Best Public Schools in Pekin, IN

Pekin, Indiana is served by three public schools — all part of the East Washington School Corp — covering grades PK through 12 with a combined enrollment of 1,316 students. The district as a whole ranks 187 of 374 in Indiana (50th percentile, 3 stars), but that middle-of-the-pack figure masks large differences among its schools.

East Washington Elementary School (PK–4, 506 students) is the standout, ranked 194 of 1,015 schools (81st percentile, 4 stars) in 2025-26, up from 68th percentile in 2023-24. Its all-grade ILEARN proficiency — 55.88% in ELA, 65.88% in Math, and 51.25% in Science — beats the district in every subject, and it exceeds the state at every tested elementary grade and subject. East Washington Middle School (5–8, 418 students) sits at the 43rd percentile with 2 stars, down from 65th percentile in 2023-24; ELA (35.62%), Math (30.34%), and Science (35.05%) all trail the district, though 5th grade Social Studies (56.25% vs. state 47.2%) is a bright spot. Eastern High School (9–12, 392 students) ranks at the 24th percentile with 1 star, and its SAT results are far below the state: 31.25% in Evidence-based Reading and Writing and 7.5% in Math.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, rising from 19.7% at the elementary school to 25.9% at the middle school to 35.4% at the high school — all above the state rate of 16.7%. Notably, the elementary has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (41.5%) and the largest classes (18.0 students per teacher) yet the best outcomes, while the high school spends the most per student ($11,945) and ranks lowest. The high school's graduation rate of 90.4% is above the state's 89.7%, so completion is comparatively strong even where college-readiness measures lag.