Walt Disney Elementary School

Walt Disney Elementary School is a middle-of-the-pack elementary-level community in Mishawaka, Indiana, one of the schools within Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. The school educates 512 students in grades K through 5.

Within Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp, which oversees 15 schools and 11,329 students, Walt Disney Elementary School is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Walt Disney Elementary School reports that the largest single group is White at 38%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder consists of 31% Black, 14% Hispanic, 9% multiracial, 8% Asian. By comparison, St. Joseph County as a whole is about 71% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Walt Disney Elementary School shows 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 16.0:1. The state averages about 15.5:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 61% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of St. Joseph County's rate of about 46%.

After controlling for student poverty, Walt Disney Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 32.1%; this one delivers 43.0%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for St. Joseph County put median household income runs about $66,868, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, St. Joseph County runs 73 public schools (combined enrollment of about 35,614 students), of which Walt Disney Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Liberty Elementary School, around 1.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Walt Disney Elementary School at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 28.4%.

Walt Disney Elementary School operates from an urban location.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Walt Disney Elementary School has stayed largely flat, going from 523 students in 2018 to 512 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share decreased from 48% to 38%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 20.1:1 in 2018 to 16.0:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the Walt Disney Elementary School community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.