The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Math. The lowest is 37% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Beiriger Elementary School
Beiriger Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Griffith, Indiana, part of the Griffith Public Schools district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its grade band means that state testing data applies only to the grades that are assessed under Indiana’s ILEARN program, which begins in third grade. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary building serving that span.
Academically, Beiriger’s students performed well on the state’s ILEARN assessments relative to other schools in Lake County. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades landed in the top quartile when compared with other districts in Lake County, a meaningful signal that student outcomes here tend to be stronger than the county median. In math, roughly half of students met or exceeded the state standard. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was lower, around a third of students. In science and social studies—subjects tested at specific grade levels—the school saw about half of students reach the proficient threshold. The participation rate for testing was high, which adds reliability to the results. The ELA figure is a soft spot: many students are not yet reading at grade level by state benchmarks, and a parent may want to ask the school about its literacy supports and interventions.
The student body is racially and ethnically diverse. White students make up the largest group, followed by Hispanic students and then Black students; a smaller share identifies as two or more races, and a very small number are Asian. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a moderate-income community context. Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available in the record, so a parent curious about those supports would need to inquire directly with the school.
Griffith, where the school is located, is a predominantly residential town in Lake County, situated within commuting distance of Chicago. The town has a commercial downtown corridor along Broad Street with stores, shops, and a bike trail, but the overall character is single-family neighborhoods. Griffith was historically a railroad junction; train traffic still crosses Broad Street. The population has been gradually declining over recent years, though median home values and household incomes have risen. The housing market in the school’s zip code is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, and renting is an option as well. The town’s civic anchors include the town hall, a historical society, and the school district itself.
Griffith Public Schools, the parent district, has recently pursued a renovation bond for the Jr/Sr High School, which would fund a cafeteria expansion, secure entrance, classroom upgrades, and HVAC improvements using the district’s existing tax rate. That building has been the district’s only secondary school since the original high school closed due to structural issues. For Beiriger families, this means the secondary building their children will eventually attend is undergoing planned upgrades.
Beiriger offers no data on program offerings, course access, or staffing ratios, so a parent evaluating enrichment or class size would need to follow up with the school. The school’s academic standing in the county is a clear strength, particularly in math and science, while ELA proficiency is an area worth a conversation. The diverse and moderately sized student body, combined with the residential town setting and incremental district investment, gives a solid, unflashy picture of a school that performs above the local average.
See more original research from School Decision →