Fair Plain East Elementary

Summary:

Fair Plain East Elementary is a public elementary school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, serving 169 students in grades 4-5. The school is part of the Benton Harbor Area Schools district and has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state of Michigan, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fair Plain East Elementary's academic performance, as measured by M-Step proficiency rates, is significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 9.6% of 4th-grade students were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 43.3%. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 33.4% to 60.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, Fair Plain East Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students (95.86% in 2022-2023) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

The nearby schools, such as Martin Luther King Junior Elementary and Discovery Enrichment Center, which serve similar student populations, also struggle with low academic performance and high chronic absenteeism, indicating that the challenges faced by Fair Plain East Elementary are not unique but rather systemic within the Benton Harbor school district. Addressing these issues will require a multifaceted approach that goes beyond simply increasing funding and involves a collaborative effort between the school, district, and the broader Benton Harbor community.

Detail:

Public 4-5

1995 Union Ave
Benton Harbor, MI 49022-6265

(269) 605-2400

District: Benton Harbor Area Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1483^rd of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,249

Students who attend Fair Plain East Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fair Plain Middle School
High:	Benton Harbor High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 169

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.8%

Hispanic:

4.1%

White:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Fair Plain East Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fair Plain East Elementary ranks worse than 99.8% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.81. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (88.8%), Hispanic (4.1%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Benton Harbor Area Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Fair Plain East Elementary is 16.9. 1 elementary schools in the Benton Harbor Area Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Fair Plain East Elementary employs 10 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Fair Plain East Elementary is $21,249, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Benton Harbor Area Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Fair Plain East Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Fair Plain East Elementary 1483^rd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Fair Plain East Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

African American students:

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Rank History for Fair Plain East Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Fair Plain East Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	0.88	1543^rd	1545	0.1%
2007	8.31	1509^th	1565	3.6%
2008	2.87	1562^nd	1577	1.0%
2009	0.90	1584^th	1589	0.3%
2010	0.74	1549^th	1552	0.2%
2011	1.20	1545^th	1552	0.5%
2012	3.20	1566^th	1566	0.0%
2013	3.14	1559^th	1563	0.3%
2014	2.72	1533^rd	1533	0.0%
2015	5.76	1563^rd	1580	1.1%
2016	2.22	1548^th	1548	0.0%
2018	4.41	1447^th	1448	0.1%
2023	3.17	1470^th	1470	0.0%
2024	3.81	1483^rd	1486	0.2%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Fair Plain East Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	5.55	1394^th	1397	0.2%
2023	3.87	1350^th	1350	0.0%
2024	4.76	1376^th	1381	0.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Fair Plain East Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.00	1433^rd	1443	0.7%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Fair Plain East Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.37	1444^th	1446	0.1%
2024	2.97	1346^th	1347	0.1%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Fair Plain East Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	15.07	469^th	475	1.3%
2023	9.86	321^st	321	0.0%
2024	11.81	343^rd	348	1.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American 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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Fair Plain East Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	73	289	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	364
1989	64	352	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	419
1990	50	302	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	352
1991	41	321	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	364
1992	33	362	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	395
1993	40	336	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	380
1994	40	380	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	424
1995	21	453	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
1996	21	453	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	477
1997	22	418	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	443
1998	12	408	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
1999	16	422	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	438
2000	19	406	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	42	467
2001	14	430	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	444
2002	15	384	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	399
2003	15	384	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	399
2004	9	351	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	362
2005	9	311	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	321
2006	6	280	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	287
2007	8	346	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	360
2008	7	327	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	335
2009	8	242	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	252
2010	4	276	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	282
2011	3	253	0	2	0	0	4	0	262
2012	7	328	0	3	0	0	0	0	338
2013	13	363	0	6	0	0	2	0	384
2014	12	421	1	2	0	0	2	0	438
2015	8	330	1	4	1	3	6	0	353
2016	7	284	0	6	0	0	5	0	302
2017	10	396	1	8	0	2	4	0	421
2018	6	382	1	9	1	2	9	0	410
2019	3	235	0	3	1	1	4	0	247
2020	2	220	0	9	1	1	4	0	237
2021	2	196	0	4	1	1	4	0	208
2022	3	184	0	6	1	0	6	0	200
2023	6	150	0	7	0	0	6	0	169

