South Haven Elementary School

Q: Is South Haven Elementary School a good school?

South Haven Elementary School ranks 662 nd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

South Haven Elementary School is a public elementary school in Valparaiso, Indiana, serving 281 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Portage Township Schools district, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Haven has a higher percentage of White students (67.26%) compared to nearby schools, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 14.9% is lower than some neighboring schools like Central Elementary (19.8%) and Paul Saylor Elementary (24.9%). While South Haven's test scores are below the state average in many areas, they are generally higher than the district average, with 50% of 3rd graders proficient in math compared to the district's 43.43%.

However, South Haven's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, and the school faces socioeconomic challenges, with 64.41% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This is significantly higher than some higher-performing nearby schools like Cooks Corners Elementary (23.4% free/reduced lunch) and Liberty Elementary (32.86% free/reduced lunch). While South Haven's per-student spending has increased, this has not translated into significant improvements in student performance, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be contributing to the school's challenges.

Detail:

Public K-5

395 W Midway Dr
Valparaiso, IN 46383

(219) 763-8045

District: Portage Township Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
662^nd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,754

Students who attend South Haven Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	William Fegely Middle School
High:	Portage High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.1

Number of students: 281

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.3%

Hispanic:

16.7%

African American:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.4%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare South Haven Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Haven Elementary School ranks worse than 65.5% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 4^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Portage Township Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.81. (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 South Haven Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Portage Township Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (67.3%), Hispanic (16.7%), African American (8.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Haven Elementary School is 18.1, which is the 3^rd best among 8 elementary schools in the Portage Township Schools District. (See more...)

Compare South Haven Elementary School employs 15.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Haven Elementary School is $11,754, which is the highest among 8 elementary schools in the Portage Township Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Portage Township Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Portage Township Schools 263^rd of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Haven Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	72.27	217^th	959	77.4%
2006	69.98	256^th	961	73.4%
2007	85.63	76^th	985	92.3%
2008	77.19	173^rd	996	82.6%
2009	57.55	488^th	1003	51.3%
2010	53.87	553^rd	1009	45.2%
2011	65.48	379^th	1025	63.0%
2012	65.60	362^nd	1015	64.3%
2013	50.96	607^th	1035	41.4%
2014	59.42	480^th	1036	53.7%
2015	52.44	550^th	1040	47.1%
2016	50.32	607^th	1046	42.0%
2017	31.40	787^th	1033	23.8%
2018	44.51	654^th	1027	36.3%
2019	38.06	695^th	1031	32.6%
2021	31.51	734^th	1016	27.8%
2022	53.90	499^th	1020	51.1%
2023	36.81	666^th	1016	34.4%
2024	36.81	662^nd	1010	34.5%

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 South Haven Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	451	0	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
1989	427	1	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	435
1990	404	0	0	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	411
1991	359	0	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	370
1992	386	0	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
1993	347	0	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	357
1994	314	0	1	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1995	316	1	1	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	334
1996	316	1	1	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	334
1997	381	2	2	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	417
1998	417	0	2	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	443
1999	435	1	0	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	459
2000	440	1	1	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	463
2001	406	4	1	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	441
2002	383	7	0	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	418
2003	383	7	0	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	418
2004	337	5	1	25	1	n/a	n/a	0	369
2005	341	9	0	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2006	403	16	0	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	452
2007	368	15	1	34	2	n/a	n/a	15	435
2008	385	19	1	40	5	n/a	n/a	22	472
2009	364	16	0	34	2	n/a	n/a	31	447
2010	367	15	0	39	4	n/a	n/a	29	454
2011	332	13	0	45	1	0	27	0	418
2012	292	16	0	45	1	0	25	0	379
2013	307	20	1	60	2	0	15	0	405
2014	291	17	0	62	0	0	15	0	385
2015	270	16	0	66	0	0	14	0	366
2016	252	15	2	66	0	0	17	0	352
2017	260	28	2	68	0	0	14	0	372
2018	239	23	4	62	1	0	15	0	344
2019	220	17	4	60	1	0	10	0	312
2020	210	21	4	60	1	0	12	0	308
2021	191	23	4	46	1	0	13	0	278
2022	192	28	3	52	1	0	13	0	289
2023	189	25	3	47	1	0	16	0	281

