Central Elementary School

653 Hayes Leonard Road

School District

Valparaiso Community Schools
Grade

K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Valparaiso Community Schools

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 12, 2018

My daughter came to Central from Lake Street in Crown Point, and we have been beyond disappointed. I really thought the community of Valparaiso was moving in the right direction and seemed to have ample funding. I was so, terribly wrong. She spent almost the entire first half of her first grade going over things she had already learned, is very bored, they don’t seem to go too far into critical thinking skills, and there isn’t really homework. The funding is absolutely lacking, and there are virtually no events the school offers. They didn’t even have a Christmas program. Their approach to academics is sub par and it’s shame that so much money has been funneling into the town and none of it is going to the schools. We had higher hopes, as we love the downtown, but we are seriously looking at other schools to move to. My children deserve a better education than what this school has to offer.
Submitted by parent on January 06, 2016

principal is awful. Unsympathetic to my daughters needs and did not have my child's best interest in mind. Everyone else is amazing, except for her---who joined this school year year in 2015.
Submitted by parent on November 10, 2010

Our daughter is in second grade and is excelling because of the balanced academic and secure social environment at Central Elementary. This balance is not easily achieved but is expertly fostered through our Principal s knowledge, care and approachability. We are grateful for the leadership and staff of this school. I was reminded of their professionalism and care once again today as my daughter s teacher phoned me within 15 minutes of my contacting her. I called to discuss a special need related to an upcoming class assignment. The teacher handled the matter with empathy and offered a solution that met the requirements of the assignment while still maintaining my daughter s self esteem. This rare combination of grace and responsibility is just one example of the many gifted teachers at Central. We look forward to more years at Central and can say with confidence this is the best educational choice for our children.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2010

We have been very disappointed at the quality of the materials the school uses and the size of the classes. Almost every assignment has required multiple choice or very short answer responses. We have seen no evidence of assignments that encourage the development of higher order thinking, hands on activities, or any of the tools that are vital to student success. Furthermore, the reading program seems to be designed to remove all the joy that is usually associated with reading. I am not sure how much of the school's shortcomings are due to the district's choice of materials (its choice of reading and math programs) versus the teacher's decision to eschew small group learning and a seemingly dated approach to education. While I am sympathetic that the classes are far too large, the lack of individualized attention is very disappointing.