Justus Gage Elementary School

Summary:

Justus Gage Elementary School is a public elementary school in Dowagiac, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 274 students. The school is part of the Dowagiac Union School District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Justus Gage has a higher percentage of White students (69.34%) compared to nearby schools like Patrick Hamilton Elementary, which has more diverse student populations. Academically, Justus Gage's performance on M-Step tests is generally lower than state averages and the performance of surrounding schools. The school also has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate (30.3%) and a very high percentage of students (82.48%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Despite spending more per student ($14,549) than the state average, Justus Gage's academic performance has been declining over the past few years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 761 out of 1,580 Michigan elementary schools in 2013-2014 to 810 out of 1,486 in 2023-2024. The school's performance is particularly low for female students, White students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Addressing the underlying issues of high poverty and chronic absenteeism may be key to improving student outcomes at Justus Gage Elementary.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 301 Oak St
       Dowagiac, MI  49047-1378


(269) 782-4460

District: Dowagiac Union School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
810th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,549 Help


Students who attend Justus Gage Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Dowagiac Middle School
High:    Union High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.6 Help
Number of students:  283

Racial breakdown:

White:
69.3%
Hispanic:
13.1%
African American:
8.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  82% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Justus Gage Elementary School ranks worse than 54.5% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks first among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Dowagiac Union School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.4. (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
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Compare Details Justus Gage Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Dowagiac Union School District. Racial makeup is: White (69.3%), Hispanic (13.1%), African American (8.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 82% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Justus Gage Elementary School is 16.6, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Dowagiac Union School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Justus Gage Elementary School employs 17 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Justus Gage Elementary School is $14,549, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Dowagiac Union School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Justus Gage Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Justus Gage Elementary School 810th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Justus Gage 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:


Dowagiac Union School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Dowagiac Union School District 400th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Justus Gage Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Justus Gage Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 51.19 949th 1545 38.6%
2007 33.61 1272nd 1565 18.7%
2008 53.04 974th 1577 38.2%
2009 34.32 1295th 1589 18.5%
2010 70.08 516th 1552 66.8%
2011 60.73 765th 1552 50.7%
2012 33.30 1177th 1566 24.8%
2013 43.56 965th 1563 38.3%
2014 62.03 597th 1533 61.1%
2015 52.74 761st 1580 51.8%
2016 39.62 958th 1548 38.1%
2017 18.65 1185th 1466 19.2%
2018 44.13 883rd 1448 39.0%
2019 33.67 934th 1408 33.7%
2021 29.44 826th 1153 28.4%
2022 30.99 913th 1344 32.1%
2023 32.66 957th 1470 34.9%
2024 42.40 810th 1486 45.5%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Justus Gage Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.19 631st 1397 54.8%
2019 50.09 551st 1134 51.4%
2021 44.75 406th 749 45.8%
2022 41.72 627th 1099 42.9%
2023 39.66 807th 1350 40.2%
2024 52.90 580th 1381 58.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Justus Gage Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.44 746th 1443 48.3%
2019 31.41 832nd 1171 28.9%
2021 45.69 464th 902 48.6%
2022 26.78 849th 1106 23.2%
2023 23.76 1010th 1321 23.5%
2024 39.69 771st 1342 42.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Justus Gage Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.00 940th 1446 35.0%
2019 30.84 839th 1196 29.8%
2021 31.91 649th 915 29.1%
2022 38.55 695th 1139 39.0%
2023 33.31 877th 1334 34.3%
2024 39.34 796th 1347 40.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Justus Gage Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.09 804th 1253 35.8%
2019 32.55 791st 1128 29.9%
2021 26.37 777th 1005 22.7%
2022 26.28 843rd 1102 23.5%
2023 21.91 977th 1198 18.4%
2024 33.69 817th 1204 32.1%
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.

Justus Gage Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Justus Gage Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 283 74 2 8 3 n/a n/a 0 370
1989 166 48 2 6 2 n/a n/a 0 224
1990 174 48 2 5 3 n/a n/a 0 232
1991 178 48 2 5 2 n/a n/a 0 235
1992 194 46 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1993 220 39 1 4 1 n/a n/a 0 265
1994 210 38 0 7 1 n/a n/a 0 256
1995 190 47 0 6 2 n/a n/a 0 245
1996 190 47 0 6 2 n/a n/a 0 245
1997 188 46 1 8 2 n/a n/a 0 245
1998 192 52 1 7 1 n/a n/a 0 253
1999 187 46 1 10 1 n/a n/a 0 245
2000 154 54 4 6 2 n/a n/a 0 220
2001 144 51 2 3 1 n/a n/a 0 201
2002 160 55 2 6 2 n/a n/a 1 226
2003 160 55 2 6 2 n/a n/a 1 226
2004 247 69 1 14 3 n/a n/a 0 334
2005 241 70 3 20 5 n/a n/a 0 339
2006 245 84 3 18 8 n/a n/a 0 358
2007 258 78 3 17 8 n/a n/a 0 364
2008 279 69 3 24 10 n/a n/a 0 385
2009 239 49 2 18 8 n/a n/a 12 328
2010 203 44 3 17 6 n/a n/a 18 291
2011 196 32 3 19 5 0 25 0 280
2012 194 34 2 25 7 0 36 0 298
2013 186 20 2 34 4 0 44 0 290
2014 184 14 4 43 5 0 37 0 287
2015 180 17 4 40 3 0 45 0 289
2016 177 21 0 42 5 0 47 0 292
2017 183 18 0 39 6 0 43 0 289
2018 178 19 0 38 3 0 41 0 279
2019 166 30 1 26 1 0 45 0 269
2020 178 27 1 30 3 0 38 0 277
2021 176 30 0 30 3 0 39 0 278
2022 172 25 0 28 3 0 34 0 262
2023 190 19 0 35 2 0 28 0 274
2024 196 24 0 37 6 0 20 0 283

