Madison Elementary School

Madison Elementary School, an one-room-style elementary-level community in Wakarusa, Indiana, overseen by Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp, enrolls 117 students, covering grades K through 5. By comparison, Indiana's public schools average about 436 students each, so Madison Elementary School sits 73% smaller than that benchmark.

Madison Elementary School is one of 15 schools operated by Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp, a district that hosts 11,329 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Madison Elementary School lists that 92% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. The remainder consists of 3% Hispanic, 3% Black. The wider county runs roughly 71% White, putting the school's mix noticeably more White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.6:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.5:1, putting Madison Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 38% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, St. Joseph County runs at roughly 46%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Madison Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.9%; this one delivers 57.4%.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for St. Joseph County put the typical household earns roughly $66,868 per year, roughly 34% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Across St. Joseph County's 73 public schools (combined enrollment of about 35,614 students), Madison Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Wakarusa Elementary School, around 4.6 miles off. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Madison Elementary School at 3rd of 7; the average score across the group is 50.5%.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 8%: 127 students in 2018 compared to 117 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 87% to 92% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 14.2:1 in 2018 to 10.6:1 today.

On this page, members of the Madison Elementary School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.