The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Science. The lowest is 54% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Madison Elementary School
Madison Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. Although the school carries a Wakarusa address, the district itself is based in St. Joseph County, and the neighbor comparisons that follow place Madison against other districts within that county.
On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, just over half of Madison’s students scored proficient in math, and a similar share met the bar in English/language arts. A larger majority reached proficiency in science, while the fifth-grade social studies test also returned a majority proficient. Participation rates on the math and English tests were nearly universal. When the school’s combined performance across all tested subjects is compared with the overall proficiency of other school districts in St. Joseph County, Madison lands in the top tier.
The school is small, with an enrollment that reflects the size of the community it draws from. Slightly more than two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a share that puts the school close to the county median for economic need. Demographically, the student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the reporting.
Wakarusa itself is a compact farming and manufacturing community in northern Indiana, with a historic downtown of early-1900s buildings housing antique shops, restaurants, and a candy store that draws a modest number of regional tourists. The town’s economy is anchored by RV manufacturing, with large employers like Forest River and Thor Industries occupying former industrial sites. Two grain mills support the surrounding farm economy. The town has a classic small-town character: a town square with seasonal traditions, a volunteer-firefighter-decorated Christmas tree, a Maple Syrup Festival, and a public library. Several churches serve the community, and a historical museum occupies an old railroad depot.
Home values in the area sit above the state average, though still below the national figure for much of the period covered. The local housing market has been appreciating at a pace close to national trends. Rents relative to income are moderate, and the overall cost of owning a home through a mortgage remains somewhat higher than renting, a pattern common across much of the country. The broader economic context shows a national unemployment rate that has been stable for the past year, and median household income nationally has edged upward.
The district’s most recent public record of parent-relevant changes, such as referendums, curriculum shifts, or tax changes, was minimal; a search turned up no significant recent developments that would alter a family’s day-to-day experience. The school itself does not report program offerings like after-school activities or specialized academies, so parents looking for specific enrichment options should ask the school directly. Discipline data, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism rates were also absent from the available information, gaps that may matter for families weighing the day-to-day environment.
For a family considering Madison Elementary, the central takeaway is a small elementary school in a tight-knit rural town serving a largely white student body with a moderate poverty rate, where state test results place the school among the stronger performers in its county. The community offers a quiet, tradition-rooted setting with a manufacturing and agricultural base. The school is part of a larger district, but what happens inside the building day to day will depend on conversations with the principal and teachers, since several pieces of typical school-environment data are not published here.
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