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John Wood Elementary School

Q: Is John Wood Elementary School a good school?

John Wood Elementary School ranks 499 th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

499^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

John Wood Elementary School is a PK–4 school in Merrillville, Indiana, serving 227 students as part of the Merrillville Community School Corp, and it earned 3 stars and a 51st-percentile rank (499th of 1,015 Indiana schools) in 2025–2026. That is a rebound from 2020–2021 through 2024–2025, when the school sat at the 36th–44th percentile with 2 stars, though it is still below its 2015–2019 era as a 4-star school in the 70th–85th percentile. The district as a whole ranks 256th of 374 districts, so John Wood is currently performing above its district's typical level.

Core academics are the school's strength. In 2025–2026, 46.67% of students were proficient in ELA and 54.44% in math, well above district rates of 31.35% and 31.42%, and above state averages at both 3rd and 4th grade. John Wood also has an unusually low student-teacher ratio of 10.8 — far below nearby Homer Iddings Elementary School (14.6) and Henry P Fieler Elementary School (14.9) — plus $12,508 per-student spending. It clearly outperforms Homer Iddings, which has a lower free/reduced-lunch rate but much lower ELA (20.00%) and math (27.50%) proficiency.

Science is the biggest concern: 4th grade science proficiency was 20.75%, versus 30.21% for the district and 43.8% statewide, and it has stayed near 20% for several years. Henry P Fieler posted nearly identical ELA and math results but 51.43% in science while serving more low-income students, which suggests this gap is school-specific rather than a matter of student demographics. Chronic absenteeism was 16.2%, better than the district's 19.6% and the state's 16.7%, but well above nearby high performers such as Union Center Elementary School (2.6%), Liberty Elementary School (5.2%), and Joan Martin Elementary School (7.4%). With strong resources already in place, science instruction and attendance are the clearest next steps.

227

Students ?

10.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,508

Per pupil spending ?

58.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

6100 E 73rd Ave
Merrillville, IN 46410

(219) 650-5305

District: Merrillville Community School Corp

Students who attend John Wood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrillville Intermediate School
	Pierce Middle School
High:	Merrillville High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

44.9%

Hispanic:

29.1%

White:

18.9%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 36th percentile in 2021 → 51st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 51st (2026) from a 36th-percentile low (2021)

✓Above the Indiana median (51st percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg31%

499^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 20 pts since 2016

From top 30% (2016) to top 49% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Elementary Schools in the Merrillville Community School Corp

256^th of 374Merrillville Community School Corp 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	52.1	499 of 1015	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.5	617 of 1005	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.4	564 of 1011	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.9	599 of 1016	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.1	650 of 1020	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.5	650 of 1016	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	69.4	307 of 1031	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.0	309 of 1027	69.9%	★★★★☆
2017	81.2	151 of 1033	85.4%	★★★★☆
2016	69.5	310 of 1046	70.4%	★★★★☆
2015	69.4	303 of 1040	70.9%	★★★★☆
2014	68.6	334 of 1036	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	80.2	136 of 1035	86.9%	★★★★☆
2012	67.1	337 of 1015	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.7	576 of 1025	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.1	502 of 1009	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.3	332 of 1003	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.7	427 of 996	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.7	253 of 985	74.3%	★★★★☆
2006	63.3	361 of 961	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	69.5	262 of 959	72.7%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Math54%

