Muessel Elementary School

Summary:

Muessel Elementary School is a public elementary school in South Bend, Indiana, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 274 students. The school is part of the South Bend Community School Corp, which is ranked 309 out of 380 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Muessel Elementary has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Indiana, with a statewide ranking between 999-1030 out of over 1,000 schools in recent years.

Some key factors that differentiate Muessel Elementary include extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.8% to 61.3% in recent years, as well as very low academic performance, with only 8.03% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 3.7% proficient in math, compared to the district averages of 22.21% and 18.82%, respectively. The school also has a high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 70.07% to 87.55%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Despite these challenges, Muessel Elementary spends between $13,405 and $19,044 per student, which is higher than the district average.

Interestingly, Muessel Elementary's performance is significantly worse than most of the nearby schools in the South Bend district, including McKinley Elementary, Clay International Academy, Coquillard Elementary, Harrison Elementary, Madison S.T.E.A.M. Academy, and Kennedy Academy. Addressing the underlying challenges facing Muessel Elementary, such as high poverty and chronic absenteeism, will likely be crucial for improving student outcomes over time.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1021 Blaine St
South Bend, IN 46616

(574) 393-3400

District: South Bend Community School Corp

SchoolDigger Rank:
999^th of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,264

Students who attend Muessel Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	LaSalle Academy
High:	Clay High School
	Rise Up Academy at Eggleston

Student/teacher ratio: 5.1

Number of students: 274

Racial breakdown:

African American:

62.4%

White:

17.2%

Two or more races:

12.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.1%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Muessel Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Muessel Elementary School ranks worse than 99.4% of elementary schools in Indiana. It also ranks 13^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the South Bend Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2025 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.65. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Muessel Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (62.4%), White (17.2%), two or more races (12.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Muessel Elementary School is 5.1, which is the 3^rd best among 14 elementary schools in the South Bend Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Compare Muessel Elementary School employs 53.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Muessel Elementary School is $17,264, which is the 4^th highest among 14 elementary schools in the South Bend Community School Corp District. (See more...)

Schooldigger Rankings:

Muessel Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

South Bend Community School Corp:

SchoolDigger ranks South Bend Community School Corp 309^th of 380 Indiana school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Muessel Elementary School?

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Rank History for Muessel Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IN State Percentile
2005	0.91	955^th	959	0.4%
2006	1.86	952^nd	961	0.9%
2007	9.45	928^th	985	5.8%
2008	8.76	944^th	996	5.2%
2009	2.59	991^st	1003	1.2%
2010	0.85	1009^th	1009	0.0%
2011	1.23	1019^th	1025	0.6%
2012	0.85	1010^th	1015	0.5%
2013	12.27	962^nd	1035	7.1%
2014	4.22	1006^th	1036	2.9%
2015	1.46	1030^th	1040	1.0%
2016	2.94	1024^th	1046	2.1%
2017	1.53	1020^th	1033	1.3%
2018	0.84	1024^th	1027	0.3%
2019	1.66	1029^th	1031	0.2%
2021	3.25	1015^th	1016	0.1%
2022	3.64	1018^th	1020	0.2%
2023	3.86	1015^th	1016	0.1%
2024	4.10	1006^th	1010	0.4%
2025	3.65	999^th	1005	0.6%

