The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Social studies. The lowest is 12% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Joseph Hess Elementary School
Joseph Hess Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as a regular public school in the School City of Hammond, located in Lake County, Indiana. Hammond is an industrial and historically significant Rust Belt city bordering Chicago, once a meatpacking hub and now a more diversified economy with light manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, healthcare, and retail. The city has experienced a steady population decline over several decades, reflecting broader deindustrialization trends, though its economy is notably more varied than some neighboring communities. The school sits within a wider district facing similar demographic headwinds, and while we looked for recent district-level changes, we found little of lasting impact to report.
The school has a sizable enrollment, typical for its elementary grade band, and serves a student body that is majority Hispanic and Black, with a notable proportion also reported as White or two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a large segment of the families the school serves are from lower-income backgrounds. This economic context is consistent with the city’s profile, where housing values and rents are lower than state and national benchmarks, and the local economy is anchored by large employers in healthcare, manufacturing, and hospitality.
Joseph Hess’s academic performance on the state’s ILEARN assessments, the Indiana accountability test, is modest across the board. In math, English language arts, and science, the share of students scoring at or above the proficient level is below the midpoint when compared to other districts in Lake County. The school’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint of the county set, meaning that a number of peer districts see higher achievement. In English language arts and math, only about one in seven or fewer students met the state’s proficiency standard in the most recent testing year. Science results are comparable, with a similar share of tested students reaching proficiency. Social studies, which is tested only at grade five, shows a slightly higher but still low proficiency rate. These are the school’s stated outcomes, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school or the district to understand what academic supports are in place.
The school does not offer high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Similarly, information on chronic absenteeism, staffing, discipline, course access, and special population counts for students with disabilities or English learners was not available in the data we reviewed, so those dimensions of school life are not part of this account. It is common for elementary schools to not provide detailed civil rights or attendance data in publicly accessible state files, but a parent should feel comfortable asking the school directly about class sizes, support for students who need extra help, and how the school works with families.
Joseph Hess Elementary is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet school. Its title I status was not reported in the data, but the share of students on subsidized lunch suggests the school likely receives federal funds to support low-income students. The school’s location in Hammond places it in a city with many historic residential neighborhoods, a traditional downtown, and a commuter rail connection to Chicago. The built environment is heavily shaped by industry and wide roads, and while some older grid-based neighborhoods offer walkable blocks, the city overall is auto-oriented.
For families considering this school, the core profile is a community-oriented elementary school in a working-class, diversifying Rust Belt city, whose academic achievement data shows a majority of students not yet reaching state proficiency benchmarks. The school serves a large and diverse student population from pre-K through sixth grade, and it is part of a broader district that operates schools across the city’s neighborhoods. The modest housing costs in the area may be a factor for families, as may the proximity to Chicago via the South Shore Line. A parent should weigh the school’s performance context against the supports their child may need, and consider speaking with the school and current families to get a fuller picture of the day-to-day experience.
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