Henry P Fieler Elementary School

Q: Is Henry P Fieler Elementary School a good school?

Henry P Fieler Elementary School ranks 674 th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Henry P Fieler Elementary School is a public elementary school in Merrillville, Indiana, serving 447 students in grades PK-4. The school is part of the Merrillville Community School Corporation, which is ranked 268 out of 381 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Henry P Fieler Elementary faces significant challenges, including a student population that is predominantly African American (61.74%) and Hispanic (22.15%), which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 30% of Indiana elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math that are 10-20 percentage points lower than the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's ELA proficiency rate was 33.53%, compared to the district's 29.27% and the state's 38.6% for 3rd grade. Additionally, the school has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 12.1% to 31.0% over the past three years, which is higher than nearby schools.

The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 72.65% to 79.87% over the past three years, which is higher than the surrounding schools. While the school's per-student spending has increased from $8,810 in 2019-2020 to $10,779 in 2021-2022, on par with nearby schools, the consistently low academic performance raises questions about the effective allocation and utilization of these resources to support student learning and achievement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

407 W 61st Ave
Merrillville, IN 46410

(219) 650-5301

District: Merrillville Community School Corp

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,779

Students who attend Henry P Fieler Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrillville Intermediate School
	Pierce Middle School
High:	Merrillville High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 444

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.9%

Hispanic:

21.6%

White:

9.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.9%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Henry P Fieler Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Henry P Fieler Elementary School ranks worse than 66.7% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.08. (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: African American (61.9%), Hispanic (21.6%), White (9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Henry P Fieler Elementary School is 15.6, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp District! (See more...)

Compare Henry P Fieler Elementary School employs 28.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Henry P Fieler Elementary School is $10,779. 2 elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Henry P Fieler Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Merrillville Community School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks Merrillville Community School Corp 267^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Henry P Fieler Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	25.52	802^nd	959	16.4%
2006	10.43	905^th	961	5.8%
2007	29.59	786^th	985	20.2%
2008	46.80	636^th	996	36.1%
2009	30.62	787^th	1003	21.5%
2010	34.81	760^th	1009	24.7%
2011	26.19	849^th	1025	17.2%
2012	37.81	747^th	1015	26.4%
2013	37.65	770^th	1035	25.6%
2014	32.26	825^th	1036	20.4%
2015	11.60	964^th	1040	7.3%
2016	34.72	781^st	1046	25.3%
2017	54.45	543^rd	1033	47.4%
2018	40.03	704^th	1027	31.5%
2019	18.64	873^rd	1031	15.3%
2021	10.62	900^th	1016	11.4%
2022	7.79	956^th	1020	6.3%
2023	9.07	930^th	1016	8.5%
2024	35.08	674^th	1010	33.3%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Henry P Fieler Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	398	38	10	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	495
1989	424	44	8	53	0	n/a	n/a	0	529
1990	415	54	10	67	0	n/a	n/a	0	546
1991	416	62	10	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
1992	404	68	10	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	541
1993	355	80	11	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	494
1994	307	86	10	59	1	n/a	n/a	0	463
1995	307	128	6	60	4	n/a	n/a	6	511
1996	307	128	6	60	4	n/a	n/a	6	511
1997	294	135	5	61	1	n/a	n/a	4	500
1998	300	136	10	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	489
1999	289	155	6	58	1	n/a	n/a	0	509
2000	267	189	4	51	2	n/a	n/a	0	513
2001	240	226	4	60	1	n/a	n/a	0	531
2002	173	263	3	65	1	n/a	n/a	0	505
2003	173	263	3	65	1	n/a	n/a	0	505
2004	152	267	1	57	1	n/a	n/a	0	478
2005	139	290	1	69	1	n/a	n/a	0	500
2006	130	293	1	65	1	n/a	n/a	0	490
2007	63	279	1	59	1	n/a	n/a	30	433
2008	58	255	1	49	1	n/a	n/a	42	406
2009	57	270	6	45	1	n/a	n/a	43	422
2010	61	286	5	46	1	n/a	n/a	47	446
2011	57	267	5	54	1	0	45	0	429
2012	55	272	5	58	1	0	33	0	424
2013	50	291	2	61	5	0	33	0	442
2014	53	294	1	66	6	0	22	0	442
2015	50	290	1	77	5	0	27	0	450
2016	52	346	1	67	3	0	30	0	499
2017	47	308	1	76	2	0	25	0	459
2018	38	307	3	84	0	1	22	0	455
2019	40	308	2	100	0	2	33	0	485
2020	48	316	3	95	1	2	37	0	502
2021	38	307	3	99	1	2	32	0	482
2022	47	277	1	101	2	1	28	0	457
2023	41	276	0	99	2	0	29	0	447
2024	40	275	3	96	0	0	30	0	444