See the entire list of Indiana Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Indiana Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Muessel Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	335	257	12	21	3	n/a	n/a	0	628
1989	329	243	5	23	11	n/a	n/a	0	611
1990	351	293	5	20	5	n/a	n/a	0	674
1991	317	297	10	22	11	n/a	n/a	0	657
1992	300	309	10	22	10	n/a	n/a	0	651
1993	291	292	16	16	5	n/a	n/a	0	620
1994	256	311	12	15	4	n/a	n/a	0	598
1995	208	279	13	12	6	n/a	n/a	0	518
1996	208	279	13	12	6	n/a	n/a	0	518
1997	202	268	14	23	6	n/a	n/a	5	518
1998	159	292	11	24	6	n/a	n/a	0	492
1999	156	272	4	39	6	n/a	n/a	0	477
2000	165	274	3	25	4	n/a	n/a	0	471
2001	157	298	4	38	2	n/a	n/a	0	499
2002	130	271	8	41	6	n/a	n/a	0	456
2003	130	271	8	41	6	n/a	n/a	0	456
2004	87	372	3	95	2	n/a	n/a	0	559
2005	99	368	7	96	3	n/a	n/a	0	573
2006	96	314	1	110	0	n/a	n/a	0	521
2007	66	298	0	116	1	n/a	n/a	36	517
2008	83	283	1	120	2	n/a	n/a	33	522
2009	79	271	0	95	0	n/a	n/a	29	474
2010	64	262	2	97	0	n/a	n/a	23	448
2011	67	222	2	112	0	0	32	0	435
2012	64	208	2	83	0	0	42	0	399
2013	65	176	2	101	1	0	26	0	371
2014	79	170	4	82	0	0	23	0	358
2015	84	194	0	95	4	0	33	0	410
2016	73	231	0	104	0	0	39	0	447
2017	72	217	0	112	0	0	41	0	442
2018	61	208	1	81	0	0	27	0	378
2019	75	191	1	77	0	0	25	0	369
2020	51	234	0	65	3	0	33	0	386
2021	30	209	0	44	1	0	29	0	313
2022	34	183	1	32	1	0	28	0	279
2023	32	154	0	32	1	0	22	0	241
2024	47	171	0	20	1	0	35	0	274

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Muessel Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	628	37.6	16.7	43.9
1989	611	36.4	16.7	43.2
1990	674	37.9	17.7	38.7
1991	657	35.9	18.3	47.6
1992	651	n/a	n/a	57.1
1993	620	35.5	17.5	69.7
1994	598	34.3	17.4	50.2
1995	518	30.1	17.2	69.9
1996	518	30.1	17.2	69.9
1997	518	31.9	16.2	74.9
1998	492	31.0	15.9	73.8
1999	477	32.0	14.9	80.7
2000	471	29.4	16.0	69.4
2001	499	33.8	14.8	66.3
2002	456	30.5	15.0	63.6
2003	456	30.5	15.0	63.6
2004	559	35.5	15.7	90.2
2005	573	34.6	16.6	86.4
2006	521	32.3	16.1	85.2
2007	517	n/a	n/a	92.9
2008	522	28.6	18.3	86.9
2009	474	32.6	14.5	94.8
2010	448	33.9	13.1	95.3
2011	435	34.6	12.5	86.2
2012	399	28.5	14.0	88.2
2013	371	19.5	19.0	94.9
2014	358	18.5	19.3	91.1
2015	410	3.0	136.6	97.1
2016	447	19.0	23.5	81.9
2017	442	19.0	23.2	81
2018	378	17.0	22.2	88.6
2019	369	20.5	18.0	83.5
2020	386	23.0	16.7	84.2
2021	313	20.0	15.6	91.4
2022	279	28.6	9.7	83.5
2023	241	22.1	10.8	87.6
2024	274	53.3	5.1	70.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Muessel Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	628	37.6	16.7	43.9
1989	611	36.4	16.7	43.2
1990	674	37.9	17.7	38.7
1991	657	35.9	18.3	47.6
1992	651	n/a	n/a	57.1
1993	620	35.5	17.5	69.7
1994	598	34.3	17.4	50.2
1995	518	30.1	17.2	69.9
1996	518	30.1	17.2	69.9
1997	518	31.9	16.2	74.9
1998	492	31.0	15.9	73.8
1999	477	32.0	14.9	80.7
2000	471	29.4	16.0	69.4
2001	499	33.8	14.8	66.3
2002	456	30.5	15.0	63.6
2003	456	30.5	15.0	63.6
2004	559	35.5	15.7	90.2
2005	573	34.6	16.6	86.4
2006	521	32.3	16.1	85.2
2007	517	n/a	n/a	92.9
2008	522	28.6	18.3	86.9
2009	474	32.6	14.5	94.8
2010	448	33.9	13.1	95.3
2011	435	34.6	12.5	86.2
2012	399	28.5	14.0	88.2
2013	371	19.5	19.0	94.9
2014	358	18.5	19.3	91.1
2015	410	3.0	136.6	97.1
2016	447	19.0	23.5	81.9
2017	442	19.0	23.2	81
2018	378	17.0	22.2	88.6
2019	369	20.5	18.0	83.5
2020	386	23.0	16.7	84.2
2021	313	20.0	15.6	91.4
2022	279	28.6	9.7	83.5
2023	241	22.1	10.8	87.6
2024	274	53.3	5.1	70.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Muessel Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,486 (14.4%)	$8,820 (85.6%)	$10,307
2020	$1,504 (14.5%)	$8,886 (85.5%)	$10,391
2021	$2,116 (15.8%)	$11,288 (84.2%)	$13,404
2022	$5,845 (32.6%)	$12,057 (67.4%)	$17,902
2023	$5,801 (30.5%)	$13,243 (69.5%)	$19,044
2024	$5,814 (33.7%)	$11,450 (66.3%)	$17,264

