Union Center Elementary School

Summary:

Union Center Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school in Valparaiso, Indiana, serving 413 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Union Township School Corporation, which is ranked 10th out of 381 school districts in the state and has a 5-star rating.

Union Center Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Indiana, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and boasting exceptional academic performance. In the 2023-2024 school year, 69.81% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 67.59% for the district and 38.6% for the state. In Math, the school's proficiency rate was 75.47%, significantly higher than the district's 66.77% and the state's 52.4%. This strong academic achievement is in contrast to some nearby schools, such as Central Elementary and John Wood Elementary, which have more diverse student populations and lower proficiency rates.

While Union Center Elementary's student population is relatively homogeneous, with 83.54% of students identifying as White, the school also stands out for its low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at just 17.92% in the 2022-2023 school year. This is significantly lower than nearby schools like Paul Saylor Elementary, which has a free/reduced lunch rate of 74.66%. These demographic differences suggest that Union Center Elementary may benefit from greater community resources and support, contributing to its exceptional academic performance and low chronic absenteeism rates.

Detail:

Public K-5

272 N 600 W
Valparaiso, IN 46385

(219) 759-2544

District: Union Township School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
30^th of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,937

Students who attend Union Center Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Union Township Middle School
High:	Wheeler High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.6

Number of students: 407

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.5%

Hispanic:

10.6%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 16%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Union Center Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Union Center Elementary School ranks better than 97% of elementary schools in Indiana. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.74. (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 (84.5%), Hispanic (10.6%), two or more races (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 16% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Union Center Elementary School is 17.6. (See more...)

Compare Union Center Elementary School employs 23 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Union Center Elementary School is $8,937.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Union Township School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Union Township School Corp 10^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Union Center Elementary School.

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Rank History for Union Center Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	90.40	40^th	959	95.8%
2006	91.02	32^nd	961	96.7%
2007	86.76	61^st	985	93.8%
2008	89.40	44^th	996	95.6%
2009	90.32	34^th	1003	96.6%
2010	87.53	49^th	1009	95.1%
2011	83.21	86^th	1025	91.6%
2012	79.98	145^th	1015	85.7%
2013	78.29	160^th	1035	84.5%
2014	68.14	342^nd	1036	67.0%
2015	83.00	114^th	1040	89.0%
2016	80.22	155^th	1046	85.2%
2017	91.63	27^th	1033	97.4%
2018	92.16	30^th	1027	97.1%
2019	90.94	55^th	1031	94.7%
2021	83.86	135^th	1016	86.7%
2022	91.01	62^nd	1020	93.9%
2023	96.10	19^th	1016	98.1%
2024	94.74	30^th	1010	97.0%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Union Center Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	523	1	12	6	6	n/a	n/a	0	548
1989	470	2	14	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	494
1990	360	2	13	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	381
1991	370	1	18	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	404
1992	377	1	16	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	409
1993	367	1	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	382
1994	362	1	7	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
1995	399	2	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	416
1996	399	2	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	416
1997	390	2	5	14	0	n/a	n/a	1	412
1998	376	3	7	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	403
1999	341	3	6	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
2000	365	3	5	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	389
2001	339	5	2	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
2002	363	2	6	17	6	n/a	n/a	0	394
2003	363	2	6	17	6	n/a	n/a	0	394
2004	373	2	2	16	5	n/a	n/a	0	398
2005	369	4	2	20	6	n/a	n/a	0	401
2006	376	6	6	17	4	n/a	n/a	0	409
2007	362	6	11	18	3	n/a	n/a	18	418
2008	343	9	9	18	5	n/a	n/a	17	401
2009	345	10	7	20	0	n/a	n/a	23	405
2010	323	13	7	17	0	n/a	n/a	16	376
2011	321	9	5	27	1	0	15	0	378
2012	303	10	2	23	0	0	12	0	350
2013	264	11	0	23	1	0	13	0	312
2014	270	7	0	30	1	0	8	0	316
2015	269	11	1	29	1	0	6	0	317
2016	246	7	1	40	1	0	8	0	303
2017	286	11	1	38	1	0	7	0	344
2018	281	6	1	48	0	0	5	0	341
2019	302	5	1	52	0	0	6	0	366
2020	329	7	0	43	0	0	10	0	389
2021	303	4	0	56	0	0	9	0	372
2022	341	4	2	47	0	0	8	0	402
2023	345	4	2	48	0	0	14	0	413
2024	344	4	2	43	0	0	14	0	407