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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	495	26.2	18.8	11.9
1989	529	27.2	19.4	8.9
1990	546	29.4	18.5	11.5
1991	544	30.0	18.1	14.5
1992	541	29.0	18.6	17
1993	494	27.1	18.2	17.4
1994	463	24.9	18.6	17.5
1995	511	26.4	19.4	16.6
1996	511	26.4	19.4	16.6
1997	500	n/a	0.0	17.1
1998	489	28.3	17.3	19.4
1999	509	22.0	23.1	28.9
2000	513	27.5	18.7	27.1
2001	531	27.2	19.5	28.6
2002	505	28.1	18.0	38.4
2003	505	28.1	18.0	38.4
2004	478	28.3	16.9	42.5
2005	500	26.4	18.9	44.6
2006	490	26.0	18.8	49.8
2007	433	n/a	n/a	53.8
2008	406	23.2	17.5	67.3
2009	422	23.4	18.0	75.2
2010	446	24.1	18.5	73.4
2011	429	21.8	19.6	70.9
2012	424	27.0	15.7	71.7
2013	442	27.4	16.1	72.6
2014	442	24.0	18.4	73.1
2015	450	24.0	18.7	76.7
2016	499	27.0	18.4	76.4
2017	459	25.0	18.3	75.2
2018	455	27.0	16.8	73.8
2019	485	32.0	15.1	71.8
2020	502	26.4	18.9	69.3
2021	482	27.0	17.8	78.8
2022	457	35.9	12.7	72.6
2023	447	27.6	16.1	79.9
2024	444	28.3	15.6	70.9

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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	495	26.2	18.8	11.9
1989	529	27.2	19.4	8.9
1990	546	29.4	18.5	11.5
1991	544	30.0	18.1	14.5
1992	541	29.0	18.6	17
1993	494	27.1	18.2	17.4
1994	463	24.9	18.6	17.5
1995	511	26.4	19.4	16.6
1996	511	26.4	19.4	16.6
1997	500	n/a	0.0	17.1
1998	489	28.3	17.3	19.4
1999	509	22.0	23.1	28.9
2000	513	27.5	18.7	27.1
2001	531	27.2	19.5	28.6
2002	505	28.1	18.0	38.4
2003	505	28.1	18.0	38.4
2004	478	28.3	16.9	42.5
2005	500	26.4	18.9	44.6
2006	490	26.0	18.8	49.8
2007	433	n/a	n/a	53.8
2008	406	23.2	17.5	67.3
2009	422	23.4	18.0	75.2
2010	446	24.1	18.5	73.4
2011	429	21.8	19.6	70.9
2012	424	27.0	15.7	71.7
2013	442	27.4	16.1	72.6
2014	442	24.0	18.4	73.1
2015	450	24.0	18.7	76.7
2016	499	27.0	18.4	76.4
2017	459	25.0	18.3	75.2
2018	455	27.0	16.8	73.8
2019	485	32.0	15.1	71.8
2020	502	26.4	18.9	69.3
2021	482	27.0	17.8	78.8
2022	457	35.9	12.7	72.6
2023	447	27.6	16.1	79.9
2024	444	28.3	15.6	70.9

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 Henry P Fieler Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$555 (6.0%)	$8,655 (94.0%)	$9,210
2020	$898 (10.2%)	$7,912 (89.8%)	$8,810
2021	$1,232 (13.4%)	$7,984 (86.6%)	$9,216
2022	$1,850 (17.2%)	$8,929 (82.8%)	$10,779

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Henry P Fieler 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 873^rd of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 930^th of 1016 Elementary schools	6.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Henry P Fieler Elementary School)	22.8	11.8	11%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Merrillville Community School Corp)	40.5	25.1	15.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Henry P Fieler Elementary School)	41.3	29.4	11.9%
3rd Grade Math (Merrillville Community School Corp)	56.2	36.5	19.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Henry P Fieler Elementary School)	22.3	8.4	13.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Merrillville Community School Corp)	45.3	24.9	20.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Henry P Fieler Elementary School)	47.9	15.7	32.2%
4th Grade Math (Merrillville Community School Corp)	54.5	33.5	21%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Henry P Fieler Elementary School)	17	4.8	12.2%
4th Grade Science (Merrillville Community School Corp)	33.1	14.8	18.3%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	485	447	7.8%
African American	308	276	10.4%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	100	99	1%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	40	41	2.5%
Two or More Races	33	29	12.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71.8%	79.9%	8.1%

