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Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Indiana Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Indiana Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

Judith Morton Johnston Elementary

Q: Is Judith Morton Johnston Elementary a good school?

Judith Morton Johnston Elementary ranks 494 th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

494^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Judith Morton Johnston Elementary is a public elementary school located in Highland, Indiana, serving 376 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the School Town of Highland district, which is ranked 116 out of 380 districts in Indiana and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school's per-student spending has increased over the years, reaching $9,870 in the 2023-2024 school year, its academic performance has been lagging behind its peers. Allen J Warren Elementary and Southridge Elementary, also in the School Town of Highland district, have higher proficiency rates in ILEARN/English Language Arts, ILEARN/Math, and ILEARN/Science compared to Judith Morton Johnston Elementary. Additionally, the school has experienced a steady increase in chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 17.8% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is higher than the nearby schools in the district.

Furthermore, Judith Morton Johnston Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 36.41% in the 2021-2022 school year to 53.57% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the rates at Mildred Merkley Elementary and Southridge Elementary. The school's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past several years, suggesting that its performance is not keeping pace with other elementary schools in the state.

383

Students ?

24.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,870

Per pupil spending ?

46.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8220 Fifth St
Highland, IN 46322

(219) 923-2428

District: School Town of Highland

Students who attend Judith Morton Johnston Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Highland Middle School
High:	Highland High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.8%

Hispanic:

39.9%

African American:

8.1%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Judith Morton Johnston Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 64th percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Indiana median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2015

!Near the bottom of School Town of Highland's ranking

!Large classes — about 25 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg46%

Indiana avg38%

494^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the School Town of Highland

116^th of 380School Town of Highland 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
2025	51.3	494 of 1005	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.1	366 of 1011	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.5	344 of 1016	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	401 of 1020	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.2	505 of 1016	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	334 of 1031	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.1	307 of 1027	70.1%	★★★★☆
2017	78.4	179 of 1033	82.7%	★★★★☆
2016	77.7	187 of 1046	82.1%	★★★★☆
2015	65.1	377 of 1040	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.0	343 of 1036	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	64.1	412 of 1035	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.9	393 of 1015	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.8	330 of 1025	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	80.5	131 of 1009	87.0%	★★★★☆
2009	74.1	227 of 1003	77.4%	★★★★☆
2008	72.8	221 of 996	77.8%	★★★★☆
2007	49.4	590 of 985	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	34.6	716 of 961	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	47.9	580 of 959	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	53.9	181 of 326	44.5%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Science48%

Math47%

Social Studies35%-3 vs state

English Language Arts35%

★

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Schools Near Judith Morton Johnston Elementary