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 Union Center Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	548	24.9	22.0	6.9
1989	494	26.2	18.8	4
1990	381	22.5	16.9	1.8
1991	404	23.6	17.1	3.2
1992	409	19.2	21.3	3.4
1993	382	21.2	18.0	2.6
1994	380	22.0	17.3	1.6
1995	416	21.7	19.2	2.6
1996	416	21.7	19.2	2.6
1997	412	21.6	19.1	1.7
1998	403	21.6	18.7	3
1999	366	20.0	18.3	4.1
2000	389	21.7	17.9	3.1
2001	368	19.5	18.9	4.3
2002	394	20.4	19.3	6.1
2003	394	20.4	19.3	6.1
2004	398	20.1	19.8	6.8
2005	401	21.0	19.1	6.7
2006	409	21.9	18.7	6.4
2007	418	n/a	n/a	9.5
2008	401	21.7	18.5	7.8
2009	405	22.2	18.2	12.8
2010	376	23.0	16.3	14.7
2011	378	17.6	21.4	13.5
2012	350	19.1	18.3	13.4
2013	312	18.1	17.2	15.1
2014	316	15.5	20.3	13
2015	317	18.0	17.6	17
2016	303	16.0	18.9	15.5
2017	344	16.0	21.5	17.7
2018	341	17.5	19.4	17.9
2019	366	19.0	19.2	17.8
2020	389	19.5	19.9	22.1
2021	372	20.5	18.1	20.2
2022	402	21.0	19.1	19.4
2023	413	22.0	18.7	17.9
2024	407	23.0	17.6	16

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 Union Center Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	548	24.9	22.0	6.9
1989	494	26.2	18.8	4
1990	381	22.5	16.9	1.8
1991	404	23.6	17.1	3.2
1992	409	19.2	21.3	3.4
1993	382	21.2	18.0	2.6
1994	380	22.0	17.3	1.6
1995	416	21.7	19.2	2.6
1996	416	21.7	19.2	2.6
1997	412	21.6	19.1	1.7
1998	403	21.6	18.7	3
1999	366	20.0	18.3	4.1
2000	389	21.7	17.9	3.1
2001	368	19.5	18.9	4.3
2002	394	20.4	19.3	6.1
2003	394	20.4	19.3	6.1
2004	398	20.1	19.8	6.8
2005	401	21.0	19.1	6.7
2006	409	21.9	18.7	6.4
2007	418	n/a	n/a	9.5
2008	401	21.7	18.5	7.8
2009	405	22.2	18.2	12.8
2010	376	23.0	16.3	14.7
2011	378	17.6	21.4	13.5
2012	350	19.1	18.3	13.4
2013	312	18.1	17.2	15.1
2014	316	15.5	20.3	13
2015	317	18.0	17.6	17
2016	303	16.0	18.9	15.5
2017	344	16.0	21.5	17.7
2018	341	17.5	19.4	17.9
2019	366	19.0	19.2	17.8
2020	389	19.5	19.9	22.1
2021	372	20.5	18.1	20.2
2022	402	21.0	19.1	19.4
2023	413	22.0	18.7	17.9
2024	407	23.0	17.6	16

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 Union Center Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$35 (0.4%)	$7,865 (99.6%)	$7,900
2020	$16 (0.2%)	$7,743 (99.8%)	$7,759
2021	$60 (0.7%)	$8,804 (99.3%)	$8,864
2022	$57 (0.6%)	$8,880 (99.4%)	$8,937

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Union Center 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 55^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 19^th of 1016 Elementary schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Union Center Elementary School)	76.7	76.1	0.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Union Township School Corp)	80.9	73.2	7.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Union Center Elementary School)	80	86.6	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Union Township School Corp)	80.9	83.3	2.4%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Union Center Elementary School)	66.7	67.1	0.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Union Township School Corp)	62.9	63.3	0.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Union Center Elementary School)	64.8	80.3	15.5%
4th Grade Math (Union Township School Corp)	69.7	81.7	12%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Union Center Elementary School)	68.5	71.1	2.6%
4th Grade Science (Union Township School Corp)	66.3	68.3	2%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Union Center Elementary School)	79.7	74.3	5.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Union Township School Corp)	68.5	67.6	0.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Union Center Elementary School)	71	68.6	2.4%
5th Grade Math (Union Township School Corp)	71.2	65.8	5.4%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Union Center Elementary School)	88.4	71.4	17%
5th Grade Social Studies (Union Township School Corp)	82	58.6	23.4%
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	366	413	12.8%
African American	5	4	20%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	52	48	7.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	302	345	14.2%
Two or More Races	6	14	133.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	17.8%	17.9%	0.2%

