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#1258 of 1,823 schools in IN

Little Turtle Elementary School

Elementary School · Whitley County Con Schools · Columbia City, IN

A Whitley County Con Schools elementary school where students score 6 points below what's typical for similar communities.

1710 S State Rd 9, Columbia City, IN 46725

  • Math 45% vs IN 46% (2025)
  • Reading 39% vs IN 41% (2025)
  • 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress4.9Below Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-3.69 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics6.0Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency44.7% (2025 ILEARN)
Reading/ELA Proficiency39% (2025 ILEARN)
Math vs. State Avg-6.8 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-1.2 pts
Overall Proficiency42% (2025 ILEARN, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)48% (model expectation from 2025 ILEARN)
vs. Expected-6.1 pts
Adjusted Percentile43th
Resources & Environment5.9Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.3:1
District spending per student$10,015
Chronic Absenteeism11.4%

Students at Little Turtle Elementary School score 42% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 48%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 ILEARN proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. IN average.

Math Proficiency45%(2025 ILEARN)
School
State
46%(2025 ILEARN)
ELA Proficiency39%(2025 ILEARN)
School
State
41%(2025 ILEARN)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 7 points since 2020, reaching 42% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
78%
ELA
77%
2010
Math
82%
ELA
89%
2011
Math
81%
ELA
86%
2012
Math
88%
ELA
84%
2013
Math
88%
ELA
86%
2014
Math
71%
ELA
76%
2015
Math
63%
ELA
73%
2016
Math
62%
ELA
67%
2017
Math
59%
ELA
62%
2018
Math
52%
ELA
41%
2019
Math
52%
ELA
41%
2020*
Math
39%
ELA
31%
2021*
Math
39%
ELA
31%
2022
Math
39%
2025
Math
45%
ELA
39%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 60% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 59% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 37 test records from IN state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

37.4%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Little Turtle Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 5Car-Dependent
  • Bike 24Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Elevated1,001/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Columbia City), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$76,214

Median home value

$216,700

Median rent

$907/mo

College educated

24.7%

Homeownership

79.3%

Poverty rate

8.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 46725; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Mary Raber Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified3.3PK–51.7 mi290Compare →
Faith Christian AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–82.2 mi29Compare →
Coesse SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.7K–54.5 mi301Compare →
Northern Heights Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified7.1K–5Not available519Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Whitley County Con Schools

Schools in district
6
Rank in district
#3 of 6
District spending per student
$10,015NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

Little Turtle Elementary School is listed in Whitley County Con Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Little Turtle Elementary School

Little Turtle Elementary School is a public elementary school in Columbia City, IN, part of Whitley County Con Schools, serving approximately 597 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.4 out of 10 and ranks #1,258 of 1,823 schools in IN. State assessment records show 60% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Little Turtle Elementary School

What grades does Little Turtle Elementary School serve?

Little Turtle Elementary School serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Little Turtle Elementary School?

Little Turtle Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 597 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Little Turtle Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Little Turtle Elementary School is 15.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Little Turtle Elementary School rank in IN?

Little Turtle Elementary School ranks #1,258 of 1,823 schools in IN.

What is Little Turtle Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Little Turtle Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Little Turtle Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Little Turtle Elementary School has 60% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Little Turtle Elementary School a charter school?

No, Little Turtle Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Little Turtle Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Little Turtle Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Little Turtle Elementary School?

37.4% of students at Little Turtle Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
597
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
39
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Whitley County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
11.4%
Area population (ZIP 46725)
22,941
Area average commute
21.7 min
Area median age
42.4
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ILEARN · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ILEARN. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ILEARN · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ILEARN. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 46725; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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