Southwestern Middle School

Q: Is Southwestern Middle School a good school?

Southwestern Middle School ranks 311 th of 485 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Southwestern Middle School is a public middle school located in Lafayette, Indiana, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 496. The school is part of the Tippecanoe School Corporation, which is ranked 84 out of 381 school districts in Indiana and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southwestern Middle School faces several challenges, including lower academic performance compared to nearby schools. The school's academic performance, as measured by ILEARN test scores, is significantly lower than the Tippecanoe School Corporation and the state of Indiana averages across all grades and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 30.86% of Southwestern Middle School students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 46.68% for the Tippecanoe School Corporation. In math, the proficiency rate at Southwestern Middle School was 23.55%, while the Tippecanoe School Corporation average was 47.22%. The school also has a higher rate of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 0.4% in 2021-2022 to 15.9% in 2020-2021, which is higher than the nearby East Tipp Middle School (1.0%) and Battle Ground Middle School (2.7%).

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Southwestern Middle School, which is a proxy for low socioeconomic status, may be contributing to the school's lower academic performance compared to the nearby schools. Research has shown that students from low-income families often face additional challenges, such as limited access to educational resources and support, which can impact their academic achievement. To address these issues, the school and Tippecanoe School Corporation may need to implement targeted interventions and support systems to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2100 W 800 S
Lafayette, IN 47909

(765) 538-3025

District: Tippecanoe School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
311^th of 485 Indiana Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,306

Students who attend Southwestern Middle School usually attend:

High:

McCutcheon High School

Feeder schools for Southwestern Middle School:

Elementary:	Mayflower Mill Elementary School
	Mintonye Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 518

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.3%

Hispanic:

12.5%

African American:

7.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.8%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Southwestern Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwestern Middle School ranks worse than 64.1% of middle schools in Indiana. It also ranks last among 6 ranked middle schools in the Tippecanoe School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.09. (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 (74.3%), Hispanic (12.5%), African American (7.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwestern Middle School is 16.8. 3 middle schools in the Tippecanoe School Corp District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Southwestern Middle School employs 30.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwestern Middle School is $8,306, which is the lowest among 6 middle schools in the Tippecanoe School Corp District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Southwestern Middle School 311^th of 485 Indiana public middle schools. (See Southwestern Middle School in the ranking list.)

Tippecanoe School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Tippecanoe School Corp 85^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southwestern Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IN State Percentile
2004	73.62	42^nd	222	81.1%
2005	53.74	197^th	370	46.8%
2006	56.00	186^th	375	50.4%
2007	55.38	190^th	382	50.3%
2008	52.58	214^th	392	45.4%
2009	51.24	236^th	423	44.2%
2010	41.70	301^st	428	29.7%
2011	60.84	190^th	451	57.9%
2012	72.71	97^th	447	78.3%
2013	73.79	92^nd	444	79.3%
2014	73.73	97^th	470	79.4%
2015	62.15	188^th	485	61.2%
2016	54.31	250^th	494	49.4%
2017	52.68	252^nd	472	46.6%
2018	55.92	236^th	473	50.1%
2019	50.95	249^th	470	47.0%
2021	42.42	283^rd	483	41.4%
2022	36.14	323^rd	490	34.1%
2023	33.02	333^rd	489	31.9%
2024	38.09	311^th	485	35.9%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Southwestern Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	329	3	3	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	341
1989	349	0	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	357
1990	367	2	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
1991	335	9	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	350
1992	350	4	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	356
1993	341	3	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
1994	383	7	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	397
1995	393	4	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	1	405
1996	393	4	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	1	405
1997	397	6	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	2	412
1998	441	8	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	460
1999	428	7	2	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	447
2000	446	10	1	21	3	n/a	n/a	0	481
2001	448	10	0	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	480
2002	506	9	1	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	534
2003	506	9	1	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	534
2004	287	1	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	298
2005	279	0	0	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	292
2006	288	4	0	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	305
2007	313	11	0	14	1	n/a	n/a	10	349
2008	346	9	0	23	2	n/a	n/a	10	390
2009	380	17	0	27	1	n/a	n/a	15	440
2010	357	23	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	12	410
2011	368	20	0	28	0	0	8	0	424
2012	361	18	0	30	0	0	15	0	424
2013	367	18	0	39	1	0	16	0	441
2014	363	16	0	34	0	0	11	0	424
2015	365	27	5	36	0	0	15	0	448
2016	365	30	6	39	0	1	12	0	453
2017	357	27	6	47	0	1	16	0	454
2018	362	33	1	40	0	1	15	0	452
2019	358	38	3	48	0	0	13	0	460
2020	351	53	3	37	0	0	17	0	461
2021	378	49	4	42	0	0	20	0	493
2022	378	46	6	44	1	0	27	0	502
2023	376	42	5	50	1	0	22	0	496
2024	385	38	4	65	3	0	23	0	518

