West Ward Elementary School

Summary:

West Ward Elementary School is a public elementary school in Allegan, Michigan, serving 246 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Allegan Public Schools district, which is ranked 332 out of 610 districts in the state.

West Ward Elementary stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, often outperforming the district and state averages on M-Step assessments, particularly in 3rd-grade English Language Arts (54.5% proficient) and 3rd-grade Math (66.7% proficient). This is notable given that the school has a relatively high percentage of students (66.26%) from low-income families receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Compared to nearby schools like Pine Trails Elementary and Dawson Elementary, West Ward Elementary generally outperforms them in academic assessments.

Another interesting finding is the school's student demographic, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (85.37%) compared to the state average and nearby schools. This unique racial makeup may warrant further investigation. Additionally, West Ward Elementary has experienced fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 13.2% in 2019-2020 to 56.2% in 2021-2022, which is an area of concern that may impact student learning and achievement.


Detail:

Public K-5

 630 Vernon St
       Allegan, MI  49010-1441


(269) 673-7000

District: Allegan Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
594th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,678 Help


Students who attend West Ward Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    LE White Middle School
High:    Allegan High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.3 Help
Number of students:  245

Racial breakdown:

White:
87.3%
Two or more races:
4.5%
African American:
3.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  59.6% Help


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 Compare West Ward Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details West Ward Elementary School ranks better than 60% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Allegan Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.31. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (87.3%), two or more races (4.5%), African American (3.3%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 59.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Allegan Public Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Ward Elementary School is 15.3. 2 elementary schools in the Allegan Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare West Ward Elementary School employs 16 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Ward Elementary School is $14,678. 3 elementary schools in the Allegan Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Ward Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks West Ward Elementary School 594th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See West Ward Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Allegan Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Allegan Public Schools 332nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for West Ward Elementary School?

Rank History for West Ward Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at West Ward Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 65.82 563rd 1545 63.6%
2007 72.32 379th 1565 75.8%
2008 80.53 190th 1577 88.0%
2009 73.12 407th 1589 74.4%
2010 68.10 595th 1552 61.7%
2011 67.90 538th 1552 65.3%
2012 66.22 505th 1566 67.8%
2013 56.19 724th 1563 53.7%
2014 65.85 508th 1533 66.9%
2015 61.79 584th 1580 63.0%
2016 61.49 583rd 1548 62.3%
2017 56.01 568th 1466 61.3%
2018 46.74 838th 1448 42.1%
2019 53.32 616th 1408 56.3%
2021 40.96 657th 1153 43.0%
2022 51.01 609th 1344 54.7%
2023 53.30 639th 1470 56.5%
2024 57.31 594th 1486 60.0%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Ward Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.64 787th 1397 43.7%
2019 61.29 364th 1134 67.9%
2021 50.48 342nd 749 54.3%
2022 69.69 235th 1099 78.6%
2023 65.78 350th 1350 74.1%
2024 63.59 393rd 1381 71.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Ward Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.25 914th 1443 36.7%
2019 59.77 443rd 1171 62.2%
2021 34.04 618th 902 31.5%
2022 45.44 579th 1106 47.6%
2023 50.60 594th 1321 55.0%
2024 45.49 688th 1342 48.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Ward Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.29 682nd 1446 52.8%
2019 50.06 582nd 1196 51.3%
2021 43.85 486th 915 46.9%
2022 52.14 514th 1139 54.9%
2023 53.75 574th 1334 57.0%
2024 63.05 451st 1347 66.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at West Ward Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 36.37 843rd 1253 32.7%
2019 39.01 701st 1128 37.9%
2021 30.31 726th 1005 27.8%
2022 41.92 640th 1102 41.9%
2023 39.60 741st 1198 38.1%
2024 44.64 653rd 1204 45.8%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

West Ward Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, May 16, 2019

Open Quote Very caring teachers and principal! Close Quote



Enrollment information for West Ward Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 317 4 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 323
1989 269 7 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 284
1990 283 14 3 8 0 n/a n/a 0 308
1991 289 15 5 8 0 n/a n/a 0 317
1992 293 13 3 10 0 n/a n/a 0 319
1993 297 18 4 6 3 n/a n/a 0 328
1995 265 14 6 8 0 n/a n/a 0 293
1996 265 14 6 8 0 n/a n/a 0 293
1997 256 19 10 9 1 n/a n/a 0 295
1998 259 19 6 11 1 n/a n/a 0 296
1999 253 31 6 10 0 n/a n/a 0 300
2000 247 25 4 11 0 n/a n/a 0 287
2001 257 22 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 284
2002 254 10 0 2 0 n/a n/a 2 268
2003 254 10 0 2 0 n/a n/a 2 268
2004 270 6 0 3 0 n/a n/a 3 282
2005 277 10 3 5 0 n/a n/a 1 296
2006 286 9 3 4 0 n/a n/a 5 307
2007 272 7 3 5 0 n/a n/a 8 295
2008 249 4 3 4 1 n/a n/a 7 268
2009 256 3 4 8 1 n/a n/a 10 282
2010 284 2 6 5 0 n/a n/a 13 310
2011 288 3 2 12 0 0 8 0 313
2012 279 1 6 9 0 0 8 0 303
2013 276 0 6 12 0 0 10 0 304
2014 276 2 5 10 0 0 18 0 311
2015 279 2 3 11 0 0 18 0 313
2016 239 3 2 10 1 0 18 0 273
2017 220 3 1 12 1 0 14 0 251
2018 225 10 3 14 1 0 15 0 268
2019 222 6 0 16 2 0 15 0 261
2020 213 7 0 9 4 0 8 0 241
2021 212 3 0 6 4 0 9 0 234
2022 206 7 0 5 1 1 15 0 235
2023 210 11 3 6 2 0 14 0 246
2024 214 8 3 8 1 0 11 0 245

