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Virgil I Bailey Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

855^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Virgil I Bailey Elementary School is a K-5 school in Lake Station, Indiana, serving 235 students as part of Lake Station Community Schools. The school is ranked 855th of 1,015 Indiana elementary schools in 2025-2026 (16th percentile, 1 star), while its district ranks 328th of 374 districts (12th percentile, 1 star). It serves a high-poverty population: 86.38% of students were eligible for free/reduced lunch in 2024-2025, the highest rate among nearby comparison schools, and 31.3% of students were chronically absent that year.

Academically, math is Virgil I Bailey's clearest relative strength. In 2025-2026, math proficiency was 28.15%, above the district's 21.06%, and 5th grade math (29.55%) slightly exceeded the district's 28.99%. English language arts is the biggest weakness: overall ELA was 14.93% versus the district's 17.63%, and 4th grade ELA was just 4.35%, compared with 16.67% in the district and 42.2% statewide — the lowest 4th grade ELA result among nearby schools. Science also fell sharply, from 31.11% in 2024-2025 to 15.22% in 2025-2026. By contrast, the other Lake Station school, Alexander Hamilton Elementary School, posted ELA 29.47%, Math 37.89%, and Science 34.21%, with lower absenteeism (22.6%) and a lower free/reduced lunch rate (76.5%).

Attendance is a critical area. At 31.3% chronic absenteeism, Virgil is nearly double Indiana's 16.7% rate, up from 21.7% in 2023-2024, and higher than every Portage and Hobart school in the comparison set; only Banneker Elementary at Marquette (46.2%) and Charter School of the Dunes (30.8%) were similar or higher. Notably, the school spends $12,192 per student and has the smallest student-teacher ratio (13.5) among nearby schools, yet proficiency remains low, suggesting class size and basic funding alone are not the deciding factors. Over the past decade, Virgil has slipped from 2 stars and mid-30th percentile to 1 star and mid-teens percentile.

235

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,192

Per pupil spending ?

86.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2100 Union St
Lake Station, IN 46405

(219) 962-1302

District: Lake Station Community Schools

Students who attend Virgil I Bailey Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Thomas A Edison Junior-Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.1%

White:

33.6%

African American:

11.1%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Virgil I Bailey Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 36th percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (21% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school21%

District avg20%

Indiana avg47%

855^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From bottom 36% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Lake Station Community Schools

328^th of 374Lake Station Community Schools among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	855 of 1015	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.5	831 of 1005	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.2	858 of 1011	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	830 of 1016	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	763 of 1020	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.1	800 of 1016	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.9	683 of 1031	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	691 of 1027	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	41.9	678 of 1033	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	46.1	666 of 1046	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	63.7	398 of 1040	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	54.9	549 of 1036	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.3	541 of 1035	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	56.8	505 of 1015	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.7	317 of 1025	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.4	423 of 1009	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	42.6	685 of 1003	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	27.3	816 of 996	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.9	823 of 985	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	17.2	867 of 961	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	16.1	866 of 959	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	19.9	298 of 326	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Math28%

