The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Math. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Walt Disney Elementary School
Walt Disney Elementary School sits in Mishawaka, on the northern edge of St. Joseph County, and serves kindergarten through fifth grade within the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and enrollment is substantial for an elementary building. The student body is diverse in composition. No single racial or ethnic group holds a majority. White students form the largest share, followed by Black students, and then a mix of students who are Hispanic, Asian, or identify as two or more races. Just over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that a majority of families have lower household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the record reviewed.
Mishawaka itself is a city that has shifted from its manufacturing past toward retail services and small industry. The city describes itself as a place where families settle, and publicly reported community assets include an engaging downtown, a riverwalk along the St. Joseph River, and dozens of parks. Major local employers include AM General, which produces vehicles at a local plant, and Bethel University. Housing values and rents in the area are below the national median, making the market more accessible than many parts of the country. The city reports consistent population growth and new construction, suggesting a community that is expanding rather than contracting.
A parent looking at this school will find a mixed picture in the state assessment results, which are the primary academic measure for an elementary school. On the ILEARN exams, math proficiency among tested students landed above the midpoint relative to other schools in St. Joseph County, a stronger position than many of its peer schools. English language arts proficiency was lower than in math. Science and social studies results, tested only in certain grades, also showed proficiency rates that were below the school’s own math performance. The comparison data across the county’s districts positions this school’s overall proficiency index above the midpoint, meaning it performs better than many of its county peers but not at the top of the group. There is no graduation rate because the school serves only elementary grades, and the record did not include chronic absenteeism data or staffing information.
The district itself, Penn-Harris-Madison, did not have publicly reported major changes or initiatives in the record searched, so there is no recent referendum, curriculum shift, or boundary change to weigh. That absence is neutral, neither a positive nor a negative, but a parent who wants to understand the district’s direction may want to attend a school board meeting or check district communications directly.
For a family choosing where to live and enroll, Walt Disney Elementary offers a large, demographically diverse student body with a math proficiency rate that stands out favorably when compared with other schools in the county. The English language arts and science results are softer, and a parent may want to ask the school how it supports literacy and comprehension. The community context in Mishawaka is one of steady growth, with housing that is more affordable than the national average and a downtown that provides walkable amenities. The school sits within a district that serves a wide area north and east of South Bend, so the commute and neighborhood feel will vary depending on where a family lands within the attendance boundary.
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