Homer Iddings Elementary School

Summary:

Homer Iddings Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Merrillville, Indiana, serving 488 students from pre-kindergarten to 4th grade. The school is part of the Merrillville Community School Corporation, which is ranked 268 out of 381 school districts in Indiana and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Homer Iddings Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (59.43%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 25.22% to 72.36% African American. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 10.9% to 21.0% over the past few years, higher than the surrounding schools, which have rates ranging from 14.3% to 27.2%. Academically, Homer Iddings consistently underperforms compared to the Merrillville Community School Corporation and the state of Indiana in both English Language Arts and Math proficiency on the ILEARN assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 20.97% of all grades at Homer Iddings were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 29.27% for the district and 38.6% for the state in 3rd grade. Additionally, Homer Iddings has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 57.14% to 68.65% over the past few years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 30.74% to 90.27%.

When comparing Homer Iddings to other elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corporation, it consistently ranks lower in academic performance and has higher rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch recipients. This suggests that Homer Iddings may be serving a more disadvantaged student population, which could contribute to its lower academic outcomes. Despite the school's low performance, there is little evidence of significant improvement over time, and Homer Iddings has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Indiana elementary schools, with a ranking between 673 and 930 out of over 1,000 schools over the past decade.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

7249 VanBuren St
Merrillville, IN 46410

(219) 650-5302

District: Merrillville Community School Corp

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,674

Students who attend Homer Iddings Elementary School usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 471

Racial breakdown:

African American:

63.5%

Hispanic:

17.2%

White:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.4%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Homer Iddings Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Homer Iddings Elementary School ranks worse than 82.2% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.45. (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 Student population at Homer Iddings Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (63.5%), Hispanic (17.2%), White (12.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Merrillville Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Homer Iddings Elementary School is 14.3. 2 elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Homer Iddings Elementary School employs 32.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Homer Iddings Elementary School is $10,674. 3 elementary schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Homer Iddings 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.)

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Rank History for Homer Iddings Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	58.52	436^th	959	54.5%
2006	47.30	593^rd	961	38.3%
2007	45.75	632^nd	985	35.8%
2008	36.39	747^th	996	25.0%
2009	20.72	856^th	1003	14.7%
2010	29.16	809^th	1009	19.8%
2011	12.35	946^th	1025	7.7%
2012	11.34	948^th	1015	6.6%
2013	59.06	491^st	1035	52.6%
2014	45.68	685^th	1036	33.9%
2015	53.96	535^th	1040	48.6%
2016	52.00	585^th	1046	44.1%
2017	41.95	673^rd	1033	34.8%
2018	54.12	536^th	1027	47.8%
2019	40.88	673^rd	1031	34.7%
2021	18.41	822^nd	1016	19.1%
2022	24.07	788^th	1020	22.7%
2023	18.45	831^st	1016	18.2%
2024	18.45	830^th	1010	17.8%

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 Homer Iddings Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	786	0	12	46	1	n/a	n/a	0	845
1989	809	6	16	60	1	n/a	n/a	0	892
1990	841	9	22	56	0	n/a	n/a	0	928
1991	871	6	24	60	2	n/a	n/a	0	963
1992	882	15	26	78	2	n/a	n/a	0	1003
1993	738	17	30	69	4	n/a	n/a	0	858
1994	741	20	27	68	2	n/a	n/a	0	858
1995	718	30	28	72	5	n/a	n/a	18	871
1996	718	30	28	72	5	n/a	n/a	18	871
1997	701	39	23	58	7	n/a	n/a	29	857
1998	734	52	17	63	6	n/a	n/a	0	872
1999	686	87	12	70	4	n/a	n/a	0	859
2000	635	126	12	63	2	n/a	n/a	0	838
2001	590	179	10	63	1	n/a	n/a	0	843
2002	406	208	8	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	696
2003	406	208	8	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	696
2004	364	252	9	74	0	n/a	n/a	0	699
2005	338	308	13	84	1	n/a	n/a	0	744
2006	324	333	16	94	2	n/a	n/a	0	769
2007	239	349	24	88	1	n/a	n/a	87	788
2008	176	404	16	119	1	n/a	n/a	82	798
2009	135	387	16	113	1	n/a	n/a	69	721
2010	141	368	12	102	2	n/a	n/a	66	691
2011	107	337	9	129	0	0	64	0	646
2012	108	314	10	122	0	0	44	0	598
2013	114	309	14	139	0	0	32	0	608
2014	103	306	12	130	0	0	29	0	580
2015	93	287	9	119	0	0	32	0	540
2016	90	308	12	112	0	0	37	0	559
2017	77	286	11	125	0	0	40	0	539
2018	86	319	11	144	0	0	35	0	595
2019	71	287	7	133	0	0	34	0	532
2020	90	302	5	119	1	0	39	0	556
2021	66	277	5	109	0	0	29	0	486
2022	57	313	5	113	0	0	30	0	518
2023	64	290	6	89	2	1	36	0	488
2024	57	299	4	81	1	1	28	0	471

