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Hal E Clark Middle School

Q: Is Hal E Clark Middle School a good school?

Hal E Clark Middle School ranks 60 th of 486 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

60^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 486 Indiana Middle Schools

Better than 88% of Indiana middle schools

Summary

Hal E Clark Middle School in Saint John, Indiana, serves grades 5–8 and enrolls 1,032 students as part of the Lake Central School Corporation, a district that ranks 27th of 374 Indiana districts with 5 stars. In 2025–2026, the school ranks 60th of 486 Indiana middle schools (88th percentile, 4 stars) — its highest percentile in the available history and the top-ranked middle school in its own district, ahead of Kahler Middle School and Michael Grimmer Middle School. It still sits below a few nearby standouts: Wilbur Wright Middle School in Munster, plus Robert Taft Middle School and Colonel John Wheeler Middle School in Crown Point, all rank higher and carry 5 stars.

English language arts is the clearest strength. All-grade ELA proficiency is 60.95%, above the district's 57.35% and above both same-district peers. Eighth-grade ELA is especially strong at 69.03%, compared with 61.35% for the district and 44% for the state. Math is more mixed: 51.8% across all grades, below the district's 56.51%, with a strong fifth grade (61.54%) but a weaker seventh grade (46.27%, still above the state). Science is the standout relative weakness. Tested in sixth grade, proficiency is 42.96% — far below the district's 54.81% and below Kahler (57.25%) and Grimmer (59.26%), and only slightly above the state's 41.2%. Fifth-grade social studies is a bright spot at 64.42%, nearly matching the district and far above the state's 47.2%.

Chronic absenteeism is 13.7%, better than the district's 16.2% and the state's 16.7%, though Wilbur Wright (7.3%) shows room to improve. The school's free/reduced lunch rate of 22.09% is lower than its same-district peers, and per-student spending of $10,313 is lower than most nearby schools, with a student-teacher ratio of 17.2. Overall, Hal E Clark is a strong, above-district school with impressive ELA results and low absenteeism, with science as its main academic vulnerability.

1,032

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,736

Per pupil spending ?

22.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

8915 W 93rd Ave
Saint John, IN 46373

(219) 365-8507

District: Lake Central School Corporation

Students who attend Hal E Clark Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lake Central High School

Feeder schools for Hal E Clark Middle School:

Elementary:	Kolling Elementary School
	Peifer Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.0%

Hispanic:

19.7%

African American:

7.7%

See top rated Indiana middle schools

Compare Hal E Clark Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 71st percentile in 2016 → 88th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Indiana average (56% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 12% of Indiana middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg57%

Indiana avg47%

60^th of 486

Indiana public middle schools ?

Top 12%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Middle Schools in the Lake Central School Corporation

27^th of 374Lake 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
2026	84.0	60 of 486	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	91 of 480	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	79.9	81 of 491	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	69.6	136 of 489	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	82.1	71 of 490	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.0	85 of 483	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.4	59 of 470	87.4%	★★★★☆
2018	77.6	84 of 473	82.2%	★★★★☆
2017	69.4	128 of 472	72.9%	★★★★☆
2016	67.0	144 of 494	70.9%	★★★★☆
2015	68.9	137 of 485	71.8%	★★★★☆
2014	68.6	135 of 470	71.3%	★★★★☆
2013	74.5	87 of 444	80.4%	★★★★☆
2012	77.4	64 of 447	85.7%	★★★★☆
2011	79.8	58 of 451	87.1%	★★★★☆
2010	81.7	40 of 428	90.7%	★★★★★

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies64%+17 vs state

English Language Arts61%

Math52%

Science43%

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Excellent teachers and staff helping students achieve their potential. Close Quote