English Language Arts47%

Science21%

4.5

2 ratings

5★1

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near John Wood 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/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 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
John Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	6100 E 73rd Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5305	227	21	10.8	58.6%	43 (18.9%)	102 (44.9%)	66 (29.1%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.3%)	52.1	499^th of 1015 public elementary schools	50.8%		40.5	617^th of 1005 public elementary schools	38.6%	118	43.2	49.1					46.7	56.8	52.8					54.4	20.8		20.8		$12,508	$891	$11,617
Joan Martin Elementary School	Public	1-5	301 E 10th St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 947-7869	497	24	20.7	51.5%	274 (55.1%)	35 (7.0%)	161 (32.4%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	64.2	352^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	65.3%		56.6	440^th of 1005 public elementary schools	56.2%	88	46.4	43.5	47.8				45.8	59.5	53.7	41.3				51.4	44.4		44.4	58.7	$10,901	$793	$10,108
Veterans Elementary School at Mundell	Public	1-5	52 North Wisconsin St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-5614	594	31	19.4	67.7%	320 (53.9%)	61 (10.3%)	165 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.6%)	61.8	376^th of 1015 public elementary schools	63.0%		47.1	547^th of 1005 public elementary schools	45.6%	171	46.0	46.7	47.8				46.8	60.4	49.2	37.2				48.8	42.5		42.5	54.5	$10,076	$866	$9,210
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
Union Center Elementary School	Public	K-5	272 N 600 W	Valparaiso	46385	Porter County	Union Township School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 759-2544	386	22	17.5	19.4%	315 (81.6%)	10 (2.6%)	47 (12.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)	90.2	66^th of 1015 public elementary schools	93.5%		91.4	63^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	93.7%	3	74.3	74.0	64.6				71.3	85.1	70.1	56.9				71.3	57.1		57.1	67.7	$9,519	$150	$9,369
Early Learning Center-George Earle	Public	PK-K	400 N Wilson St	Hobart	46342	Lake County	School City of Hobart	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 942-7263	264	14	18.8	41.7%	137 (51.9%)	19 (7.2%)	82 (31.1%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.7%)								(n/a)																			$10,852	$1,125	$9,727
Homer Iddings Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	7249 VanBuren St	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5302	535	36	14.6	44.3%	59 (11.0%)	339 (63.4%)	97 (18.1%)	7 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.0%)	14.5	876^th of 1015 public elementary schools	13.7%		15.6	854^th of 1005 public elementary schools	15.0%	22	22.3	17.5					20.0	30.1	24.7					27.5	16.5		16.5		$12,269	$2,089	$10,180
Henry P Fieler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	407 W 61st Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5301	466	31	14.9	62.4%	30 (6.4%)	308 (66.1%)	100 (21.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.8%)	67.5	315^th of 1015 public elementary schools	69.0%		45.7	564^th of 1005 public elementary schools	43.9%	249	40.7	55.7					47.7	58.0	55.7					57.0	51.4		51.4		$11,723	$1,847	$9,876
Higher Institute of Arts & Technical	Public, Charter	K-8	5861 Harrison Street	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Higher Institute of Arts & Technical	Yes	No	No	Yes	(219) 359-1522	259	18	14.3	79.5%	8 (3.1%)	221 (85.3%)	16 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.4%)	6.1	981^st of 1015 public elementary schools	3.3%		8.3	948^th of 1005 public elementary schools	5.7%	33	10.3	21.1	7.4	11.1	9.1	12.5	11.4	6.9	10.5	3.7	3.7	0.0	6.3	4.8	10.5	11.1	10.9	7.4	$15,371	$4,858	$10,514
Jerry Ross Elementary School	Public	K-5	11319 Randolph St	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	Crown Point Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(219) 663-3010	650	37	17.4	21.2%	456 (70.2%)	37 (5.7%)	120 (18.5%)	11 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (3.7%)	94.4	27^th of 1015 public elementary schools	97.3%		89.6	86^th of 1005 public elementary schools	91.4%	59	80.9	67.6	69.2				71.7	88.3	73.9	75.8				78.4	68.4		68.4	71.4	$11,007	$376	$10,630

Frequently Asked Questions about John Wood Elementary School

How many students attend John Wood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 227 students attended John Wood Elementary School.

What district is John Wood Elementary School in?

Merrillville Community School Corp

What schools do graduates of John Wood Elementary School attend?

Students who attend John Wood Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Merrillville Intermediate School
Middle : Pierce Middle School
High : Merrillville High School

Is John Wood Elementary School a good school?

John Wood Elementary School ranks 499^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of John Wood Elementary School?

Students at John Wood Elementary School are 45% African American, 29% Hispanic, 19% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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Latest Indiana data All new data »

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 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.