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 Justus Gage Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 370 n/a n/a n/a
1989 224 n/a n/a 42.9
1990 232 18.0 12.8 37.5
1991 235 n/a n/a n/a
1992 247 n/a n/a 53.4
1993 265 n/a 0.0 54.7
1994 256 15.2 16.8 52.3
1995 245 20.5 12.0 48.2
1996 245 20.5 12.0 48.2
1997 245 16.0 15.3 44.9
1998 253 16.0 15.8 50.6
1999 245 16.0 15.3 46.9
2000 220 15.4 14.3 53.6
2001 201 14.4 14.0 51.7
2002 226 13.7 16.5 62.2
2003 226 13.7 16.5 62.2
2004 334 20.3 16.5 60.8
2005 339 20.3 16.7 63.4
2006 358 21.4 16.7 61.2
2007 364 22.1 16.5 61
2008 385 20.7 18.6 52.5
2009 328 19.0 17.3 76.6
2010 291 18.5 15.7 73.3
2011 280 16.7 16.7 81.4
2012 298 17.6 16.8 77.5
2013 290 16.2 17.8 77.6
2014 287 15.8 18.1 80.5
2015 289 18.0 16.0 75.4
2016 292 17.0 17.1 79.5
2017 289 16.8 17.2 77.9
2018 279 17.0 16.4 82.8
2019 269 16.9 15.9 86.6
2020 277 18.2 15.2 82.7
2021 278 17.9 15.5 92.8
2022 262 16.4 15.9 80.9
2023 274 17.4 15.7 82.5
2024 283 17.0 16.6 82

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 Justus Gage Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 370 n/a n/a n/a
1989 224 n/a n/a 42.9
1990 232 18.0 12.8 37.5
1991 235 n/a n/a n/a
1992 247 n/a n/a 53.4
1993 265 n/a 0.0 54.7
1994 256 15.2 16.8 52.3
1995 245 20.5 12.0 48.2
1996 245 20.5 12.0 48.2
1997 245 16.0 15.3 44.9
1998 253 16.0 15.8 50.6
1999 245 16.0 15.3 46.9
2000 220 15.4 14.3 53.6
2001 201 14.4 14.0 51.7
2002 226 13.7 16.5 62.2
2003 226 13.7 16.5 62.2
2004 334 20.3 16.5 60.8
2005 339 20.3 16.7 63.4
2006 358 21.4 16.7 61.2
2007 364 22.1 16.5 61
2008 385 20.7 18.6 52.5
2009 328 19.0 17.3 76.6
2010 291 18.5 15.7 73.3
2011 280 16.7 16.7 81.4
2012 298 17.6 16.8 77.5
2013 290 16.2 17.8 77.6
2014 287 15.8 18.1 80.5
2015 289 18.0 16.0 75.4
2016 292 17.0 17.1 79.5
2017 289 16.8 17.2 77.9
2018 279 17.0 16.4 82.8
2019 269 16.9 15.9 86.6
2020 277 18.2 15.2 82.7
2021 278 17.9 15.5 92.8
2022 262 16.4 15.9 80.9
2023 274 17.4 15.7 82.5
2024 283 17.0 16.6 82

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 Justus Gage Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,171 (11.3%) $9,150 (88.7%) $10,320
2020 $1,176 (11.7%) $8,891 (88.3%) $10,067
2021 $1,909 (17.4%) $9,084 (82.6%) $10,993
2022 $2,926 (22.0%) $10,345 (78.0%) $13,271
2023 $3,790 (26.1%) $10,758 (73.9%) $14,548

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Justus Gage 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 934th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 957th of 1470 Elementary schools
 1.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Justus Gage Elementary School)3532.6
 2.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dowagiac Union School District)30.829.6
 1.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Justus Gage Elementary School)37.544.2
 6.7%
   3rd Grade Math (Dowagiac Union School District)25.231.3
 6.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Justus Gage Elementary School)41.727.9
 13.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Dowagiac Union School District)23.232.2
 9%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Justus Gage Elementary School)47.232.6
 14.6%
   4th Grade Math (Dowagiac Union School District)22.632.2
 9.6%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Justus Gage Elementary School)31.125.6
 5.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Dowagiac Union School District)29.135.8
 6.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Justus Gage Elementary School)28.925.6
 3.3%
   5th Grade Math (Dowagiac Union School District)20.621.6
 1%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students269274
 1.9%
African American3019
 36.7%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic2635
 34.6%
Pacific Islander00
White166190
 14.5%
Two or More Races4528
 37.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients86.6%82.5%
 4.1%


Schools Near Justus Gage Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Justus Gage Elementary School

Justus Gage Elementary School ranks 810th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 283 students attended Justus Gage Elementary School.

Students at Justus Gage Elementary School are 69% White, 13% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Students who attend Justus Gage Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dowagiac Middle School
High : Union 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.





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