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 Fair Plain East Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	364	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	419	n/a	n/a	89
1990	352	21.0	16.7	94.6
1991	364	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	395	n/a	n/a	94.9
1993	380	n/a	0.0	95
1994	424	16.0	26.5	94.8
1995	477	20.0	23.9	95
1996	477	20.0	23.9	95
1997	443	23.0	19.3	90.7
1998	422	25.0	16.9	94.8
1999	438	23.0	19.0	93.2
2000	467	27.0	15.7	99.3
2001	444	24.0	18.5	99.3
2002	399	19.0	21.0	98.7
2003	399	19.0	21.0	98.7
2004	362	3.0	120.7	99.4
2005	321	24.0	13.4	98.1
2006	287	24.0	12.0	99
2007	360	20.0	18.0	84.7
2008	335	21.0	16.0	99.1
2009	252	17.0	14.8	98.8
2010	282	17.0	16.5	96.5
2011	262	17.0	15.4	92.4
2012	338	18.5	18.2	95.3
2013	384	18.9	20.2	91.7
2014	438	20.3	21.5	90.2
2015	353	18.0	19.6	81.3
2016	302	15.0	20.1	85.8
2017	421	23.0	18.3	80
2018	410	18.8	21.8	85.4
2019	247	11.8	20.7	84.6
2020	237	13.0	18.2	98.3
2021	208	10.0	20.8	100
2022	200	10.9	18.2	98
2023	169	10.0	16.9	95.9

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 Fair Plain East Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	364	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	419	n/a	n/a	89
1990	352	21.0	16.7	94.6
1991	364	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	395	n/a	n/a	94.9
1993	380	n/a	0.0	95
1994	424	16.0	26.5	94.8
1995	477	20.0	23.9	95
1996	477	20.0	23.9	95
1997	443	23.0	19.3	90.7
1998	422	25.0	16.9	94.8
1999	438	23.0	19.0	93.2
2000	467	27.0	15.7	99.3
2001	444	24.0	18.5	99.3
2002	399	19.0	21.0	98.7
2003	399	19.0	21.0	98.7
2004	362	3.0	120.7	99.4
2005	321	24.0	13.4	98.1
2006	287	24.0	12.0	99
2007	360	20.0	18.0	84.7
2008	335	21.0	16.0	99.1
2009	252	17.0	14.8	98.8
2010	282	17.0	16.5	96.5
2011	262	17.0	15.4	92.4
2012	338	18.5	18.2	95.3
2013	384	18.9	20.2	91.7
2014	438	20.3	21.5	90.2
2015	353	18.0	19.6	81.3
2016	302	15.0	20.1	85.8
2017	421	23.0	18.3	80
2018	410	18.8	21.8	85.4
2019	247	11.8	20.7	84.6
2020	237	13.0	18.2	98.3
2021	208	10.0	20.8	100
2022	200	10.9	18.2	98
2023	169	10.0	16.9	95.9

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 Fair Plain East Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$4,442 (31.0%)	$9,872 (69.0%)	$14,314
2020	$3,521 (27.2%)	$9,422 (72.8%)	$12,942
2021	$6,468 (43.9%)	$8,252 (56.1%)	$14,721
2022	$8,477 (50.2%)	$8,412 (49.8%)	$16,889
2023	$15,404 (72.5%)	$5,845 (27.5%)	$21,249

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fair Plain East Elementary

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	247	169	31.6%
African American	235	150	36.2%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	3	7	133.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	3	6	100%
Two or More Races	4	6	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	84.6%	95.9%	11.2%