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ILEARN English Language Arts (2025)					ILEARN Math (2025)					ILEARN Science (2025)			ILEARN Social Studies (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th 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
Judith Morton Johnston Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8220 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-2428	383	16	24.7	46.2%	183 (47.8%)	31 (8.1%)	153 (39.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.9%)	51.3	494^th of 1005 public elementary schools	50.8%		64.1	366^th of 1011 public elementary schools	63.8%	128	31.4	42.0	32.4		34.5	54.3	45.1	41.9		47.2	48.0		48.0	35.1	$9,870	$557	$9,312
Joseph Hess Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3640 Orchard Dr	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7355	611	36	16.8	50.2%	66 (10.8%)	249 (40.8%)	264 (43.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.6%)	9.8	922^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	8.3%		15.4	864^th of 1011 public elementary schools	14.5%	58	8.4	10.7	18.0	10.5	11.7	15.6	22.6	15.4	5.3	15.0	17.9	10.5	14.4	20.5	$11,020	$2,131	$8,889
Southridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	9221 Johnston St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5650	439	20	22.5	42.4%	233 (53.1%)	36 (8.2%)	150 (34.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.6%)	64.6	342^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	66.0%		54.8	470^th of 1011 public elementary schools	53.5%	128	42.6	50.0	35.2		42.7	60.7	59.7	42.3		53.9	52.8		52.8	38.6	$10,047	$478	$9,570
Mildred Merkley Elementary School	Public	K-5	9340 Fifth St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5640	290	14	21.4	47.9%	112 (38.6%)	26 (9.0%)	129 (44.5%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	59.3	413^th of 1005 public elementary schools	58.9%		64.4	361^st of 1011 public elementary schools	64.3%	52	43.8	52.0	35.6		44.1	58.3	62.0	31.1		51.1	48.0		48.0	26.7	$10,683	$529	$10,154
Ernest R Elliott Elementary School	Public	K-5	8718 White Oak Ave	Munster	46321	Lake County	School Town of Munster	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 838-5250	463	31	14.7	24.8%	261 (56.4%)	15 (3.2%)	146 (31.5%)	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	85.9	126^th of 1005 public elementary schools	87.5%		86.5	109^th of 1011 public elementary schools	89.2%	17	65.2	48.8	70.9		61.6	80.4	64.3	62.0		69.4	48.8		48.8	65.8	$11,166	$502	$10,664
Allen J Warren Elementary School	Public	K-5	2901 100th St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 922-5660	308	15	21.2	48.7%	113 (36.7%)	60 (19.5%)	108 (35.1%)	14 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	59.2	417^th of 1005 public elementary schools	58.5%		72.9	263^rd of 1011 public elementary schools	74.0%	154	36.5	54.6	34.6		42.1	44.2	61.8	44.2		50.3	52.7		52.7	30.8	$10,750	$531	$10,219
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6940 Northcote Ave	Hammond	46324	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7353	570	36	15.6	49.5%	62 (10.9%)	251 (44.0%)	226 (39.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.9%)	14.1	869^th of 1005 public elementary schools	13.5%		19.7	818^th of 1011 public elementary schools	19.1%	51	21.7	11.2	10.0	21.1	15.4	28.9	19.4	10.0	26.3	20.8	13.3	33.3	20.7	7.5	$13,994	$2,704	$11,290
Warren G Harding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3211 165th St	Hammond	46323	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7351	755	43	17.6	54.4%	107 (14.2%)	235 (31.1%)	370 (49.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.4%)	21.1	804^th of 1005 public elementary schools	20.0%		26.1	759^th of 1011 public elementary schools	24.9%	45	20.9	25.7	25.5	23.3	23.8	22.7	22.0	30.5	28.2	25.8	18.5	12.6	15.6	24.8	$12,652	$2,674	$9,979
Beiriger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 N Lillian St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 924-4030	426	36	12.0	59.9%	177 (41.5%)	76 (17.8%)	153 (35.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.7%)	58.9	419^th of 1005 public elementary schools	58.3%		54.8	472^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	53.3%	53	38.2	38.5	34.2		37.2	55.9	55.1	38.5		50.6	48.7		48.7	49.6	$13,319	$1,460	$11,859
Frank O'Bannon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1317 173rd St	Hammond	46324	Lake County	School City of Hammond	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 989-7360	557	36	15.5	56.4%	55 (9.9%)	285 (51.2%)	186 (33.4%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.0%)	10.2	917^th of 1005 public elementary schools	8.8%		13.2	900^th of 1011 public elementary schools	11.0%	17	26.8	13.0	13.5	11.8	16.5	22.0	2.6	9.5	7.9	10.7	13.0	15.8	14.4	13.5	$13,381	$2,923	$10,458

Frequently Asked Questions about Judith Morton Johnston Elementary

What schools do graduates of Judith Morton Johnston Elementary attend?

Students who attend Judith Morton Johnston Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Highland Middle School
High : Highland High School

How many students attend Judith Morton Johnston Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 383 students attended Judith Morton Johnston Elementary.

What district is Judith Morton Johnston Elementary in?

School Town of Highland

Is Judith Morton Johnston Elementary a good school?

Judith Morton Johnston Elementary ranks 494^th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Judith Morton Johnston Elementary?

Students at Judith Morton Johnston Elementary are 48% White, 40% Hispanic, 8% African American, 4% Two or more races.

Rate Judith Morton Johnston Elementary!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataSep 4, 2025

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

2024–25 ILEARN & SAT test scoresJul 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.