Wakarusa Elementary School

Summary:

Wakarusa Elementary School is a public K-5 school in Wakarusa, Indiana, part of the highly-ranked Wa-Nee Community Schools district. With 553 students, the school stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, ranking among the top 100 elementary schools in Indiana.

Wakarusa Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state averages in ILEARN/English Language Arts (60.42% proficient) and ILEARN/Math (71.88% proficient), placing it in the top 10% of Indiana elementary schools. The school also maintains low chronic absenteeism rates, suggesting high student engagement. Compared to nearby schools like Concord West Side Elementary and Concord South Side Elementary, Wakarusa has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively higher socioeconomic status.

While Wakarusa Elementary has a predominantly White student population, it is more racially diverse than some nearby schools like Madison Elementary and Jimtown Elementary. The school's increased spending per student, from $7,751 in 2018-2019 to $9,786 in 2021-2022, may contribute to its strong academic performance and consistent high ranking within the Wa-Nee Community Schools district and the state of Indiana.

Detail:

Public K-5

400 N Washington St
Wakarusa, IN 46573

(574) 862-2000

District: Wa-Nee Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
72^nd of 1,010 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,786

Students who attend Wakarusa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	North Wood Middle School
High:	North Wood High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.4

Number of students: 557

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.1%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.8%

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Compare Wakarusa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wakarusa Elementary School ranks better than 92.9% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Wa-Nee Community Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.85. (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 Wakarusa Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Wa-Nee Community Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (83.1%), Hispanic (7.4%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 33.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Wa-Nee Community Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wakarusa Elementary School is 15.4, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Wa-Nee Community Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Wakarusa Elementary School employs 36 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wakarusa Elementary School is $9,786, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Wa-Nee Community Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Wa-Nee Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wa-Nee Community Schools 30^th of 381 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Wakarusa Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	81.58	105^th	959	89.1%
2006	72.27	224^th	961	76.7%
2007	73.64	209^th	985	78.8%
2008	56.62	493^rd	996	50.5%
2009	81.81	116^th	1003	88.4%
2010	75.04	216^th	1009	78.6%
2011	71.06	278^th	1025	72.9%
2012	71.99	260^th	1015	74.4%
2013	80.14	137^th	1035	86.8%
2014	81.51	115^th	1036	88.9%
2015	65.74	366^th	1040	64.8%
2016	79.21	168^th	1046	83.9%
2017	76.80	201^st	1033	80.5%
2018	77.92	191^st	1027	81.4%
2019	84.79	112^th	1031	89.1%
2021	89.06	79^th	1016	92.2%
2022	93.67	36^th	1020	96.5%
2023	86.83	100^th	1016	90.2%
2024	89.85	72^nd	1010	92.9%

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 Wakarusa Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1993	460	1	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	465
1994	446	2	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
1995	561	0	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	570
1996	561	0	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	1	570
1997	556	3	8	10	0	n/a	n/a	1	578
1998	551	5	7	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	572
1999	558	3	6	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	576
2000	534	1	8	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	550
2001	519	2	4	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	536
2002	542	6	3	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	563
2003	542	6	3	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	563
2004	468	12	4	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	504
2005	497	14	5	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	541
2006	497	13	4	29	3	n/a	n/a	0	546
2007	492	11	7	27	4	n/a	n/a	23	564
2008	502	9	8	37	6	n/a	n/a	22	584
2009	477	6	8	42	5	n/a	n/a	20	558
2010	486	8	8	35	5	n/a	n/a	26	568
2011	486	12	6	38	1	0	21	0	564
2012	472	11	5	42	1	0	23	0	554
2013	481	8	2	44	0	0	27	0	562
2014	460	17	1	46	0	0	31	0	555
2015	458	14	1	56	1	0	30	0	560
2016	423	5	1	53	1	0	31	0	514
2017	427	11	1	53	1	0	29	0	522
2018	418	12	3	51	1	0	31	0	516
2019	421	11	3	53	1	0	33	0	522
2020	428	10	2	54	0	0	25	0	519
2021	432	8	3	50	2	0	31	0	526
2022	431	11	3	41	2	0	32	0	520
2023	452	13	4	47	3	1	33	0	553
2024	463	12	3	41	4	1	33	0	557