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 Homer Iddings Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	845	41.0	20.6	4.3
1989	892	43.4	20.5	3.8
1990	928	43.5	21.3	3.7
1991	963	46.3	20.7	2.3
1992	1003	45.6	21.9	3.7
1993	858	42.4	20.2	4.8
1994	858	41.9	20.5	5.2
1995	871	41.6	20.9	7.6
1996	871	41.6	20.9	7.6
1997	857	n/a	0.0	6.2
1998	872	41.8	20.9	6.5
1999	859	36.6	23.5	13
2000	838	41.8	20.0	15.4
2001	843	40.8	20.7	17.6
2002	696	36.1	19.3	23.1
2003	696	36.1	19.3	23.1
2004	699	34.9	20.0	29
2005	744	37.0	20.1	32.1
2006	769	38.5	20.0	37.2
2007	788	n/a	n/a	42.4
2008	798	40.1	19.9	52
2009	721	38.8	18.6	54.9
2010	691	38.6	17.9	56.5
2011	646	31.3	20.5	60.2
2012	598	36.2	16.5	58.9
2013	608	39.4	15.4	60.7
2014	580	35.1	16.5	60.9
2015	540	34.0	15.8	58.3
2016	559	31.0	18.0	60.6
2017	539	32.0	16.8	60.1
2018	595	34.0	17.5	62.5
2019	532	39.0	13.6	61.8
2020	556	33.0	16.8	65.8
2021	486	30.0	16.2	60.1
2022	518	35.1	14.7	57.1
2023	488	34.6	14.0	68.6
2024	471	32.8	14.3	58.4

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 Homer Iddings Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	845	41.0	20.6	4.3
1989	892	43.4	20.5	3.8
1990	928	43.5	21.3	3.7
1991	963	46.3	20.7	2.3
1992	1003	45.6	21.9	3.7
1993	858	42.4	20.2	4.8
1994	858	41.9	20.5	5.2
1995	871	41.6	20.9	7.6
1996	871	41.6	20.9	7.6
1997	857	n/a	0.0	6.2
1998	872	41.8	20.9	6.5
1999	859	36.6	23.5	13
2000	838	41.8	20.0	15.4
2001	843	40.8	20.7	17.6
2002	696	36.1	19.3	23.1
2003	696	36.1	19.3	23.1
2004	699	34.9	20.0	29
2005	744	37.0	20.1	32.1
2006	769	38.5	20.0	37.2
2007	788	n/a	n/a	42.4
2008	798	40.1	19.9	52
2009	721	38.8	18.6	54.9
2010	691	38.6	17.9	56.5
2011	646	31.3	20.5	60.2
2012	598	36.2	16.5	58.9
2013	608	39.4	15.4	60.7
2014	580	35.1	16.5	60.9
2015	540	34.0	15.8	58.3
2016	559	31.0	18.0	60.6
2017	539	32.0	16.8	60.1
2018	595	34.0	17.5	62.5
2019	532	39.0	13.6	61.8
2020	556	33.0	16.8	65.8
2021	486	30.0	16.2	60.1
2022	518	35.1	14.7	57.1
2023	488	34.6	14.0	68.6
2024	471	32.8	14.3	58.4

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 Homer Iddings Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$424 (4.6%)	$8,802 (95.4%)	$9,226
2020	$924 (10.0%)	$8,284 (90.0%)	$9,208
2021	$1,824 (17.5%)	$8,605 (82.5%)	$10,429
2022	$1,784 (16.7%)	$8,889 (83.3%)	$10,674

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Homer Iddings 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 673^rd of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 831^st of 1016 Elementary schools	16.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Homer Iddings Elementary School)	41.5	22.8	18.7%
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 (Homer Iddings Elementary School)	50.9	34.8	16.1%
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 (Homer Iddings Elementary School)	45.8	21.1	24.8%
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 (Homer Iddings Elementary School)	49	22.1	26.9%
4th Grade Math (Merrillville Community School Corp)	54.5	33.5	21%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Homer Iddings Elementary School)	31.3	11.8	19.5%
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	532	488	8.3%
African American	287	290	1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	7	6	14.3%
Hispanic	133	89	33.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	71	64	9.9%
Two or More Races	34	36	5.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	61.8%	68.6%	6.8%

Schools Near Homer Iddings 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Timothy Ball Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	720 W Summit St	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	Crown Point Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 663-0047	634	38	16.6	32.3%	434 (68.5%)	32 (5.0%)	131 (20.7%)	19 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	15 (2.4%)	71.8	273^rd of 1010 public elementary schools	73.0%		81.5	165^th of 1016 public elementary schools	83.8%	108	29.5	46.6	46.9				41.2	59.0	66.0	61.2				62.2	56.7	$10,317	$650	$9,667
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
Peifer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1824 S Cline	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-5335	444	29	15.5	38.1%	238 (53.6%)	57 (12.8%)	111 (25.0%)	14 (3.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.0%)	66.8	332^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	67.1%		69.8	306^th of 1016 public elementary schools	69.9%	26	50.0	45.1					47.2	57.9	52.0					54.5		$11,444	$345	$11,099
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Homer Iddings Elementary School

How many students attend Homer Iddings Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 471 students attended Homer Iddings Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Homer Iddings Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Homer Iddings Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

What is the racial makeup of Homer Iddings Elementary School?

Students at Homer Iddings Elementary School are 63% African American, 17% Hispanic, 12% White, 6% Two or more races.

Is Homer Iddings Elementary School a good school?

Homer Iddings Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.8% of Indiana elementary schools.

What district is Homer Iddings Elementary School in?

Merrillville Community School Corp

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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.