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James H Watson Elementary School

Q: Is James H Watson Elementary School a good school?

James H Watson Elementary School ranks 176 th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

176^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

James H Watson Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in Schererville, Indiana, part of the Lake Central School Corporation, a highly-ranked school district in the state. With 655 students, James H Watson Elementary has consistently been ranked among the top 20% of elementary schools in Indiana over the past several years, currently ranking 176 out of 1,005 Indiana elementary schools.

The school's strong academic performance is evident in its test scores, which consistently outpace the district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 55.14% of 3rd-grade students at James H Watson Elementary were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 52.43% for the district and 40.3% for the state. In math, 63.38% of 3rd-graders were proficient or better, compared to 54.62% for the district. However, the school has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 9.8% in 2020-2021 to 19.2% in 2022-2023, an area the school should address.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Peifer Elementary and Homan Elementary, James H Watson Elementary has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 23.36% in 2023-2024, suggesting it may be serving a more affluent population. The school's spending per student, at $10,430, is higher than the state average but lower than some of its neighbors.

660

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,430

Per pupil spending ?

23.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

333 W 77th St
Schererville, IN 46375

(219) 322-1365

District: Lake Central School Corporation

Students who attend James H Watson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Michael Grimmer Middle School
High:	Lake Central High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.7%

Hispanic:

21.1%

African American:

12.4%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare James H Watson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2015 → 82nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Indiana elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school59%

District avg54%

176^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From top 11% (2015) to top 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Lake Central School Corporation

31^st of 380Lake Central School Corporation 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	80.5	176 of 1005	82.5%	★★★★☆
2024	77.9	203 of 1011	79.9%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	169 of 1016	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.1	130 of 1020	87.3%	★★★★☆
2021	87.1	100 of 1016	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	84.0	121 of 1031	88.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.7	200 of 1027	80.5%	★★★★☆
2017	88.4	63 of 1033	93.9%	★★★★★
2016	89.3	38 of 1046	96.4%	★★★★★
2015	82.9	116 of 1040	88.8%	★★★★☆
2014	75.9	188 of 1036	81.9%	★★★★☆
2013	83.4	86 of 1035	91.7%	★★★★★
2012	83.2	95 of 1015	90.6%	★★★★★
2011	81.8	103 of 1025	90.0%	★★★★★
2010	89.3	32 of 1009	96.8%	★★★★★
2009	91.0	26 of 1003	97.4%	★★★★★
2008	86.2	68 of 996	93.2%	★★★★★
2007	84.4	89 of 985	91.0%	★★★★★
2006	85.8	73 of 961	92.4%	★★★★★
2005	84.8	82 of 959	91.4%	★★★★★

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

Math63%

Science58%

English Language Arts55%

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, May 24, 2019

Watson is amazing school. The teachers take the time to help and educate each and every student. They give free tutoring before school twice a week. It's TRUE dedication! The principal is caring and compassionate toward the students and their family.
Truly the best school system. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, September 29, 2018

Watson School is consistently a good school year after with excellent teaching and a alert focused staff
Thank you for all you do for the children Close Quote

Schools Near James H Watson Elementary School

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 All Grades	ILEARN Math 3rd Grade	ILEARN Math 4th Grade	ILEARN Math 5th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 4th 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
James H Watson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	333 W 77th St	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-1365	660	39	17.1	23.8%	381 (57.7%)	82 (12.4%)	139 (21.1%)	21 (3.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.3%)	80.5	176^th of 1005 public elementary schools	82.5%		77.9	203^rd of 1011 public elementary schools	79.9%	27	59.3	50.9		55.1	66.7	60.0		63.4	58.1	58.1		$10,430	$723	$9,707
Homan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	210 E Joliet	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-4451	472	35	13.4	37.7%	250 (53.0%)	46 (9.7%)	132 (28.0%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.1%)	76.4	217^th of 1005 public elementary schools	78.4%		74	253^rd of 1011 public elementary schools	75.0%	36	46.1	64.0		54.3	50.6	72.0		60.4	58.7	58.7		$15,642	$1,382	$14,261
Kolling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	8801 Wicker Ave	Saint John	46373	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 365-8577	529	36	14.6	14.9%	386 (73.0%)	25 (4.7%)	90 (17.0%)	12 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.0%)	83	151^st of 1005 public elementary schools	85.0%		84.5	136^th of 1011 public elementary schools	86.5%	15	54.1	56.9		55.4	65.9	71.6		68.5	56.0	56.0		$11,019	$179	$10,840
Peifer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1824 S Cline	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-5335	420	30	14.0	36.7%	216 (51.4%)	60 (14.3%)	116 (27.6%)	11 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)	66	327^th of 1005 public elementary schools	67.5%		66.8	332^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	67.2%	5	48.1	47.4		47.8	60.6	50.0		56.0	42.9	42.9		$13,290	$943	$12,348
George Bibich Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	14600 W 81st St	Dyer	46311	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-1185	547	32	17.0	21.8%	348 (63.6%)	32 (5.9%)	134 (24.5%)	17 (3.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	84.6	140^th of 1005 public elementary schools	86.1%		91.7	59^th of 1011 public elementary schools	94.2%	81	46.0	54.6		50.5	75.9	74.8		75.3	64.7	64.7		$10,870	$334	$10,536
Protsman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1121 Harrison	Dyer	46311	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 322-2040	614	42	14.6	31.3%	329 (53.6%)	54 (8.8%)	167 (27.2%)	32 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.0%)	86.1	122^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	87.9%		88	94^th of 1011 public elementary schools	90.7%	28	62.6	54.8		58.8	77.1	65.9		71.6	57.9	57.9		$12,865	$1,404	$11,461
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
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
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-2	12245 W 109th Ave	Cedar Lake	46303	Lake County	Hanover Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 374-3600	305	21	14.2	11.8%	235 (77.0%)	16 (5.2%)	30 (9.8%)	5 (1.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.6%)								(n/a)												$13,699	$127	$13,572
Elsie Wadsworth Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	600 N Jay St	Griffith	46319	Lake County	Griffith Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-4488	477	39	12.2	55.1%	167 (35.0%)	111 (23.3%)	168 (35.2%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.7%)								(n/a)												$15,582	$1,461	$14,121

Frequently Asked Questions about James H Watson Elementary School

What district is James H Watson Elementary School in?

Lake Central School Corporation

What schools do graduates of James H Watson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James H Watson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Michael Grimmer Middle School
High : Lake Central High School

Is James H Watson Elementary School a good school?

James H Watson Elementary School ranks 176^th of 1005 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend James H Watson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 660 students attended James H Watson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of James H Watson Elementary School?

Students at James H Watson Elementary School are 58% White, 21% Hispanic, 12% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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Schools in Schererville, IN

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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.