Data source: Indiana Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Muessel Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 1029^th of 1031 Elementary schools	Ranks 1015^th of 1016 Elementary schools	0.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Muessel Elementary School)	10	8.3	1.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Bend Community School Corp)	25	18.4	6.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	46.3	39.7	6.6%
3rd Grade Math (Muessel Elementary School)	15	16.7	1.7%
3rd Grade Math (South Bend Community School Corp)	32.9	23.5	9.4%
3rd Grade Math (Indiana)	58.7	53.1	5.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Muessel Elementary School)	4.1	2.4	1.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Bend Community School Corp)	21.6	17.6	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	45.8	40.3	5.5%
4th Grade Math (Muessel Elementary School)	4.1	2.4	1.7%
4th Grade Math (South Bend Community School Corp)	25.3	18.7	6.6%
4th Grade Math (Indiana)	54	48.8	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Muessel Elementary School)	0	2.4	2.4%
4th Grade Science (South Bend Community School Corp)	20.5	16.5	4%
4th Grade Science (Indiana)	46.3	37	9.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Muessel Elementary School)	2.6	0	2.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Bend Community School Corp)	20	18.9	1.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Indiana)	47.5	40.2	7.3%
5th Grade Math (Muessel Elementary School)	5.3	0	5.3%
5th Grade Math (South Bend Community School Corp)	19.5	14.6	5%
5th Grade Math (Indiana)	47.8	41.1	6.7%
5th Grade Social Studies (Muessel Elementary School)	5.3	0	5.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (South Bend Community School Corp)	19.3	16.3	3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Indiana)	46	39.1	6.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	369	241	34.7%
African American	191	154	19.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	77	32	58.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	75	32	57.3%
Two or More Races	25	22	12%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	83.5%	87.6%	4.1%

