1
What's one thing James H Watson Elementary School gets right about preparing students for what comes next?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
660
Elementary
DISTRICT 540 · STATE 436
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·LAKE CENTRAL SCHOOL CORPORATION·NCES 180545000981
James H Watson Elementary School
333 W 77th St, Schererville, IN 46375 · (219) 322-1365 · Lake County
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL660 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 69% of Indiana public elementary schools
- A-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Indiana public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
17.1:1
39 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.2:1 · STATE 15.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
24%
157 students
DISTRICT 27% · STATE 50%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 114 | 17% |
| Kindergarten | 110 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 94 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 121 | 18% |
| Grade 3 | 113 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 108 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (110) is about the same size as its 4th grade class (108).
Student demographics
60%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 56% · STATE 57% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
ILEARN 2024-25 . % At or Above ProficiencyEnglish Language Arts
55.1%
IN avg 39.2%
Math
63.4%
IN avg 41.1%
What this means: On the ILEARN, Indiana's statewide test, about 55 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 63 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Indiana schools, those numbers are about 39 and 41.
Source: ILEARN. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
59.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
58.7%
based on IN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+0.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 59% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 59% typical for Indiana schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Indiana's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like James H Watson Elementary School
James H Watson Elementary School's state test result (59.0% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| James H Watson Elementary School this school | 660 | 23.8% | 59.0% |
| Washington Woods Elementary School Westfield | 691 | 24.6% | 55.3% |
| George Bibich Elementary School Dyer | 547 | 21.8% | 63.3% |
| Deer Creek Elementary Noblesville | 613 | 25.3% | 64.9% |
| Jerry Ross Elementary School Crown Point | 650 | 21.2% | 65.5% |
| Red Cedars Elementary Cedar Lake | 666 | 19.8% | 57.5% |
Matched among Indiana elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where James H Watson Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Indiana | In Lake County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 59.0% | #168 of 983 | #15 of 61 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 63.4% | #205 of 986 | #17 of 61 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 55.1% | #172 of 986 | #10 of 61 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 660 | #110 of 1,079 | #7 of 70 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 17.1:1 | #794 of 991 | #43 of 69 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 60.3% | #272 of 996 | #25 of 69 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 23.8% | #970 of 1,058 | #61 of 70 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +20.9% | #88 of 353 | #10 of 26 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
660
+137 (+26%) vs 2020
+3% since 1990-91, when it was 641
Student : Teacher
17.1:1
was 10.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 660 | 38.5 | 17.1:1 | 24% (157) |
| 2023-24 | 655 | 38 | 17.2:1 | 23% (153) |
| 2022-23 | 656 | 38.8 | 16.9:1 | 24% (160) |
| 2020-21 | 523 | 49 | 10.7:1 | 22% (115) |
| 2017-18 | 546 | 27 | 20.2:1 | 28% (152) |
| 2015-16 | 573 | 28 | 20.5:1 | 19% (110) |
| 2010-11 | 648 | 31 | 20.9:1 | 15% (94) |
| 2000-01 | 617 | 30 | 20.6:1 | 9% (54) |
| 1990-91 | 641 | 31 | 20.7:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for James H Watson Elementary School.
About James H Watson Elementary School
James H Watson Elementary School is a large elementary school in Lake Central School Corporation, located in Schererville, Indiana. There are 660 students enrolled, covering pre-K through 4. Across elementary schools in Indiana, the average enrollment is about 436.
James H Watson Elementary School is one school in Lake Central School Corporation, a system of 10 schools with 8,985 students.
More than half of enrollment at James H Watson Elementary School is White: 58%. The remaining shares are 21% Hispanic, 12% Black, 5% multiracial, and 3% Asian. In Lake County overall, the White share is about 55%. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 60%.
The school had 38.5 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25. Its student-to-teacher ratio is 17.1:1. The gap from the 15.5:1 average for elementary schools in Indiana is 1.6 students per teacher. The school reported 24% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25. The average for public schools in Lake County is 47%.
James H Watson Elementary School holds a B+ allk12 Grade, placing it above 69% of Indiana public elementary schools.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, James H Watson Elementary School is within a point of its prediction. Actual: 59.0%. Predicted: 58.7%.
Lake County is the school's county. There, median household income comes to about $71,493, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 26%, and about 11% of people live in poverty. Lake County's 121 public schools enroll about 74,661 students and include James H Watson Elementary School.
Michael Grimmer Middle School is less than a tenth of a mile away, making it the nearest public school. There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles. James H Watson Elementary School ranks 3rd of 8 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 59.0% against a local average of 55.5%.
Its NCES locale code is Suburb: Large: the school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment was 660 in 2024-25. In 2020-21, it was 523. The student-to-teacher ratio went up from 10.7:1 to 17.1:1.
Anyone can start a thread about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures at James H Watson Elementary School. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Lake County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
500,379
Census ACS
Median income
$71,493
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
121
74,661 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Lake Central School Corporation
- Lake Central High SchoolHigh · 2,926 students
- Hal E Clark Middle SchoolMiddle · 1,032 students
- Kahler Middle SchoolMiddle · 971 students
- Michael Grimmer Middle SchoolMiddle · 814 students
- Protsman Elementary SchoolElementary · 614 students
- George Bibich Elementary SchoolElementary · 547 students
Other schools in Schererville
- Michael Grimmer Middle SchoolMiddle · 814 students
- Homan Elementary SchoolElementary · 472 students
- Peifer Elementary SchoolElementary · 420 students
Nearby schools
- Michael Grimmer Middle School0.0 mi · 814
- Lake Central High School1.1 mi · 2,926
- Homan Elementary School1.3 mi · 472
- Kolling Elementary School1.4 mi · 529
- Peifer Elementary School1.5 mi · 420
- Hal E Clark Middle School2.2 mi · 1,032
Frequently asked questions
About James H Watson Elementary SchoolHow large is James H Watson Elementary School?
James H Watson Elementary School enrolls approximately 660 students in grades PK-04.
Is James H Watson Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
James H Watson Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-04.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James H Watson Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at James H Watson Elementary School is approximately 17.1:1 (39 FTE teachers).
How diverse is James H Watson Elementary School?
James H Watson Elementary School reports a student body of 58% White, 21% Hispanic, 12% Black, 3% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is James H Watson Elementary School public or private?
James H Watson Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Lake Central School Corporation.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.