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 South Haven Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	456	21.5	21.2	15.1
1989	435	20.5	21.2	9.2
1990	411	20.5	20.0	14.1
1991	370	18.0	20.5	13.8
1992	396	17.3	22.8	17.7
1993	357	17.8	20.1	16
1994	325	17.7	18.4	16.9
1995	334	16.7	20.0	18.3
1996	334	16.7	20.0	18.3
1997	417	19.5	21.4	13.4
1998	443	21.6	20.5	17.8
1999	459	21.6	21.3	29.4
2000	463	22.9	20.2	36.3
2001	441	22.6	19.5	30.6
2002	418	18.6	22.5	39
2003	418	18.6	22.5	39
2004	369	20.8	17.7	40.4
2005	381	21.8	17.5	43
2006	452	21.4	21.1	41.4
2007	435	n/a	n/a	47.9
2008	472	20.8	22.7	52.7
2009	447	22.0	20.3	53.6
2010	454	24.0	18.8	58.6
2011	418	19.8	21.0	59.1
2012	379	24.0	15.7	59.1
2013	405	22.0	18.4	64.2
2014	385	21.0	18.3	59
2015	366	20.0	18.3	55.5
2016	352	20.0	17.6	56
2017	372	20.0	18.5	54.8
2018	344	21.0	16.3	60.5
2019	312	20.0	15.6	59.3
2020	308	19.0	16.2	52.6
2021	278	32.0	8.6	58.6
2022	289	19.5	14.8	51.6
2023	281	15.5	18.1	64.4

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 South Haven Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	456	21.5	21.2	15.1
1989	435	20.5	21.2	9.2
1990	411	20.5	20.0	14.1
1991	370	18.0	20.5	13.8
1992	396	17.3	22.8	17.7
1993	357	17.8	20.1	16
1994	325	17.7	18.4	16.9
1995	334	16.7	20.0	18.3
1996	334	16.7	20.0	18.3
1997	417	19.5	21.4	13.4
1998	443	21.6	20.5	17.8
1999	459	21.6	21.3	29.4
2000	463	22.9	20.2	36.3
2001	441	22.6	19.5	30.6
2002	418	18.6	22.5	39
2003	418	18.6	22.5	39
2004	369	20.8	17.7	40.4
2005	381	21.8	17.5	43
2006	452	21.4	21.1	41.4
2007	435	n/a	n/a	47.9
2008	472	20.8	22.7	52.7
2009	447	22.0	20.3	53.6
2010	454	24.0	18.8	58.6
2011	418	19.8	21.0	59.1
2012	379	24.0	15.7	59.1
2013	405	22.0	18.4	64.2
2014	385	21.0	18.3	59
2015	366	20.0	18.3	55.5
2016	352	20.0	17.6	56
2017	372	20.0	18.5	54.8
2018	344	21.0	16.3	60.5
2019	312	20.0	15.6	59.3
2020	308	19.0	16.2	52.6
2021	278	32.0	8.6	58.6
2022	289	19.5	14.8	51.6
2023	281	15.5	18.1	64.4

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 South Haven Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$490 (5.2%)	$8,967 (94.8%)	$9,458
2020	$471 (4.7%)	$9,652 (95.3%)	$10,123
2021	$592 (5.5%)	$10,181 (94.5%)	$10,772
2022	$1,486 (12.6%)	$10,268 (87.4%)	$11,754

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Haven 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 695^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 666^th of 1016 Elementary schools	1.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Haven Elementary School)	36.1	26.7	9.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Portage Township Schools)	47.4	27.9	19.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (South Haven Elementary School)	58.3	48.9	9.4%
3rd Grade Math (Portage Township Schools)	56.2	42	14.2%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Haven Elementary School)	38.9	22.7	16.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Township Schools)	43	31.9	11.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (South Haven Elementary School)	51.9	45.5	6.5%
4th Grade Math (Portage Township Schools)	47.9	37.9	10%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (South Haven Elementary School)	27.8	20.5	7.3%
4th Grade Science (Portage Township Schools)	35.1	24	11.1%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Haven Elementary School)	39.4	36.8	2.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Portage Township Schools)	44	34.6	9.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (South Haven Elementary School)	43.9	31.6	12.3%
5th Grade Math (Portage Township Schools)	38.7	26.1	12.6%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (South Haven Elementary School)	31.8	29	2.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Portage Township Schools)	30.9	22.4	8.5%
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	312	281	9.9%
African American	17	25	47.1%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	4	3	25%
Hispanic	60	47	21.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	220	189	14.1%
Two or More Races	10	16	60%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.3%	64.4%	5.1%