Social Studies27%-20 vs state

Science15%

English Language Arts15%

★

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Schools Near Virgil I Bailey Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)							ILEARN Math (2026)							ILEARN Science (2026)			ILEARN Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th 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 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th Grade	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Virgil I Bailey Elementary School	Public	K-5	2100 Union St	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	Lake Station Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1302	235	17	13.5	86.4%	79 (33.6%)	26 (11.1%)	106 (45.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.8%)	16.4	855^th of 1015 public elementary schools	15.8%		18.5	831^st of 1005 public elementary schools	17.3%	24	15.9	4.4	25.0				14.9	26.7	28.3	29.6				28.2	15.2		15.2	27.3	$12,192	$1,678	$10,513
Charter School of the Dunes	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	7300 East Melton Rd	Gary	46403	Lake County	Charter School of the Dunes	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 939-9690	836	47	17.7	67.5%	9 (1.1%)	708 (84.7%)	74 (8.9%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.5%)	6.9	972^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	4.2%		5.8	980^th of 1005 public elementary schools	2.5%	8	8.1	13.6	7.4	10.4	19.3	32.1	15.1	14.0	18.5	7.4	11.7	5.7	8.8	10.7	12.5	9.1	10.6	13.8	$13,255	$3,152	$10,103
George L Myers Elementary School	Public	K-5	3100 Willowdale	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8035	332	22	15.0	41.3%	182 (54.8%)	20 (6.0%)	101 (30.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (7.8%)	53.6	478^th of 1015 public elementary schools	52.9%		44.2	579^th of 1005 public elementary schools	42.4%	101	45.8	49.2	52.8				49.4	50.0	55.6	26.4				44.5	25.4		25.4	45.3	$11,588	$1,273	$10,315
John I Meister Elementary School	Public	K-5	3300 Jay St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	River Forest Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1103	373	23	16.5	72.9%	136 (36.5%)	40 (10.7%)	168 (45.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.2%)	15.7	864^th of 1015 public elementary schools	14.9%		11.7	900^th of 1005 public elementary schools	10.4%	36	24.5	12.9	14.1				16.5	32.7	33.3	11.3				24.6	30.7		30.7	12.7	$10,504	$1,108	$9,396
Alexander Hamilton Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 Lake St	Lake Station	46405	Lake County	Lake Station Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 962-1824	200	14	13.9	76.5%	70 (35.0%)	16 (8.0%)	100 (50.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.0%)	33.3	691^st of 1015 public elementary schools	31.9%		17.3	842^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	16.2%	151	31.3	31.6	24.0				29.5	43.8	39.5	28.0				37.9	34.2		34.2	32.0	$12,913	$1,971	$10,943
Central Elementary School	Public	K-5	2825 Russell St	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8015	409	25	16.3	48.9%	187 (45.7%)	64 (15.6%)	121 (29.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (8.3%)	24	788^th of 1015 public elementary schools	22.4%		25.8	768^th of 1005 public elementary schools	23.6%	20	31.8	30.4	20.6				27.6	30.3	33.3	17.7				27.1	33.3		33.3	20.6	$10,864	$777	$10,087
Wallace Aylesworth Elementary	Public	K-5	5910 Central Ave	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8010	401	26	15.4	48.6%	181 (45.1%)	81 (20.2%)	99 (24.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	22.6	802^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	21.0%		24.3	782^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	22.2%	20	32.1	33.9	22.8				29.3	33.3	32.8	14.1				26.5	23.4		23.4	19.2	$10,347	$700	$9,647
Banneker Elementary at Marquette	Public	K-5	6401 Hemlock Ave	Gary	46403	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 321-8545	293	16	18.0	64.8%	5 (1.7%)	274 (93.5%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	6.5	976^th of 1015 public elementary schools	3.8%		8	952^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	5.3%	24	19.3	7.0	7.3				12.1	14.0	7.0	7.1				9.9	9.3		9.3	12.5	$18,627	$5,373	$13,254
Liberty Elementary School	Public	1-5	130 N Liberty St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-4251	398	22	18.5	58.0%	215 (54.0%)	52 (13.1%)	113 (28.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	61	385^th of 1015 public elementary schools	62.1%		55.4	454^th of 1005 public elementary schools	54.8%	69	40.0	44.2	40.0				41.3	57.3	61.0	57.8				58.7	40.3		40.3	42.2	$11,550	$1,022	$10,528
Crisman Elementary School	Public	K-5	6161 Old Porter Rd	Portage	46368	Porter County	Portage Township Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 763-8020	343	24	14.2	45.2%	167 (48.7%)	57 (16.6%)	93 (27.1%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.4%)	51.1	509^th of 1015 public elementary schools	49.9%		40.4	619^th of 1005 public elementary schools	38.4%	110	47.2	33.3	64.8				48.5	52.8	24.1	51.9				42.9	24.1		24.1	44.4	$11,181	$701	$10,479

Frequently Asked Questions about Virgil I Bailey Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Virgil I Bailey Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Virgil I Bailey Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Thomas A Edison Junior-Senior High School

How many students attend Virgil I Bailey Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 235 students attended Virgil I Bailey Elementary School.

What district is Virgil I Bailey Elementary School in?

Lake Station Community Schools

What is the racial makeup of Virgil I Bailey Elementary School?

Students at Virgil I Bailey Elementary School are 45% Hispanic, 34% White, 11% African American, 10% Two or more races.

Is Virgil I Bailey Elementary School a good school?

Virgil I Bailey Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.8% of Indiana elementary schools.

Rate Virgil I Bailey Elementary School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresNewSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJul 16, 2025

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.