Schools Near Hal E Clark Middle 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)	ILEARN Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 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 5th Grade	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Science 6th Grade	ILEARN Science All Grades	ILEARN Social Studies 5th Grade	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hal E Clark Middle School	Public	5-8	8915 W 93rd Ave	Saint John	46373	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 365-8507	1,032	60	17.2	22.1%	691 (67.0%)	79 (7.7%)	203 (19.7%)	10 (1.0%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.5%)	84	60^th of 486 public middle schools	87.7%		78.1	91^st of 480 public middle schools	81.0%	31	56.7	55.7	62.7	69.0	61.0	61.5	52.0	46.3	49.1	51.8	43.0	43.0	64.4		$10,736	$356	$10,380
Michael Grimmer Middle School	Public	5-8	225 W 77th Ave	Schererville	46375	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 865-6985	814	44	18.5	30.7%	455 (55.9%)	86 (10.6%)	203 (24.9%)	22 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	41 (5.0%)	78.9	87^th of 486 public middle schools	82.1%		86	54^th of 480 public middle schools	88.8%	33	58.0	57.1	58.9	59.3	58.3	56.2	42.6	36.8	36.7	42.8	59.3	59.3	60.4		$11,873	$81	$11,793
Colonel John Wheeler Middle School	Public	6-8	401 W Joliet St	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	Crown Point Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 663-2173	1,061	57	18.5	27.0%	784 (73.9%)	28 (2.6%)	167 (15.7%)	24 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (5.4%)	87.4	48^th of 486 public middle schools	90.1%		84.7	60^th of 480 public middle schools	87.5%	12		50.9	59.0	60.6	57.0		61.5	62.9	52.6	58.7	46.7	46.7		100.0	$12,495	$333	$12,162
Kahler Middle School	Public	5-8	600 Joliet St	Dyer	46311	Lake County	Lake Central School Corporation	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 865-3535	971	54	17.9	28.4%	576 (59.3%)	77 (7.9%)	259 (26.7%)	17 (1.8%)	6 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (3.6%)	83.3	68^th of 486 public middle schools	86.0%		77.4	97^th of 480 public middle schools	79.8%	29	62.3	45.4	57.1	55.1	54.4	71.6	53.5	50.0	48.2	55.6	57.3	57.3	68.4		$10,782	$252	$10,530
Robert Taft Middle School	Public	6-8	1000 S Main	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	Crown Point Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 663-1507	1,067	59	18.2	22.4%	758 (71.0%)	59 (5.5%)	182 (17.1%)	37 (3.5%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (2.5%)	91.9	27^th of 486 public middle schools	94.4%		87.2	47^th of 480 public middle schools	90.2%	20		60.8	64.1	74.6	66.6		59.9	52.2	57.7	56.4	53.4	53.4		97.7	$12,161	$244	$11,918
Merrillville Intermediate School	Public	5-6	1400 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5306	788	61	13.0	54.4%	66 (8.4%)	494 (62.7%)	167 (21.2%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (7.4%)								(n/a)	30.7	33.9			32.3	35.7	31.7			33.7	30.2	30.2	36.2		$11,547	$960	$10,586
Pierce Middle School	Public	7-8	199 E 70th Pl	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5308	878	69	12.8	53.2%	58 (6.6%)	581 (66.2%)	183 (20.8%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (5.7%)	27.3	352^nd of 486 public middle schools	27.6%		23.9	363^rd of 480 public middle schools	24.4%	11			28.6	25.1	26.8			20.7	17.9	19.2					$12,428	$798	$11,630
Hanover Central Middle School	Public	6-8	10631 W 141st St	Cedar Lake	46303	Lake County	Hanover Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 374-3500	647	40	16.1	20.2%	457 (70.6%)	36 (5.6%)	118 (18.2%)	9 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.0%)	83.7	62^nd of 486 public middle schools	87.2%		79.2	86^th of 480 public middle schools	82.1%	24		58.2	55.6	46.7	53.5		60.9	60.8	37.9	53.1	55.6	55.6			$12,240	$98	$12,142
Highland Middle School	Public	6-8	2941 41st St	Highland	46322	Lake County	School Town of Highland	No	No	No	No	(219) 922-5620	774	37	20.9	46.1%	373 (48.2%)	84 (10.9%)	288 (37.2%)	14 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.8%)	77	93^rd of 486 public middle schools	80.9%		75	109^th of 480 public middle schools	77.3%	16		49.4	58.7	55.8	54.6		52.3	34.7	37.7	41.4	50.6	50.6			$9,216	$94	$9,122
Lake Ridge New Technical Middle School	Public	5-8	3601 W 41st Ave	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 980-0730	447	27	16.8	97.5%	125 (28.0%)	175 (39.1%)	122 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.1%)	13.2	433^rd of 486 public middle schools	10.9%		9.5	443^rd of 480 public middle schools	7.7%	10	10.0	20.5	10.7	26.0	17.1	7.8	10.9	5.9	5.8	7.7	17.1	17.1	8.9		$15,641	$2,394	$13,247

Frequently Asked Questions about Hal E Clark Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Hal E Clark Middle School?

Students at Hal E Clark Middle School are 67% White, 20% Hispanic, 8% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Hal E Clark Middle School in?

Lake Central School Corporation

How many students attend Hal E Clark Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,032 students attended Hal E Clark Middle School.

Is Hal E Clark Middle School a good school?

Hal E Clark Middle School ranks 60^th of 486 Indiana middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Hal E Clark Middle School attend?

Students who attend Hal E Clark Middle School usually go on to attend Lake Central High School

Rate Hal E Clark Middle School!

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataNewOct 28, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 28, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2023–24 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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.