 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 103^rd of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 108^th of 1016 Elementary schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bittersweet Elementary School)	64.2	64.2
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	66.1	56.6	9.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Bittersweet Elementary School)	73.1	77.8	4.7%
3rd Grade Math (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	74.5	70.8	3.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bittersweet Elementary School)	68.7	58.4	10.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	70.6	61.9	8.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Bittersweet Elementary School)	74.7	61	13.7%
4th Grade Math (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	77.6	69.1	8.5%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Bittersweet Elementary School)	67.5	45.5	22.1%
4th Grade Science (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	72.9	54.9	18%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bittersweet Elementary School)	66.7	69.5	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	73.5	64.4	9.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Bittersweet Elementary School)	72.6	72	0.7%
5th Grade Math (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	70.9	67.5	3.4%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Bittersweet Elementary School)	57.1	50	7.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp)	66.7	55	11.8%
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	543	520	4.2%
African American	11	24	118.2%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	4	5	25%
Hispanic	15	28	86.7%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	477	432	9.4%
Two or More Races	32	28	12.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.6%	28.5%	4.9%

Schools Near Bittersweet 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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th 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
Bittersweet Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	55860 Bittersweet	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 259-6341	515	23	22.3	29.9%	426 (82.7%)	31 (6.0%)	24 (4.7%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	21 (4.1%)	89	81^st of 1010 public elementary schools	92.0%		86.3	108^th of 1016 public elementary schools	89.4%	27	55.1	70.5	71.1		65.5	66.7	75.6	67.1		69.8	50.0	$8,438	$501	$7,937
Elsie Rogers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	56219 Currant Rd	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 259-5231	393	20	19.3	37.4%	307 (78.1%)	6 (1.5%)	33 (8.4%)	13 (3.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.9%)	79.3	192^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	81.0%		73	262^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	74.2%	70	46.9	58.8	66.7		57.1	59.4	58.8	61.7		60.0	45.0	$8,205	$758	$7,446
Twin Branch Elementary School	Public	K-6	3810 Lincoln Way E	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	No	(574) 254-3500	296	20	15.1	59.1%	233 (78.7%)	13 (4.4%)	25 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.8%)	79.8	184^th of 1010 public elementary schools	81.8%		70.1	301^st of 1016 public elementary schools	70.4%	117	57.1	47.7	43.2	55.0	50.9	71.4	63.6	56.8	50.0	60.7	51.4	$9,659	$1,358	$8,301
Moran Elementary School	Public	K-5	305 N Beech Rd	Osceola	46561	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 674-8504	411	23	18.2	37.5%	325 (79.1%)	15 (3.6%)	40 (9.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.8%)	80.1	182^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	82.0%		72.7	267^th of 1016 public elementary schools	73.7%	85	51.4	49.2	65.3		55.6	61.1	68.3	55.6		61.4	47.2	$10,012	$817	$9,195
Fred J Hums Elementary School	Public	K-6	3208 Harrison Rd	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	No	(574) 254-3800	331	19	17.5	45.9%	246 (74.3%)	15 (4.5%)	32 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.3%)	76	224^th of 1010 public elementary schools	77.8%		72	275^th of 1016 public elementary schools	72.9%	51	48.2	45.5	53.5	57.5	51.1	60.7	50.0	65.1	55.3	57.9	41.9	$9,325	$1,444	$7,881
Beiger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1600 E Third St	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 254-4700	498	28	17.5	60.8%	354 (71.1%)	43 (8.6%)	49 (9.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (10.0%)	40.6	624^th of 1010 public elementary schools	38.2%		41.1	627^th of 1016 public elementary schools	38.3%	3	26.2	22.2	48.4	18.2	29.0	31.2	23.6	48.4	29.1	32.9	51.6	$9,171	$1,787	$7,384
Walt Disney Elementary School	Public	K-5	4015 N Filbert Rd	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 259-2486	521	32	16.3	55.1%	198 (38.0%)	155 (29.8%)	65 (12.5%)	43 (8.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (10.9%)	60.9	402^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	60.2%		47.8	560^th of 1016 public elementary schools	44.9%	158	40.2	46.1	40.2		42.2	51.2	59.6	43.5		51.3	35.9	$9,386	$1,012	$8,374
Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-6	600 E Pregel Dr	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 254-3700	422	27	15.7	72.5%	248 (58.8%)	75 (17.8%)	46 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (12.3%)	17.2	843^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	16.5%		21.7	805^th of 1016 public elementary schools	20.8%	38	21.9	17.5	22.4	14.3	18.8	27.0	23.8	20.9	16.9	21.9	16.4	$9,396	$1,915	$7,481
Battell Elementary School	Public	K-6	715 E Broadway	Mishawaka	46545	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 254-3900	305	22	13.9	68.9%	183 (60.0%)	56 (18.4%)	24 (7.9%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (11.8%)	24.6	772^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	23.6%		42.2	614^th of 1016 public elementary schools	39.6%	158	13.3	16.2	30.2	25.0	21.0	26.7	24.3	34.9	31.3	29.3	18.6	$10,463	$2,121	$8,342
Elm Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	59400 Elm Rd	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 259-3743	515	32	16.2	41.2%	366 (71.1%)	46 (8.9%)	52 (10.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.1%)	71.2	282^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	72.1%		76.4	215^th of 1016 public elementary schools	78.8%	67	40.0	58.7	52.0		50.2	44.6	54.7	54.6		51.3	53.3	$8,776	$669	$8,107

Frequently Asked Questions about Bittersweet Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Bittersweet Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Bittersweet Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Schmucker Middle School
High : Penn High School

Is Bittersweet Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Bittersweet Elementary School ranks in the top 8.0% of Indiana elementary schools.

How many students attend Bittersweet Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 515 students attended Bittersweet Elementary School.

What district is Bittersweet Elementary School in?

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp

What is the racial makeup of Bittersweet Elementary School?

Students at Bittersweet Elementary School are 83% White, 6% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.