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 Southwestern Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	341	18.0	18.9	16.1
1989	357	19.0	18.7	9.8
1990	372	19.7	18.8	13.2
1991	350	20.0	17.5	14.6
1992	356	21.0	16.9	13.8
1993	348	19.1	18.2	14.1
1994	397	20.1	19.8	11.1
1995	405	20.1	20.1	12.4
1996	405	20.1	20.1	12.4
1997	412	20.1	20.5	13.7
1998	460	21.6	21.3	14.8
1999	447	21.8	20.5	17.4
2000	481	22.1	21.8	15.8
2001	480	24.5	19.6	15.2
2002	534	27.1	19.7	21
2003	534	27.1	19.7	21
2004	298	17.5	17.0	18.5
2005	292	17.0	17.2	18.5
2006	305	16.3	18.7	22
2007	349	n/a	n/a	25.4
2008	390	21.3	18.3	28.9
2009	440	24.2	18.2	28
2010	410	24.8	16.5	36.7
2011	424	20.4	20.7	35.8
2012	424	21.0	20.1	36.8
2013	441	22.0	20.0	37
2014	424	23.0	18.4	35.8
2015	448	23.0	19.4	34.2
2016	453	22.0	20.5	35.5
2017	454	25.0	18.1	37.4
2018	452	26.0	17.3	41.2
2019	460	24.0	19.1	40.7
2020	461	26.0	17.7	41.4
2021	493	29.3	16.8	36.5
2022	502	28.0	17.9	40
2023	496	28.6	17.3	40.5
2024	518	30.6	16.8	38.8

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 Southwestern Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	341	18.0	18.9	16.1
1989	357	19.0	18.7	9.8
1990	372	19.7	18.8	13.2
1991	350	20.0	17.5	14.6
1992	356	21.0	16.9	13.8
1993	348	19.1	18.2	14.1
1994	397	20.1	19.8	11.1
1995	405	20.1	20.1	12.4
1996	405	20.1	20.1	12.4
1997	412	20.1	20.5	13.7
1998	460	21.6	21.3	14.8
1999	447	21.8	20.5	17.4
2000	481	22.1	21.8	15.8
2001	480	24.5	19.6	15.2
2002	534	27.1	19.7	21
2003	534	27.1	19.7	21
2004	298	17.5	17.0	18.5
2005	292	17.0	17.2	18.5
2006	305	16.3	18.7	22
2007	349	n/a	n/a	25.4
2008	390	21.3	18.3	28.9
2009	440	24.2	18.2	28
2010	410	24.8	16.5	36.7
2011	424	20.4	20.7	35.8
2012	424	21.0	20.1	36.8
2013	441	22.0	20.0	37
2014	424	23.0	18.4	35.8
2015	448	23.0	19.4	34.2
2016	453	22.0	20.5	35.5
2017	454	25.0	18.1	37.4
2018	452	26.0	17.3	41.2
2019	460	24.0	19.1	40.7
2020	461	26.0	17.7	41.4
2021	493	29.3	16.8	36.5
2022	502	28.0	17.9	40
2023	496	28.6	17.3	40.5
2024	518	30.6	16.8	38.8

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 Southwestern Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$133 (1.7%)	$7,550 (98.3%)	$7,683
2020	$81 (1.0%)	$7,758 (99.0%)	$7,840
2021	$279 (3.4%)	$7,938 (96.6%)	$8,217
2022	$352 (4.2%)	$7,954 (95.8%)	$8,306

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwestern 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 249^th of 470 Middle schools	Ranks 333^rd of 489 Middle schools	15.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Southwestern Middle School)	39.9	20.3	19.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Tippecanoe School Corp)	47.8	42.2	5.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.8	40.8	7%
6th Grade Math (Southwestern Middle School)	33.1	18.4	14.7%
6th Grade Math (Tippecanoe School Corp)	41.8	40.1	1.7%
6th Grade Math (Indiana)	46.4	38.3	8.1%
6th Grade Science (Southwestern Middle School)	52.5	28.8	23.7%
6th Grade Science (Tippecanoe School Corp)	60.3	47.8	12.5%
6th Grade Science (Indiana)	48.6	38.2	10.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Southwestern Middle School)	45.8	27.3	18.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Tippecanoe School Corp)	47.9	44.1	3.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	49.7	39.5	10.2%
7th Grade Math (Southwestern Middle School)	34.4	27.2	7.2%
7th Grade Math (Tippecanoe School Corp)	44.3	39.3	5%
7th Grade Math (Indiana)	42	32.9	9.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Southwestern Middle School)	49.7	26.7	23%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Tippecanoe School Corp)	54.5	48.1	6.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	50.7	43.8	6.9%
8th Grade Math (Southwestern Middle School)	45.9	24.2	21.7%
8th Grade Math (Tippecanoe School Corp)	45.3	38.1	7.2%
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	460	496	7.8%
African American	38	42	10.5%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	3	5	66.7%
Hispanic	48	50	4.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	358	376	5%
Two or More Races	13	22	69.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	40.7%	40.5%	0.1%