Schools Near Muessel 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 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th 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 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
Muessel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1021 Blaine St	South Bend	46616	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-3400	274	53	5.1	70.1%	47 (17.2%)	171 (62.4%)	20 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (12.8%)	3.7	999^th of 1005 public elementary schools	0.6%		4.1	1006^th of 1010 public elementary schools	0.4%	7	9.3	6.3	8.6			8.0	5.7	4.2	0.0			3.7	6.3		6.3	2.9	$17,264	$5,814	$11,450
Madison S.T.E.A.M. Academy	Public	K-5	832 N Lafayette Blvd	South Bend	46601	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-3200	565	50	11.2	95.4%	55 (9.7%)	274 (48.5%)	161 (28.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (12.7%)	12.9	886^th of 1005 public elementary schools	11.8%		7	970^th of 1010 public elementary schools	4.0%	84	25.4	16.4	21.5			21.3	23.9	16.7	8.9			16.0	18.0		18.0	10.1	$15,040	$3,815	$11,226
Kennedy Academy	Public	K-5	609 N Olive St	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-3100	480	33	14.5	54.8%	171 (35.6%)	149 (31.0%)	113 (23.5%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.9%)	65.7	331^st of 1005 public elementary schools	67.1%		67.6	320^th of 1010 public elementary schools	68.3%	11	37.8	50.0	44.7			44.8	51.4	61.2	42.1			52.4	63.3		63.3	31.6	$13,458	$2,722	$10,736
Marquette Montessori Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	1818 Bergan St	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	Yes	No	Yes	(574) 393-2400	403	35	11.5	57.6%	152 (37.7%)	145 (36.0%)	39 (9.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (15.9%)	32	709^th of 1005 public elementary schools	29.5%		21.8	791^st of 1010 public elementary schools	21.7%	82	30.8	35.9	35.3	33.3	25.9	32.5	30.8	20.5	17.7	25.0	15.4	22.2	23.1	45.8	31.8	29.4	$15,572	$3,767	$11,806
Success Academy Primary School	Public, Charter	K-5	3408 Ardmore Trail	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Success Academy Primary School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(574) 299-9800	572	48	11.9	67.0%	165 (28.8%)	234 (40.9%)	74 (12.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (16.8%)	13.1	883^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	12.1%		15.9	859^th of 1010 public elementary schools	15.0%	24	14.6	18.2	18.5			17.1	20.8	16.2	7.6			15.0	20.4		20.4	25.0	$10,736	$2,672	$8,064
Coquillard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 N Sheridan St	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-2000	271	40	6.6	70.5%	36 (13.3%)	166 (61.3%)	47 (17.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.4%)	2.2	1005^th of 1005 public elementary schools	0.0%		4.4	1005^th of 1010 public elementary schools	0.5%		1.5	3.7				2.5	2.9	7.4				4.9	1.9		1.9		$18,476	$3,728	$14,748
Harrison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3302 Western Ave	South Bend	46619	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-3000	601	77	7.8	78.5%	24 (4.0%)	219 (36.4%)	323 (53.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (5.7%)	9.3	927^th of 1005 public elementary schools	7.8%		7	971^st of 1010 public elementary schools	3.9%	44	24.4	9.6	10.0			14.3	31.7	7.6	6.7			14.8	7.6		7.6	8.0	$15,866	$3,325	$12,541
Success Academy at Boys and Girls Club	Public, Charter	K-5	502 E Sample St	South Bend	46601	St. Joseph County	Success Academy at Boys and Girls Club	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(574) 299-9800	89	12	7.4	75.3%	17 (19.1%)	52 (58.4%)	10 (11.2%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (10.1%)	6.1	976^th of 1005 public elementary schools	2.9%		5.6	992^nd of 1010 public elementary schools	1.8%	16	10.0	9.5	11.8			10.3	20.0	19.1	0.0			13.8	9.5		9.5	0.0	$11,203	$523	$10,681
Lafayette Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	245 N Lombardy Dr	South Bend	46619	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 283-8127	5	1	4.5		1 (20.0%)	3 (60.0%)	1 (20.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																	$146,441	$2,219	$144,221
McKinley Elementary School	Public	K-5	228 N Greenlawn Ave	South Bend	46617	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-3300	471	39	12.1	76.6%	73 (15.5%)	102 (21.7%)	227 (48.2%)	10 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (12.3%)								(n/a)																	$14,476	$3,329	$11,147

Frequently Asked Questions about Muessel Elementary School

What district is Muessel Elementary School in?

South Bend Community School Corp

What schools do graduates of Muessel Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Muessel Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : LaSalle Academy
High : Clay High School
High : Rise Up Academy at Eggleston

What is the racial makeup of Muessel Elementary School?

Students at Muessel Elementary School are 62% African American, 17% White, 13% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

Is Muessel Elementary School a good school?

Muessel Elementary School ranks in the bottom 0.6% of Indiana elementary schools.

How many students attend Muessel Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 274 students attended Muessel Elementary School.

Rate Muessel Elementary School!

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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.