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Muessel Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

999^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,005 Indiana Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Indiana elementary schools

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 Corporation, which is ranked 310 out of 380 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. 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.

Muessel Elementary faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.8% to 61.3% in recent years, and very low academic performance, with only 8.03% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 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% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Despite higher per-student spending at Muessel, ranging from $13,405 to $19,044, the resources do not appear to be effectively translating into improved student outcomes.

When comparing Muessel Elementary to other nearby schools in the South Bend district, it is clear that Muessel is an outlier in terms of academic performance. For example, Kennedy Academy, which is less than a mile away, has significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science, with over 40% of students meeting or exceeding standards in many subjects. Addressing the root causes of Muessel's struggles, such as chronic absenteeism and effective resource allocation, will be crucial to driving meaningful improvements at the school and across the broader district.

295

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,264

Per pupil spending ?

68.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1021 Blaine St
South Bend, IN 46628

(574) 393-3400

District: South Bend Community School Corp

Students who attend Muessel Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.4%

White:

14.6%

Two or more races:

12.2%

See top rated Indiana elementary schools

Compare Muessel Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (6% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (54% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school6%

District avg21%

Indiana avg38%

999^th of 1,005

Indiana public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Indiana Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 16Elementary Schools in the South Bend Community School Corp

310^th of 380South Bend 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
2025	3.7	999 of 1005	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.1	1007 of 1011	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.9	1015 of 1016	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.6	1018 of 1020	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	3.2	1015 of 1016	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.7	1029 of 1031	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.8	1024 of 1027	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	1.5	1020 of 1033	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.9	1024 of 1046	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	1.5	1030 of 1040	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	4.2	1006 of 1036	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	12.3	962 of 1035	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	0.9	1010 of 1015	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.2	1019 of 1025	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.9	1009 of 1009	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	2.6	991 of 1003	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	8.8	944 of 996	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.4	928 of 985	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	1.9	952 of 961	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	0.9	955 of 959	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Indiana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts8%

Science6%

Math4%

Social Studies3%-36 vs state

★

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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 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
Muessel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1021 Blaine St	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-3400	295	25	11.5	68.8%	43 (14.6%)	181 (61.4%)	34 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (12.2%)	3.7	999^th of 1005 public elementary schools	0.6%		4.1	1007^th of 1011 public elementary schools	0.4%	8	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	431	38	11.4	80.3%	48 (11.1%)	197 (45.7%)	135 (31.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (11.4%)	12.9	886^th of 1005 public elementary schools	11.8%		7	970^th of 1011 public elementary schools	4.1%	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	443	30	15.0	49.9%	157 (35.4%)	132 (29.8%)	103 (23.3%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.4%)	65.7	331^st of 1005 public elementary schools	67.1%		67.6	320^th of 1011 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-8	1818 Bergan St	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	Yes	No	Yes	(574) 393-2400	431	28	15.6	50.1%	168 (39.0%)	143 (33.2%)	47 (10.9%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (16.2%)	32	709^th of 1005 public elementary schools	29.5%		21.8	791^st of 1011 public elementary schools	21.8%	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	610	34	17.9	75.6%	149 (24.4%)	274 (44.9%)	90 (14.8%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (15.1%)	13.1	883^rd of 1005 public elementary schools	12.1%		15.9	859^th of 1011 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	305	32	9.6	63.6%	28 (9.2%)	196 (64.3%)	48 (15.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (10.5%)	2.2	1005^th of 1005 public elementary schools	0.0%		4.4	1006^th of 1011 public elementary schools	0.5%	1	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	555	42	13.1	73.3%	33 (5.9%)	164 (29.5%)	327 (58.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.4%)	9.3	927^th of 1005 public elementary schools	7.8%		7	971^st of 1011 public elementary schools	4.0%	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	113	7	16.1	68.1%	23 (20.4%)	53 (46.9%)	21 (18.6%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (13.3%)	6.1	976^th of 1005 public elementary schools	2.9%		5.6	992^nd of 1011 public elementary schools	1.9%	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
Dickinson Academy	Public	K-8	4404 Elwood	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-3900	309	36	8.6	75.4%	19 (6.1%)	179 (57.9%)	77 (24.9%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.7%)								(n/a)			8.6	6.7	10.9	12.0	10.1			5.2	8.9	3.0	5.4	5.1		4.4	4.4	1.8	$13,981	$2,783	$11,199
McKinley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	228 N Greenlawn Ave	South Bend	46617	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	Yes	(574) 393-3300	315	16	20.1	1.9%	92 (29.2%)	104 (33.0%)	72 (22.9%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (13.0%)								(n/a)																			$14,476	$3,329	$11,147

Frequently Asked Questions about Muessel Elementary School

Is Muessel Elementary School a good school?

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

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 61% African American, 15% White, 12% Two or more races, 12% Hispanic.

What district is Muessel Elementary School in?

South Bend Community School Corp

How many students attend Muessel Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 295 students attended 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.