Schools Near Fair Plain East Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)			M-Step Math (2024)			M-Step Science (2024)	M-Step Social Studies (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Fair Plain East Elementary	Public	4-5	1995 Union Ave	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Benton Harbor Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 605-2400	169	10	16.9	95.9%	6 (3.6%)	150 (88.8%)	7 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	3.8	1483^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	0.2%		3.2	1470^th of 1470 public elementary schools	0.0%	13			9.6	7.7		4.9		5.6		$21,249	$15,404	$5,845
Martin Luther King Junior Elementary	Public	1-3	750 E Britain Ave	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Benton Harbor Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 605-1500	287	14	20.5	94.1%	6 (2.1%)	264 (92.0%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.8%)								(n/a)		5.4			5.4					$20,118	$13,748	$6,370
Discovery Enrichment Center	Public	PK-K	465 S Mccord St	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Benton Harbor Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 605-1600	99	11	9.4	94.9%	4 (4.0%)	90 (90.9%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)								(n/a)										$19,459	$11,781	$7,678
Lincoln School	Public	PK, KG-5	1102 Orchard Ave	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	St. Joseph Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 926-3700	421	20	21.1	34.0%	318 (75.5%)	44 (10.5%)	26 (6.2%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	78.7	271^st of 1486 public elementary schools	81.8%		82.8	218^th of 1470 public elementary schools	85.2%	53		52.9	73.2	51.3	54.3	54.9	46.1	55.8	37.7	$11,805	$899	$10,906
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	248 9th St	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(269) 926-2885	217	8	28.1	100.0%	2 (0.9%)	214 (98.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	43.8									$12,571	$4,184	$8,387
Clarke School	Public	K-5	515 E Glenlord Rd	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	St. Joseph Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 926-3600	483	22	21.7	24.4%	362 (74.9%)	26 (5.4%)	35 (7.2%)	38 (7.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	78.8	267^th of 1486 public elementary schools	82.0%		66.6	448^th of 1470 public elementary schools	69.5%	181		63.2	59.2	51.2	68.4	64.9	47.6	59.5	23.8	$10,738	$494	$10,244
Brown School	Public	PK, KG-5	2027 Brown School Rd	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	St. Joseph Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 926-3500	398	20	20.0	31.2%	295 (74.1%)	30 (7.5%)	17 (4.3%)	33 (8.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.3%)	87.3	160^th of 1486 public elementary schools	89.2%		88	137^th of 1470 public elementary schools	90.7%	23		70.6	65.8	67.2	75.0	63.6	55.2	56.9	29.3	$11,712	$507	$11,205
River School	Public	K-8	4439 River Rd	Sodus	49126	Berrien County	Sodus Township S/D #5	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 925-6757	65	5	14.2	89.2%	27 (41.5%)	17 (26.2%)	16 (24.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	3 (4.6%)								(n/a)										$15,199	$1,295	$13,903
Hollywood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	143 E John Beers Rd	Stevensville	49127	Berrien County	Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 428-1414	403	24	16.6	40.0%	347 (86.1%)	12 (3.0%)	30 (7.4%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.5%)	78.6	272^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	81.7%		83.7	199^th of 1470 public elementary schools	86.5%	73		55.9	57.9	60.9	64.4	57.9	55.1	53.6	24.6	$14,236	$1,315	$12,922
Stewart Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2750 Orchard Ln	Stevensville	49127	Berrien County	Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 428-1418	414	25	16.4	34.8%	320 (77.3%)	28 (6.8%)	11 (2.7%)	39 (9.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.4%)	75.4	322^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	78.3%		69.8	393^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	73.3%	71		60.3	58.7	63.8	65.5	69.8	52.2	52.2	10.1	$12,840	$1,887	$10,953

Frequently Asked Questions about Fair Plain East Elementary

What district is Fair Plain East Elementary in?

Benton Harbor Area Schools

How many students attend Fair Plain East Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 169 students attended Fair Plain East Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Fair Plain East Elementary?

Students at Fair Plain East Elementary are 89% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% White, 4% Two or more races.

Is Fair Plain East Elementary a good school?

Fair Plain East Elementary ranks in the bottom 0.2% of Michigan elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Fair Plain East Elementary attend?

Students who attend Fair Plain East Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fair Plain Middle School
High : Benton Harbor High School

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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.