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 Wakarusa Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	465	23.0	20.2	n/a
1994	456	23.8	19.2	n/a
1995	570	28.2	20.2	n/a
1996	570	28.2	20.2	n/a
1997	578	29.7	19.5	n/a
1998	572	29.9	19.1	7.3
1999	576	28.8	20.0	11.1
2000	550	27.1	20.3	12.2
2001	536	26.5	20.2	10.3
2002	563	26.7	21.1	17.6
2003	563	26.7	21.1	17.6
2004	504	24.3	20.7	18.1
2005	541	25.9	20.9	19.4
2006	546	26.0	21.0	21.2
2007	564	n/a	n/a	24.2
2008	584	29.8	19.6	28.1
2009	558	26.0	21.5	33.1
2010	568	26.8	21.1	39.1
2011	564	26.9	20.9	35.5
2012	554	25.5	21.7	35.2
2013	562	28.5	19.7	35.8
2014	555	28.5	19.4	29.7
2015	560	28.0	20.0	33
2016	514	25.0	20.5	31.9
2017	522	25.7	20.3	27
2018	516	26.7	19.3	28.5
2019	522	25.6	20.3	28.7
2020	519	26.0	19.8	28.9
2021	526	27.2	19.3	27
2022	520	29.5	17.6	26.5
2023	553	32.0	17.2	35.4
2024	557	36.0	15.4	33.8

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 Wakarusa Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	465	23.0	20.2	n/a
1994	456	23.8	19.2	n/a
1995	570	28.2	20.2	n/a
1996	570	28.2	20.2	n/a
1997	578	29.7	19.5	n/a
1998	572	29.9	19.1	7.3
1999	576	28.8	20.0	11.1
2000	550	27.1	20.3	12.2
2001	536	26.5	20.2	10.3
2002	563	26.7	21.1	17.6
2003	563	26.7	21.1	17.6
2004	504	24.3	20.7	18.1
2005	541	25.9	20.9	19.4
2006	546	26.0	21.0	21.2
2007	564	n/a	n/a	24.2
2008	584	29.8	19.6	28.1
2009	558	26.0	21.5	33.1
2010	568	26.8	21.1	39.1
2011	564	26.9	20.9	35.5
2012	554	25.5	21.7	35.2
2013	562	28.5	19.7	35.8
2014	555	28.5	19.4	29.7
2015	560	28.0	20.0	33
2016	514	25.0	20.5	31.9
2017	522	25.7	20.3	27
2018	516	26.7	19.3	28.5
2019	522	25.6	20.3	28.7
2020	519	26.0	19.8	28.9
2021	526	27.2	19.3	27
2022	520	29.5	17.6	26.5
2023	553	32.0	17.2	35.4
2024	557	36.0	15.4	33.8

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 Wakarusa Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$222 (2.9%)	$7,528 (97.1%)	$7,750
2020	$348 (4.4%)	$7,531 (95.6%)	$7,879
2021	$754 (8.5%)	$8,122 (91.5%)	$8,877
2022	$1,111 (11.4%)	$8,674 (88.6%)	$9,786

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wakarusa 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 112^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 100^th of 1016 Elementary schools	1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wakarusa Elementary School)	65.4	55.2	10.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	58	51.2	6.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Wakarusa Elementary School)	80.8	63.5	17.3%
3rd Grade Math (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	76.1	62.4	13.7%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wakarusa Elementary School)	65.1	56.8	8.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	56.6	54.8	1.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Wakarusa Elementary School)	67.5	67.4	0.1%
4th Grade Math (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	67.1	65.8	1.3%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Wakarusa Elementary School)	65.1	51.1	14%
4th Grade Science (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	60.5	44.9	15.6%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wakarusa Elementary School)	61.7	68.7	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	59.7	66.5	6.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Wakarusa Elementary School)	72.3	77.1	4.8%
5th Grade Math (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	69.9	72.5	2.6%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Wakarusa Elementary School)	57.4	68.3	10.9%
5th Grade Social Studies (Wa-Nee Community Schools)	57.2	55.8	1.4%
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	522	553	5.9%
African American	11	13	18.2%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	3	4	33.3%
Hispanic	53	47	11.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	421	452	7.4%
Two or More Races	33	33
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	28.7%	35.4%	6.7%

