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Jonas E Salk Elementary School

Q: Is Jonas E Salk Elementary School a good school?

Jonas E Salk Elementary School ranks 611 th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

611^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,015 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of Indiana elementary schools

Summary

Jonas E Salk Elementary School is a PK–4 school in Merrillville, IN serving 565 students as part of the Merrillville Community School Corp, making it the largest of the district's elementary schools in this comparison. It is mid-to-low ranked statewide — 611th of 1,015 for 2025–2026, at the 40th percentile with 2 stars — while the district overall ranks 256th of 374, at the 32nd percentile with 2 stars.

Current ILEARN all-grade proficiency is 35.34% in English Language Arts, 43.53% in Math, and 34.78% in Science, all above district averages of 31.35% ELA, 31.42% Math, and 30.19% Science. Grade-level results still trail Indiana: 3rd grade ELA 37.61% vs. 40.8% state, 4th grade ELA 33.04% vs. 42.2%, 3rd grade Math 40.17% vs. 51.9%, 4th grade Math 46.96% vs. 52%, and 4th grade Science 34.78% vs. 43.8%. Attendance is a clear strength: chronic absenteeism is 12.6% in 2024–2025, down from 28.0% in 2021–2022 and below both the district (19.6%) and state (16.7%). Per-student spending was $10,755 in 2023–2024 — the lowest among Merrillville peers — and the student-teacher ratio improved to 13.0 in 2024–2025.

Within the district, Salk is second behind Henry P Fieler Elementary School (69th percentile, 3 stars) but ahead of Edgar L Miller Elementary School and Homer Iddings Elementary School. Salk led Fieler in the two prior years, so Fieler's recent gains shifted the local order. Compared with nearby Lake Central and Crown Point schools such as Homan Elementary School, Peifer Elementary School, Timothy Ball Elementary School, and James H Watson Elementary School, which post proficiency 15–27 points higher while serving much lower free/reduced lunch populations, Salk's 52.39% rate and lower funding make those comparisons unequal. Still, Salk is far above Glen Park Academy for Excel in Learning, Longfellow New Technical Elementary School, and Higher Institute of Arts & Technical. The main opportunities are early math and upper-grade ELA and science.

565

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,755

Per pupil spending ?

52.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3001 W 77th Ave
Merrillville, IN 46410

(219) 650-5304

District: Merrillville Community School Corp

Students who attend Jonas E Salk Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.5%

Hispanic:

23.0%

White:

11.5%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Jonas E Salk Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 70th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 30 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg31%

611^th of 1,015

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 30 pts since 2016

From top 30% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	40.9	611 of 1015	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.1	483 of 1005	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.2	523 of 1011	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.8	588 of 1016	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.6	571 of 1020	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.6	719 of 1016	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	57.7	457 of 1031	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	464 of 1027	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.6	308 of 1033	70.2%	★★★★☆
2016	69.0	317 of 1046	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	74.1	230 of 1040	77.9%	★★★★☆
2014	75.5	193 of 1036	81.4%	★★★★☆
2013	89.4	15 of 1035	98.6%	★★★★★
2012	83.4	89 of 1015	91.2%	★★★★★
2011	68.8	316 of 1025	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	71.2	280 of 1009	72.2%	★★★★☆
2009	74.3	219 of 1003	78.2%	★★★★☆
2008	73.5	211 of 996	78.8%	★★★★☆
2007	76.5	177 of 985	82.0%	★★★★☆
2006	76.5	170 of 961	82.3%	★★★★☆
2005	77.9	145 of 959	84.9%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Math44%

English Language Arts35%

Science35%

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, April 12, 2018

Hello Everyone, my child attends Jonas Salk Elementy. Yesterday my son says a girl back hand slapped him during recess. Several of her friends circled him screaming you bet not hit her back. One of the recess monitors saw what happened and asked him do you want to me do something about this? My son says no out of fear and the little girl and group continues to play undisciplined. Why was it left to my child to make this decision? Why are some adults not taking things like this seriously. I have complained about the bullying for 2 years. My son has been kicked, kicked in his privates, slapped, and spit on with no resolution. Has anyone had this same experience? Thank you for reading. Close Quote

Schools Near Jonas E Salk 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
Jonas E Salk Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	3001 W 77th Ave	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5304	565	43	13.0	52.4%	65 (11.5%)	325 (57.5%)	130 (23.0%)	7 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.4%)	40.9	611^th of 1015 public elementary schools	39.8%		52.1	483^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	51.9%	128	37.6	33.0					35.3	40.2	47.0					43.5	34.8		34.8		$10,755	$1,055	$9,700
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
Edgar L Miller Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5901 Waite St	Merrillville	46410	Lake County	Merrillville Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 650-5303	330	26	12.4	61.2%	22 (6.7%)	244 (73.9%)	45 (13.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.8%)	26.1	762^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	24.9%		26.9	756^th of 1005 public elementary schools	24.8%	6	35.8	30.6					33.6	29.9	22.5					26.7	26.5		26.5		$12,671	$2,389	$10,282
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
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%)	77.6	211^th of 1015 public elementary schools	79.2%		66	327^th of 1005 public elementary schools	67.5%	116	58.1	43.8					50.3	74.4	60.0					66.5	59.1		59.1		$13,290	$943	$12,348
Timothy Ball Elementary School	Public	K-5	720 W Summit St	Crown Point	46307	Lake County	Crown Point Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 663-0047	638	39	16.2	33.7%	438 (68.7%)	33 (5.2%)	134 (21.0%)	14 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (2.8%)	79.3	188^th of 1015 public elementary schools	81.5%		79.9	182^nd of 1005 public elementary schools	81.9%	6	59.0	55.6	44.6				53.1	83.2	66.7	53.8				68.0	57.1		57.1	52.2	$12,106	$658	$11,449
Glen Park Academy for Excel in Learning	Public	K-5	5002 Madison St	Gary	46408	Lake County	Gary Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 318-2800	566	37	15.2	58.0%	6 (1.1%)	470 (83.0%)	65 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.2%)	4.4	1004^th of 1015 public elementary schools	1.1%		4.5	995^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.0%	9	5.8	7.9	10.1				7.7	9.3	4.0	7.5				7.3	9.5		9.5	6.8	$17,768	$5,663	$12,104
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%)	84.9	140^th of 1015 public elementary schools	86.2%		76.4	217^th of 1005 public elementary schools	78.4%	77	65.8	59.8					62.6	59.2	71.3					65.6	62.1		62.1		$15,642	$1,382	$14,261
Longfellow New Technical Elementary School	Public	K-4	45th/Calhoun Sts	Gary	46408	Lake County	Lake Ridge New Technical Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(219) 923-7004	483	25	19.3	97.1%	153 (31.7%)	154 (31.9%)	146 (30.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)	5.4	992^nd of 1015 public elementary schools	2.3%		5.1	989^th of 1005 public elementary schools	1.6%	3	4.0	14.6					9.4	12.1	11.8					11.9	12.8		12.8		$14,198	$3,558	$10,640

Frequently Asked Questions about Jonas E Salk Elementary School

Is Jonas E Salk Elementary School a good school?

Jonas E Salk Elementary School ranks 611^th of 1015 Indiana elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Jonas E Salk Elementary School in?

Merrillville Community School Corp

How many students attend Jonas E Salk Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 565 students attended Jonas E Salk Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Jonas E Salk Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Jonas E Salk Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

What is the racial makeup of Jonas E Salk Elementary School?

Students at Jonas E Salk Elementary School are 58% African American, 23% Hispanic, 12% White, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.