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Ward Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 323 n/a n/a n/a
1989 284 n/a n/a 25.4
1990 308 15.0 20.5 19.8
1991 317 n/a n/a n/a
1992 319 n/a n/a n/a
1993 328 n/a 0.0 29.3
1995 293 13.1 22.4 33.4
1996 293 13.1 22.4 33.4
1997 295 14.0 21.1 29.8
1998 296 14.0 21.1 36.5
1999 300 14.0 21.4 31.3
2000 287 15.2 18.9 34.1
2001 284 15.9 17.9 29.2
2002 268 15.0 17.9 26.3
2003 268 15.0 17.9 26.3
2004 282 16.0 17.6 26.2
2005 296 14.0 21.1 28.1
2006 307 14.5 21.2 24.8
2007 295 14.0 21.1 27.5
2008 268 12.5 21.4 38.3
2009 282 12.2 23.1 41.9
2010 310 12.6 24.5 47.8
2011 313 13.3 23.4 48.9
2012 303 13.8 21.8 30
2013 304 14.8 20.4 48.4
2014 311 14.8 20.9 54.7
2015 313 16.0 19.5 52.7
2016 273 12.0 22.7 51.3
2017 251 13.1 19.1 54.2
2018 268 13.1 20.4 62.3
2019 261 14.1 18.4 61.3
2020 241 13.6 17.6 58.5
2021 234 16.0 14.5 58.1
2022 235 16.4 14.2 59.6
2023 246 13.6 17.9 66.3
2024 245 16.0 15.3 59.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West Ward Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 323 n/a n/a n/a
1989 284 n/a n/a 25.4
1990 308 15.0 20.5 19.8
1991 317 n/a n/a n/a
1992 319 n/a n/a n/a
1993 328 n/a 0.0 29.3
1995 293 13.1 22.4 33.4
1996 293 13.1 22.4 33.4
1997 295 14.0 21.1 29.8
1998 296 14.0 21.1 36.5
1999 300 14.0 21.4 31.3
2000 287 15.2 18.9 34.1
2001 284 15.9 17.9 29.2
2002 268 15.0 17.9 26.3
2003 268 15.0 17.9 26.3
2004 282 16.0 17.6 26.2
2005 296 14.0 21.1 28.1
2006 307 14.5 21.2 24.8
2007 295 14.0 21.1 27.5
2008 268 12.5 21.4 38.3
2009 282 12.2 23.1 41.9
2010 310 12.6 24.5 47.8
2011 313 13.3 23.4 48.9
2012 303 13.8 21.8 30
2013 304 14.8 20.4 48.4
2014 311 14.8 20.9 54.7
2015 313 16.0 19.5 52.7
2016 273 12.0 22.7 51.3
2017 251 13.1 19.1 54.2
2018 268 13.1 20.4 62.3
2019 261 14.1 18.4 61.3
2020 241 13.6 17.6 58.5
2021 234 16.0 14.5 58.1
2022 235 16.4 14.2 59.6
2023 246 13.6 17.9 66.3
2024 245 16.0 15.3 59.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Ward Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $795 (8.0%) $9,095 (92.0%) $9,890
2020 $756 (7.3%) $9,553 (92.7%) $10,309
2021 $1,492 (13.3%) $9,698 (86.7%) $11,190
2022 $1,776 (13.1%) $11,810 (86.9%) $13,586
2023 $1,658 (11.3%) $13,020 (88.7%) $14,678

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Ward Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 616th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 639th of 1470 Elementary schools
 0.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Ward Elementary School)58.548.7
 9.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Allegan Public Schools)46.538.2
 8.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (West Ward Elementary School)43.943.6
 0.3%
   3rd Grade Math (Allegan Public Schools)48.133.1
 15%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Ward Elementary School)5043.9
 6.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Allegan Public Schools)44.440
 4.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (West Ward Elementary School)60.556.1
 4.4%
   4th Grade Math (Allegan Public Schools)40.836.7
 4.1%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Ward Elementary School)5144.7
 6.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Allegan Public Schools)39.945.9
 6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (West Ward Elementary School)33.336.2
 2.9%
   5th Grade Math (Allegan Public Schools)36.635.8
 0.8%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (West Ward Elementary School)13.710.6
 3.1%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Allegan Public Schools)9.114.8
 5.7%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)17.418.6
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students261246
 5.7%
African American611
 83.3%
American Indian22
Asian03
Hispanic166
 62.5%
Pacific Islander00
White222210
 5.4%
Two or More Races1514
 6.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients61.3%66.3%
 5%


Schools Near West Ward Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about West Ward Elementary School

In the 2023-24 school year, 245 students attended West Ward Elementary School.

Students who attend West Ward Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : LE White Middle School
High : Allegan High School

Students at West Ward Elementary School are 87% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

West Ward Elementary School ranks 594th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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