Schools Near Wakarusa 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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th 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
Wakarusa Elementary School	Public	K-5	400 N Washington St	Wakarusa	46573	Elkhart County	Wa-Nee Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(574) 862-2000	557	36	15.4	33.8%	463 (83.1%)	12 (2.2%)	41 (7.4%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.9%)	89.9	72^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	92.9%		86.8	100^th of 1016 public elementary schools	90.2%	28	65.6	54.1	61.7		60.4	80.2	68.4	67.0		71.9	59.6	$9,786	$1,111	$8,674
Madison Elementary School	Public	K-5	66030 Dogwood Rd	Wakarusa	46573	Elkhart County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 633-4531	132	11	12.0	40.9%	118 (89.4%)	3 (2.3%)	7 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	71.7	274^th of 1010 public elementary schools	72.9%		73.8	250^th of 1016 public elementary schools	75.4%	24	52.4	53.3	52.6		52.7	52.4	40.0	52.6		49.1	52.6	$11,470	$308	$11,162
Woodview Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 E Woodview Dr	Nappanee	46550	Elkhart County	Wa-Nee Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 773-3117	405	29	14.0	44.9%	333 (82.2%)	4 (1.0%)	52 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)	69	307^th of 1010 public elementary schools	69.6%		74.4	239^th of 1016 public elementary schools	76.5%	68	35.3	43.9	66.7		49.2	47.1	48.3	66.7		54.6	48.6	$10,744	$1,662	$9,083
Nappanee Elementary School	Public	K-5	755 E Van Buren St	Nappanee	46550	Elkhart County	Wa-Nee Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 773-7421	363	26	14.0	47.9%	301 (82.9%)	7 (1.9%)	41 (11.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	74.9	238^th of 1010 public elementary schools	76.4%		81.1	173^rd of 1016 public elementary schools	83.0%	65	65.5	39.4	52.9		52.0	74.6	66.7	59.6		67.2	27.5	$11,175	$1,393	$9,783
Jimtown Elementary School	Public	K-2	58901 Cr 3 S	Elkhart	46517	Elkhart County	Baugo Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 522-0379	396	24	16.5	18.9%	296 (74.7%)	3 (0.8%)	64 (16.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)								(n/a)												$10,416	$870	$9,547
Jimtown Intermediate School	Public	3-6	58703 Cr 3 S	Elkhart	46517	Elkhart County	Baugo Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 294-2158	562	30	18.6	18.0%	425 (75.6%)	6 (1.1%)	84 (14.9%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.5%)	85.8	115^th of 1010 public elementary schools	88.6%		81.1	172^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	83.1%	57	58.7	55.9	52.0	55.1	55.4	89.7	79.0	64.3	63.5	73.6	35.7	$8,284	$479	$7,806
Concord West Side Elementary School	Public	K-4	230 W Mishawaka Rd	Elkhart	46517	Elkhart County	Concord Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 293-2531	521	34	15.5	81.0%	69 (13.2%)	54 (10.4%)	375 (72.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	21.4	794^th of 1010 public elementary schools	21.4%		14.7	865^th of 1016 public elementary schools	14.9%	71	23.1	22.9			23.0	37.5	23.7			30.2		$10,224	$1,438	$8,786
Elm Road Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	59400 Elm Rd	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 259-3743	515	32	16.2	41.2%	366 (71.1%)	46 (8.9%)	52 (10.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.1%)	71.2	282^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	72.1%		76.4	215^th of 1016 public elementary schools	78.8%	67	40.0	58.7	52.0		50.2	44.6	54.7	54.6		51.3	53.3	$8,776	$669	$8,107
Concord South Side Elementary School	Public	K-4	23702 Arlene Ave	Elkhart	46517	Elkhart County	Concord Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 875-6565	411	31	13.4	69.6%	158 (38.4%)	86 (20.9%)	129 (31.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.5%)	23.3	778^th of 1010 public elementary schools	23.0%		13.1	882^nd of 1016 public elementary schools	13.2%	104	31.0	14.8			22.4	35.7	28.4			31.8		$11,519	$1,380	$10,140
Premier Arts Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2721 Prairie St.	Elkhart	46517	St. Joseph County	Premier Arts Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(574) 361-1258	191	17	11.2		103 (53.9%)	21 (11.0%)	41 (21.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (13.6%)	21.2	800^th of 1010 public elementary schools	20.8%					(n/a)	33.3	18.2	24.0	29.2	26.7	20.0	18.2	16.0	12.5	16.8	20.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Wakarusa Elementary School

How many students attend Wakarusa Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 557 students attended Wakarusa Elementary School.

What district is Wakarusa Elementary School in?

Wa-Nee Community Schools

What schools do graduates of Wakarusa Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : North Wood Middle School
High : North Wood High School

What is the racial makeup of Wakarusa Elementary School?

Students at Wakarusa Elementary School are 83% White, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Is Wakarusa Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Wakarusa Elementary School ranks in the top 7.1% of Indiana elementary schools.

Rate Wakarusa 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.