The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in Math. The lowest is 52% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Parkview Elementary School
Parkview Elementary School is a regular public school in Valparaiso, Indiana, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of Valparaiso Community Schools and sits in a residential neighborhood on the city’s near west side. The school is small for its grade band, with an enrollment typical of a neighborhood elementary. The student body is diverse: roughly half the students are white, more than a third are Hispanic, and the remainder is a mix of Black, multiracial, and a small number of Asian and American Indian students. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school near the area average for economic need.
Academically, Parkview posts results that place it among the stronger elementary schools in Porter County. On Indiana’s ILEARN assessments, a solid majority of students meet proficiency in math, with a smaller share reaching the same bar in English language arts. Science proficiency is better than ELA, and social studies results, which are measured only in fifth grade, are more moderate. When all tested subjects are averaged together, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile relative to the county’s other districts. That’s a clear strength, especially given the school’s relatively high share of students receiving economic assistance. No trend data is available to show whether performance has been improving or declining in recent years, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about trajectory.
The school itself offers no program data in the record—no information on after-school activities, enrichment, special education staffing, or course access was reported. Because it is an elementary school, there is no high school graduation rate to consider, and data on chronic absenteeism and discipline are also absent. A parent might want to follow up with the school to understand what supports or programs are available for students who need extra help, especially given the proportion of students from lower-income households.
Valparaiso provides the school’s community context. The city is a county seat and home to Valparaiso University, giving it a college-town character that is unusual for a city of its size. Its historic downtown runs along Lincolnway, with street-level shops and restaurants, and the university campus sits just south of downtown, closely integrated with civic life. The city lies at the junctions of several state highways and is within a short drive of the Indiana Dunes National Park and the interstate corridors linking it to Chicago. Home values in the area are above the Indiana state median and roughly in line with the national figure, reflecting a stable but not booming housing market. Rents have been rising modestly, consistent with broader trends. No major new development or district-level changes—such as referendum outcomes or boundary shifts—were reported in recent searches, suggesting the district landscape is currently steady.
For a family considering Parkview, the takeaway is a neighborhood school with a diverse student body and academic performance that stands out within Porter County. The community offers the amenities of a small city with a university presence, and the housing market is fairly typical for the region. A parent will want to fill in the blanks around enrichment offerings and student support services, as those details are not available from the data. The school’s solid proficiency results, especially in math and science, give it a straightforward academic profile: it is a capable anchor for elementary education in Valparaiso.
See more original research from School Decision →