Schools Near Southwestern 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 4th Grade	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 4th Grade	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
Southwestern Middle School	Public	6-8	2100 W 800 S	Lafayette	47909	Tippecanoe County	Tippecanoe School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 538-3025	518	31	16.8	38.8%	385 (74.3%)	38 (7.3%)	65 (12.5%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.4%)	38.1	311^th of 485 public middle schools	35.9%		33	333^rd of 489 public middle schools	31.9%	22			29.9	22.2	40.8	30.9			23.8	19.5	27.4	23.6			$8,306	$352	$7,954
Wea Ridge Middle School	Public	6-8	4410 S 150 E	Lafayette	47909	Tippecanoe County	Tippecanoe School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 471-2164	699	43	16.1	52.6%	390 (55.8%)	83 (11.9%)	181 (25.9%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.4%)	49.5	244^th of 485 public middle schools	49.7%		53.1	224^th of 489 public middle schools	54.2%	20			20.2	36.8	39.2	32.2			26.5	34.3	37.1	32.7			$9,434	$197	$9,237
Lafayette Tecumseh Junior High School	Public	7-8	2101 S 18th St	Lafayette	47905	Tippecanoe County	Lafayette School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(765) 772-4750	1,021	73	14.0	69.2%	398 (39.0%)	228 (22.3%)	303 (29.7%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	83 (8.1%)	33.2	330^th of 485 public middle schools	32.0%		34.7	325^th of 489 public middle schools	33.5%	5				29.2	25.7	27.4				27.3	15.8	21.5		100.0	$10,759	$1,052	$9,707
Lafayette Sunnyside Intermediate	Public	5-6	530 N 26th St	Lafayette	47904	Tippecanoe County	Lafayette School Corporation	No	No	No	No	(765) 771-6100	1,029	72	14.3	70.7%	407 (39.6%)	229 (22.3%)	300 (29.2%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (8.4%)								(n/a)		28.7	27.9			28.3		24.3	23.8			24.0	22.9		$10,830	$1,053	$9,777
Wainwright Middle School	Public	6-8	7501 E 700 S	Lafayette	47905	Tippecanoe County	Tippecanoe School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 269-8350	311	21	15.0	46.3%	248 (79.7%)	11 (3.5%)	43 (13.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	62	175^th of 485 public middle schools	63.9%		61.3	176^th of 489 public middle schools	64.0%	1			38.2	41.4	30.3	36.9			47.7	45.5	29.6	41.6			$10,160	$172	$9,988
West Lafayette Intermediate School	Public	4-6	1838 N Salisbury	West Lafayette	47906	Tippecanoe County	West Lafayette Com School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 746-0500	546	35	15.6	24.9%	284 (52.0%)	42 (7.7%)	36 (6.6%)	138 (25.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (8.1%)								(n/a)	60.3	66.3	63.8			63.6	67.7	72.5	69.7			70.1	76.2		$20,575	$561	$20,014
Klondike Middle School	Public	6-8	3307 Klondike Rd	West Lafayette	47906	Tippecanoe County	Tippecanoe School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 463-2544	443	26	16.9	37.0%	289 (65.2%)	40 (9.0%)	66 (14.9%)	29 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.1%)	85.4	57^th of 485 public middle schools	88.2%		84.2	61^st of 489 public middle schools	87.5%	4			55.5	58.7	49.4	54.3			53.8	46.0	50.6	50.2			$9,053	$344	$8,709
North Montgomery Middle School	Public	6-8	482 W 580 N	Crawfordsville	47933	Montgomery County	North Montgomery Com School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 364-1071	445	30	15.0	37.5%	399 (89.7%)	3 (0.7%)	33 (7.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	59.2	191^st of 485 public middle schools	60.6%		64.6	159^th of 489 public middle schools	67.5%	32			38.7	27.5	32.9	33.2			48.6	44.3	35.6	42.7			$9,339	$597	$8,742
Battle Ground Middle School	Public	6-8	6100 N 50 W	West Lafayette	47906	Tippecanoe County	Tippecanoe School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 269-8140	722	44	16.4	33.9%	529 (73.3%)	46 (6.4%)	75 (10.4%)	29 (4.0%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.3%)	80.1	79^th of 485 public middle schools	83.7%		80.5	78^th of 489 public middle schools	84.0%	1			49.6	60.9	54.6	55.0			47.4	41.3	37.0	41.9			$9,024	$143	$8,881
East Tipp Middle School	Public	6-8	7501 E 300 N	Lafayette	47905	Tippecanoe County	Tippecanoe School Corp	No	No	No	No	(765) 589-3566	528	30	17.8	23.1%	422 (79.9%)	11 (2.1%)	62 (11.7%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.9%)	90.7	36^th of 485 public middle schools	92.6%		91.8	29^th of 489 public middle schools	94.1%	7			54.5	58.1	71.5	61.2			53.4	50.3	65.1	56.3			$8,767	$304	$8,463

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern Middle School

Is Southwestern Middle School a good school?

Southwestern Middle School ranks 311^th of 485 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Southwestern Middle School?

Students at Southwestern Middle School are 74% White, 13% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Southwestern Middle School attend?

Students who attend Southwestern Middle School usually go on to attend McCutcheon High School

What district is Southwestern Middle School in?

Tippecanoe School Corp

How many students attend Southwestern Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 518 students attended Southwestern Middle School.

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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.