Central Elementary School

Summary:

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school in Valparaiso, Indiana, serving 134 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Valparaiso Community Schools district, which is ranked 14th out of 381 districts in Indiana and has a 5-star rating.

Central Elementary School consistently outperforms the Valparaiso Community Schools district and the state of Indiana in academic proficiency. In the 2023-2024 school year, 71.21% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/English Language Arts, compared to 61.38% for the district. Similarly, 75.76% of students were proficient or better in ILEARN/Math, compared to 61.4% for the district. The school has maintained a high statewide ranking, placing in the top 10% of Indiana elementary schools in recent years and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Elementary School has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with 64.93% White, 5.22% African American, 26.12% Hispanic, and 2.99% other races. The school also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 54.48%, suggesting it serves a more economically diverse population. When compared to other nearby elementary schools like Flint Lake Elementary and Parkview Elementary, Central Elementary School stands out with significantly higher proficiency rates in ILEARN/English Language Arts and ILEARN/Math.

Detail:

Public K-5

653 Hayes Leonard Rd
Valparaiso, IN 46385

(219) 531-3030

District: Valparaiso Community Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,279

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Benjamin Franklin Middle School
High:	Valparaiso High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 134

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.9%

Hispanic:

26.1%

African American:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.5%

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Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Central Elementary School ranks better than 94.5% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 3^rd among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Valparaiso Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.17. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Central Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Valparaiso Community Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (64.9%), Hispanic (26.1%), African American (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Valparaiso Community Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 13.5, which is the 2^nd best among 8 elementary schools in the Valparaiso Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Central Elementary School employs 9.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Central Elementary School is $11,279, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Valparaiso Community Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Valparaiso Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Valparaiso Community Schools 14^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Central Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	64.09	336^th	959	65.0%
2006	77.73	157^th	961	83.7%
2007	79.85	138^th	985	86.0%
2008	80.12	133^rd	996	86.6%
2009	77.86	174^th	1003	82.7%
2010	82.02	111^th	1009	89.0%
2011	89.07	21^st	1025	98.0%
2012	84.40	76^th	1015	92.5%
2013	86.38	49^th	1035	95.3%
2014	83.49	73^rd	1036	93.0%
2015	78.67	160^th	1040	84.6%
2016	77.23	191^st	1046	81.7%
2017	83.37	122^nd	1033	88.2%
2018	80.58	157^th	1027	84.7%
2019	76.63	204^th	1031	80.2%
2021	90.30	73^rd	1016	92.8%
2022	88.74	84^th	1020	91.8%
2023	88.72	74^th	1016	92.7%
2024	92.17	56^th	1010	94.5%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Central Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	325	4	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	334
1989	340	2	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	345
1990	347	3	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	354
1991	350	8	5	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	371
1992	322	11	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	338
1993	296	8	6	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	318
1994	247	10	6	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	271
1995	179	8	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	5	203
1996	179	8	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	5	203
1997	194	10	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	7	218
1998	194	7	1	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	214
1999	186	8	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2000	163	15	0	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
2001	156	7	0	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	179
2002	212	16	0	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
2003	212	16	0	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
2004	217	22	3	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	265
2005	258	15	6	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	305
2006	279	12	5	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
2007	247	12	7	19	0	n/a	n/a	29	314
2008	249	6	6	25	0	n/a	n/a	34	320
2009	264	6	5	33	1	n/a	n/a	33	342
2010	270	11	5	24	1	n/a	n/a	33	344
2011	309	9	4	27	0	1	11	0	361
2012	298	16	3	42	0	0	26	0	385
2013	286	12	4	51	0	0	20	0	373
2014	291	9	7	50	2	0	19	0	378
2015	280	11	8	55	0	0	17	0	371
2016	260	9	9	59	0	0	12	0	349
2017	250	16	10	63	0	0	22	0	361
2018	176	11	6	53	0	0	23	0	269
2019	93	11	2	30	0	0	13	0	149
2020	89	8	2	28	0	0	15	0	142
2021	91	7	1	29	0	0	9	0	137
2022	97	5	0	25	1	0	7	0	135
2023	87	7	1	35	1	0	3	0	134