Schools Near Union Center 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
Union Center Elementary School	Public	K-5	272 N 600 W	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Union Township School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 759-2544	407	23	17.6	16.0%	344 (84.5%)	4 (1.0%)	43 (10.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.4%)	94.7	30^th of 1010 public elementary schools	97.0%		96.1	19^th of 1016 public elementary schools	98.1%	11	63.6	78.3	67.5	69.8	78.8	81.2	67.5	75.5	64.9	$8,937	$57	$8,880
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	237	19	12.4	44.3%	184 (77.6%)	1 (0.4%)	39 (16.5%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (4.2%)	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
John Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	6100 E 73rd Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5305	292	21	14.2	67.8%	70 (24.0%)	120 (41.1%)	80 (27.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.8%)	46.4	564^th of 1010 public elementary schools	44.2%		43.9	599^th of 1016 public elementary schools	41.0%	35	30.4	35.2		33.0	44.4	51.9		48.5		$11,212	$910	$10,302
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	653 Hayes Leonard Rd	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 531-3030	130	10	13.4	43.8%	81 (62.3%)	7 (5.4%)	34 (26.2%)	3 (2.3%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.1%)	92.2	56^th of 1010 public elementary schools	94.5%		88.7	74^th of 1016 public elementary schools	92.7%	18	61.9	92.0	55.0	71.2	71.4	88.0	65.0	75.8	60.0	$11,279	$1,198	$10,081
Porter Lakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	208 S 725 W	Hebron	46341	Porter County	Porter Township School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 476-3455	493	30	16.7	33.7%	393 (79.7%)	5 (1.0%)	78 (15.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.4%)								(n/a)	48.3			48.3	69.7			69.7		$8,112	$251	$7,860
Joan Martin Elementary School	Public	1-5	301 E 10th St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 947-7869	499	27	18.8	52.7%	301 (60.3%)	27 (5.4%)	148 (29.7%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	59.8	415^th of 1010 public elementary schools	58.9%		68.5	318^th of 1016 public elementary schools	68.7%	97	40.7	52.0	35.0	42.6	52.3	55.1	41.0	49.3	37.0	$10,167	$962	$9,205
Jerry Ross Elementary School	Public	K-5	11319 Randolph St	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	Crown Point Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 663-3010	646	39	16.4	21.7%	470 (72.8%)	29 (4.5%)	117 (18.1%)	11 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.5%)	82.3	159^th of 1010 public elementary schools	84.3%		86.9	99^th of 1016 public elementary schools	90.3%	60	55.6	53.9	49.2	52.6	80.6	65.9	61.1	68.9	45.2	$9,990	$294	$9,696
South Haven Elementary School	Public	K-5	395 W Midway Dr	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8045	288	20	14.7		210 (72.9%)	21 (7.3%)	40 (13.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.2%)	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
Liberty Elementary School	Public	1-5	130 N Liberty St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-4251	408	23	18.1	56.9%	230 (56.4%)	48 (11.8%)	112 (27.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.2%)	62.7	379^th of 1010 public elementary schools	62.5%		71.7	279^th of 1016 public elementary schools	72.5%	100	36.6	38.6	42.7	39.2	61.3	64.8	47.6	58.2	35.4	$10,284	$1,345	$8,940
Paul Saylor Elementary School	Public	K-5	331 Midway	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8040	283	18	15.7		134 (47.3%)	66 (23.3%)	67 (23.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.3%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Union Center Elementary School

How many students attend Union Center Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 407 students attended Union Center Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Union Center Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Union Center Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Union Township Middle School
High : Wheeler High School

Is Union Center Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Union Center Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 30^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools.

What district is Union Center Elementary School in?

Union Township School Corp

What is the racial makeup of Union Center Elementary School?

Students at Union Center Elementary School are 85% White, 11% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

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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.