Schools Near South Haven 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
South Haven Elementary School	Public	K-5	395 W Midway Dr	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8045	281	16	18.1	64.4%	189 (67.3%)	25 (8.9%)	47 (16.7%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.7%)	36.8	662^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	34.5%		36.8	666^th of 1016 public elementary schools	34.4%	4	28.3	31.9	29.3	29.9	50.0	46.8	22.0	40.3	22.0	$11,754	$1,486	$10,268
Paul Saylor Elementary School	Public	K-5	331 Midway	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8040	292	17	17.1	74.7%	139 (47.6%)	70 (24.0%)	63 (21.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.5%)	17.1	845^th of 1010 public elementary schools	16.3%		23.5	790^th of 1016 public elementary schools	22.2%	55	18.2	18.8	14.0	17.0	29.6	28.6	27.9	28.7	9.3	$10,937	$1,468	$9,469
Rowena Kyle Elementary School	Public	K-5	2701 Hamstrom Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8030	472	22	21.9	55.3%	210 (44.5%)	66 (14.0%)	166 (35.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.9%)	46.2	568^th of 1010 public elementary schools	43.8%		46.6	572^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	43.7%	4	47.7	44.6	29.5	40.8	51.1	52.7	20.5	41.7	12.8	$9,604	$1,117	$8,487
John Simatovich Elementary School	Public	K-5	424 W 500 N	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Union Township School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 759-2508	238	18	13.2	47.9%	177 (74.4%)	5 (2.1%)	40 (16.8%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.0%)	85.9	114^th of 1010 public elementary schools	88.7%		86.1	110^th of 1016 public elementary schools	89.2%	4	64.3	51.2	58.5	57.9	78.6	79.1	61.0	73.0	43.9	$12,268	$411	$11,857
Ethel R Jones Elementary School	Public	K-5	2374 McCool Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8025	305	17	17.9	57.4%	171 (56.1%)	25 (8.2%)	94 (30.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.6%)	48.4	543^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	46.2%		48.4	553^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	45.6%	10	37.5	36.2	47.1	40.1	56.3	44.7	23.5	42.6	23.5	$11,522	$1,461	$10,061
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	2825 Russell St	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8015	453	22	21.0	71.7%	215 (47.5%)	75 (16.6%)	138 (30.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	21.8	792^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	21.6%		21.1	813^th of 1016 public elementary schools	20.0%	21	27.0	19.7	22.9	23.1	49.2	18.2	17.1	27.6	12.9	$10,933	$1,490	$9,443
Wallace Aylesworth Elementary	Public	K-5	5910 Central Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8010	410	19	21.5	67.6%	206 (50.2%)	62 (15.1%)	118 (28.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.6%)	23.1	782^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	22.6%		31.6	710^th of 1016 public elementary schools	30.1%	72	17.5	22.4	37.3	25.1	26.3	25.0	26.9	26.0	19.4	$10,411	$1,335	$9,076
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
Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-4	50 W 900 N	Chesterton	46304	Porter County	Duneland School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 983-3650	496	30	16.4	32.9%	369 (74.4%)	6 (1.2%)	96 (19.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	81.5	166^th of 1010 public elementary schools	83.6%		81.9	159^th of 1016 public elementary schools	84.4%	7	58.2	55.8		56.9	69.2	58.4		63.2		$11,510	$532	$10,978
Crisman Elementary School	Public	K-5	6161 Old Porter Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8020	373	20	18.6	64.3%	175 (46.9%)	62 (16.6%)	107 (28.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.5%)	41.5	608^th of 1010 public elementary schools	39.8%		36.4	667^th of 1016 public elementary schools	34.4%	59	33.9	33.3	37.0	34.9	55.9	29.8	34.3	39.7	23.3	$10,070	$1,286	$8,784

Frequently Asked Questions about South Haven Elementary School

What schools do graduates of South Haven Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Haven Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : William Fegely Middle School
High : Portage High School

What is the racial makeup of South Haven Elementary School?

Students at South Haven Elementary School are 67% White, 17% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend South Haven Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 281 students attended South Haven Elementary School.

Is South Haven Elementary School a good school?

South Haven Elementary School ranks 662^nd of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is South Haven Elementary School in?

Portage Township Schools

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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.