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 Central Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	334	17.9	18.6	24.3
1989	345	17.6	19.6	25.8
1990	354	17.6	20.1	11.9
1991	371	17.6	21.0	20.8
1992	338	17.4	19.4	32.5
1993	318	16.9	18.8	30.8
1994	271	13.2	20.5	30.6
1995	203	12.6	16.1	35.9
1996	203	12.6	16.1	35.9
1997	218	13.1	16.6	38.9
1998	214	12.8	16.7	38.8
1999	205	12.3	16.7	42.4
2000	195	11.7	16.7	43.1
2001	179	10.7	16.7	41.3
2002	249	12.3	20.2	41.8
2003	249	12.3	20.2	41.8
2004	265	13.8	19.2	38.1
2005	305	13.6	22.4	39.3
2006	314	14.2	22.1	32.2
2007	314	n/a	n/a	34
2008	320	12.8	25.0	33.2
2009	342	15.0	22.8	34
2010	344	15.2	22.5	29.3
2011	361	13.9	25.8	27.7
2012	385	22.0	17.5	36.1
2013	373	20.0	18.6	33.5
2014	378	20.0	18.9	38.4
2015	371	20.0	18.5	37.2
2016	349	20.0	17.4	34.4
2017	361	22.0	16.4	36.6
2018	269	16.0	16.8	46.5
2019	149	10.0	14.9	59.1
2020	142	10.0	14.2	51.4
2021	137	11.0	12.4	47.4
2022	135	8.3	16.0	49.6
2023	134	9.8	13.5	54.5

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 Central Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	334	17.9	18.6	24.3
1989	345	17.6	19.6	25.8
1990	354	17.6	20.1	11.9
1991	371	17.6	21.0	20.8
1992	338	17.4	19.4	32.5
1993	318	16.9	18.8	30.8
1994	271	13.2	20.5	30.6
1995	203	12.6	16.1	35.9
1996	203	12.6	16.1	35.9
1997	218	13.1	16.6	38.9
1998	214	12.8	16.7	38.8
1999	205	12.3	16.7	42.4
2000	195	11.7	16.7	43.1
2001	179	10.7	16.7	41.3
2002	249	12.3	20.2	41.8
2003	249	12.3	20.2	41.8
2004	265	13.8	19.2	38.1
2005	305	13.6	22.4	39.3
2006	314	14.2	22.1	32.2
2007	314	n/a	n/a	34
2008	320	12.8	25.0	33.2
2009	342	15.0	22.8	34
2010	344	15.2	22.5	29.3
2011	361	13.9	25.8	27.7
2012	385	22.0	17.5	36.1
2013	373	20.0	18.6	33.5
2014	378	20.0	18.9	38.4
2015	371	20.0	18.5	37.2
2016	349	20.0	17.4	34.4
2017	361	22.0	16.4	36.6
2018	269	16.0	16.8	46.5
2019	149	10.0	14.9	59.1
2020	142	10.0	14.2	51.4
2021	137	11.0	12.4	47.4
2022	135	8.3	16.0	49.6
2023	134	9.8	13.5	54.5

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 Central Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$575 (5.4%)	$10,135 (94.6%)	$10,710
2020	$704 (6.8%)	$9,685 (93.2%)	$10,389
2021	$807 (7.0%)	$10,756 (93.0%)	$11,563
2022	$1,198 (10.6%)	$10,081 (89.4%)	$11,279

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Central 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 204^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 74^th of 1016 Elementary schools	12.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)	75	77.3	2.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Valparaiso Community Schools)	71.9	65.5	6.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Central Elementary School)	87.5	90.9	3.4%
3rd Grade Math (Valparaiso Community Schools)	85.3	78	7.3%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)	57.7	85	27.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Valparaiso Community Schools)	72.9	67.1	5.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Central Elementary School)	69.2	85	15.8%
4th Grade Math (Valparaiso Community Schools)	77	72.1	4.9%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Central Elementary School)	53.8	70	16.2%
4th Grade Science (Valparaiso Community Schools)	71.1	59.7	11.4%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Central Elementary School)	37.5	59.1	21.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Valparaiso Community Schools)	65.2	60.9	4.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Central Elementary School)	66.7	45.5	21.3%
5th Grade Math (Valparaiso Community Schools)	69	59.3	9.7%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Central Elementary School)	50	45.5	4.5%
5th Grade Social Studies (Valparaiso Community Schools)	63	52.7	10.3%
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	149	134	10.1%
African American	11	7	36.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	30	35	16.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	93	87	6.5%
Two or More Races	13	3	76.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.1%	54.5%	4.6%