Schools Near Henry P Fieler 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 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th 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 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th 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
Henry P Fieler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	407 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5301	444	28	15.6	70.9%	40 (9.0%)	275 (61.9%)	96 (21.6%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.8%)	35.1	674^th of 1010 public elementary schools	33.3%		9.1	930^th of 1016 public elementary schools	8.5%	256	21.2	46.3					33.5	30.6	37.8					34.1		$10,779	$1,850	$8,929
Higher Institute of Arts & Technical	Public, Charter	K-8	5861 Harrison Street	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Higher Institute of Arts & Technical	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 359-1522	227	13	17.4	78.4%	9 (4.0%)	196 (86.3%)	10 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.3%)	9.6	937^th of 1010 public elementary schools	7.2%		4.7	1003^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	1.3%	66	3.9	25.0	8.7	18.5	14.3	24.0	15.8	11.5	8.3	13.0	7.4	4.8	4.0	8.2	8.7	$11,786	$4,436	$7,349
Homer Iddings Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	7249 VanBuren St	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5302	471	33	14.3	58.4%	57 (12.1%)	299 (63.5%)	81 (17.2%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (5.9%)	18.5	830^th of 1010 public elementary schools	17.8%		18.4	831^st of 1016 public elementary schools	18.2%	1	15.1	26.9					21.0	31.2	24.7					28.0		$10,674	$1,784	$8,889
Glen Park Academy for Excel in Learning	Public	K-5	5002 Madison St	Gary	46408	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 318-2800	533	24	22.2	54.2%	6 (1.1%)	473 (88.7%)	44 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	4	1008^th of 1010 public elementary schools	0.2%		4.9	999^th of 1016 public elementary schools	1.7%	9	6.9	6.4	8.0				7.1	4.0	4.6	2.0				3.5	4.0	$16,579	$5,265	$11,314
Edgar L Miller Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5901 Waite St	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5303	348	27	12.9	75.6%	18 (5.2%)	253 (72.7%)	56 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (6.0%)	26.7	752^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	25.5%		18.8	829^th of 1016 public elementary schools	18.4%	77	26.2	22.4					23.9	43.9	31.3					36.1		$12,348	$1,888	$10,460
Jonas E Salk Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	3001 W 77th Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5304	593	39	15.4	59.5%	72 (12.1%)	344 (58.0%)	134 (22.6%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.7%)	50.2	523^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	48.2%		44.8	588^th of 1016 public elementary schools	42.1%	65	29.0	42.8					36.1	45.4	52.6					49.1		$10,174	$1,193	$8,981
Henry S Evans Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2915 E 35th Ave	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1608	401	23	17.8	76.3%	142 (35.4%)	49 (12.2%)	179 (44.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.2%)	23.5	777^th of 1010 public elementary schools	23.1%		28.4	745^th of 1016 public elementary schools	26.7%	32	16.0	42.3	24.1				27.6	16.0	30.8	25.9				24.4	11.1	$11,013	$1,597	$9,417
Longfellow New Technical Elementary School	Public	K-4	45th/Calhoun Sts	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-7004	486	31	15.9	94.0%	160 (32.9%)	148 (30.5%)	146 (30.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)	6.4	982^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	2.8%		8.1	948^th of 1016 public elementary schools	6.7%	34	12.7	12.6					12.6	10.1	10.5					10.3		$12,888	$3,529	$9,359
Early Learning Center-George Earle	Public	PK-K	400 N Wilson St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-7263	304	15	20.2	62.5%	166 (54.6%)	31 (10.2%)	94 (30.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)								(n/a)																$9,923	$1,068	$8,855
Veterans Elementary School at Mundell	Public	1-5	52 North Wisconsin St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-5614	588	30	19.6	66.3%	329 (56.0%)	59 (10.0%)	145 (24.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (8.7%)	54.1	480^th of 1010 public elementary schools	52.5%		52.9	506^th of 1016 public elementary schools	50.2%	26	30.9	39.9	46.0				39.0	44.6	48.1	41.8				45.0	40.9	$9,486	$1,336	$8,150

Frequently Asked Questions about Henry P Fieler Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Henry P Fieler Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Henry P Fieler Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Merrillville Intermediate School
Middle : Pierce Middle School
High : Merrillville High School

What district is Henry P Fieler Elementary School in?

Merrillville Community School Corp

How many students attend Henry P Fieler Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 444 students attended Henry P Fieler Elementary School.

Is Henry P Fieler Elementary School a good school?

Henry P Fieler Elementary School ranks 674^th of 1010 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Henry P Fieler Elementary School?

Students at Henry P Fieler Elementary School are 62% African American, 22% Hispanic, 9% White, 7% Two or more races.

Rate Henry P Fieler Elementary 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.