Schools Near Central 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
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	653 Hayes Leonard Rd	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 531-3030	134	10	13.5	54.5%	87 (64.9%)	7 (5.2%)	35 (26.1%)	1 (0.7%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	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
Memorial Elementary School	Public	K-5	1052 Park Ave	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(219) 531-3090	477	22	21.4	24.9%	373 (78.2%)	7 (1.5%)	68 (14.3%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)	97.7	10^th of 1010 public elementary schools	99.0%		97.1	9^th of 1016 public elementary schools	99.1%	1	73.4	79.5	87.6	80.5	77.5	86.8	84.3	82.9	83.2	$7,858	$352	$7,506
Heavilin Elementary School	Public	K-5	2450 Heavilin Road	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(219) 476-8820	505	30	16.7	13.5%	394 (78.0%)	12 (2.4%)	65 (12.9%)	13 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	94.9	29^th of 1010 public elementary schools	97.1%		89.9	69^th of 1016 public elementary schools	93.2%	40	68.7	76.9	68.3	71.5	85.5	86.8	61.0	78.1	61.0	$8,552	$524	$8,028
Northview Elementary School	Public	K-5	257 Northview Dr	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(219) 531-3100	271	16	16.5	37.3%	218 (80.4%)	12 (4.4%)	36 (13.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	70.5	293^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	71.0%		85.9	117^th of 1016 public elementary schools	88.5%	176	69.4	79.1	32.1	58.1	81.6	79.1	33.9	62.8	32.1	$9,563	$914	$8,649
Parkview Elementary School	Public	K-5	1405 Wood St	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 531-3110	219	16	13.4	49.3%	119 (54.3%)	23 (10.5%)	64 (29.2%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.0%)	79.6	186^th of 1010 public elementary schools	81.6%		79	194^th of 1016 public elementary schools	80.9%	8	60.6	68.0	57.1	61.6	63.6	72.0	42.9	59.3	39.3	$11,520	$1,032	$10,488
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1700 Roosevelt Rd	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 531-3130	273	15	17.8	45.4%	197 (72.2%)	15 (5.5%)	41 (15.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (5.9%)	88.3	90^th of 1010 public elementary schools	91.1%		86.5	106^th of 1016 public elementary schools	89.6%	16	74.4	72.0	54.6	66.0	82.1	82.0	63.6	75.0	41.8	$10,623	$926	$9,697
Cooks Corners Elementary School	Public	K-5	358 Bullseye Lake Rd	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(219) 531-3040	470	21	22.1	23.4%	377 (80.2%)	9 (1.9%)	62 (13.2%)	12 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	87.9	97^th of 1010 public elementary schools	90.4%		85.8	119^th of 1016 public elementary schools	88.3%	22	53.3	59.5	63.8	58.9	66.2	73.8	58.8	66.4	67.5	$7,590	$489	$7,101
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
Flint Lake Elementary School	Public	K-5	4106 N Calumet Ave	Valparaiso	46383	Porter County	Valparaiso Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 531-3160	474	30	15.6	43.0%	325 (68.6%)	42 (8.9%)	68 (14.3%)	9 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.1%)	79.7	185^th of 1010 public elementary schools	81.7%		67.7	330^th of 1016 public elementary schools	67.5%	145	61.1	54.6	48.4	55.5	77.8	57.1	53.2	64.2	40.3	$9,935	$1,075	$8,860
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	413	22	18.7	17.9%	345 (83.5%)	4 (1.0%)	48 (11.6%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 65% White, 26% Hispanic, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Valparaiso Community Schools

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Central Elementary School ranks in the top 5.5% of Indiana elementary schools.

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 134 students attended Central Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Benjamin Franklin Middle School
High : Valparaiso High 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.