Sister Lakes Elementary School

Summary:

Sister Lakes Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Benton Harbor, Michigan, serving 181 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Dowagiac Union School District, which is ranked 400 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Sister Lakes Elementary School has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (35.91%) compared to the state average, it struggles academically, with test scores below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 43.3%, compared to the state average of 39.6% and the district average of 31.2%. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 14.0% in 2018-2019 to 44.1% in 2020-2021, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 80.11% to 84.8% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to other nearby schools, such as Coloma Elementary School and Lybrook Elementary School, Sister Lakes Elementary School generally performs worse academically and has higher rates of chronic absenteeism. Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $12,693 to $17,226 over the past four school years, its academic performance remains below state and district averages, suggesting that additional resources may not be translating into improved student outcomes.


Detail:

Public K-5

 68079 M 152
       Benton Harbor, MI  49022-9360


(269) 782-4468

District: Dowagiac Union School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
863rd of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,226 Help


Students who attend Sister Lakes Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Dowagiac Middle School
High:    Union High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.7 Help
Number of students:  181

Racial breakdown:

White:
54.7%
Hispanic:
35.9%
Two or more races:
5.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  80.7% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Sister Lakes Elementary School ranks worse than 58.1% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 2nd 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 39.16. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Sister Lakes Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Dowagiac Union School District. Racial makeup is: White (54.7%), Hispanic (35.9%), two or more races (5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 80.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sister Lakes Elementary School is 14.7, which is the 2nd best among 4 elementary schools in the Dowagiac Union School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Sister Lakes Elementary School employs 12.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sister Lakes Elementary School is $17,226, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Dowagiac Union School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sister Lakes Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sister Lakes Elementary School 863rd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Sister Lakes Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic 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 Sister Lakes Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 31.96 1289th 1545 16.6%
2007 38.79 1209th 1565 22.7%
2008 33.53 1292nd 1577 18.1%
2009 41.11 1207th 1589 24.0%
2010 39.46 1226th 1552 21.0%
2011 35.33 1242nd 1552 20.0%
2012 38.66 1077th 1566 31.2%
2013 56.64 718th 1563 54.1%
2014 41.78 982nd 1533 35.9%
2015 31.10 1144th 1580 27.6%
2016 23.37 1203rd 1548 22.3%
2017 17.97 1195th 1466 18.5%
2018 18.62 1230th 1448 15.1%
2019 23.00 1082nd 1408 23.2%
2021 29.45 824th 1153 28.5%
2022 31.19 908th 1344 32.4%
2023 44.97 766th 1470 47.9%
2024 39.16 863rd 1486 41.9%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.05 269th 270 0.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.04 1165th 1397 16.6%
2019 39.51 714th 1134 37.0%
2021 43.90 420th 749 43.9%
2022 56.18 426th 1099 61.2%
2023 57.10 491st 1350 63.6%
2024 31.66 973rd 1381 29.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.97 1276th 1443 11.6%
2023 38.54 785th 1321 40.6%
2024 31.46 916th 1342 31.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.09 1102nd 1446 23.8%
2019 22.93 960th 1196 19.7%
2021 36.44 589th 915 35.6%
2022 28.64 819th 1139 28.1%
2023 48.91 642nd 1334 51.9%
2024 39.38 795th 1347 41.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.14 209th 222 5.9%
2023 36.63 113th 188 39.9%
2024 44.33 92nd 201 54.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Sister Lakes Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.31 1108th 1253 11.6%
2023 65.22 372nd 1198 68.9%
2024 65.08 379th 1204 68.5%
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.

Sister Lakes 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 Sister Lakes 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 279 0 0 96 1 n/a n/a 0 376
1989 245 0 0 81 0 n/a n/a 0 326
1990 253 0 0 80 1 n/a n/a 0 334
1991 245 2 0 73 1 n/a n/a 0 321
1992 242 3 0 74 2 n/a n/a 0 321
1993 243 3 0 111 3 n/a n/a 0 360
1994 234 4 1 113 2 n/a n/a 0 354
1995 246 9 1 112 3 n/a n/a 0 371
1996 246 9 1 112 3 n/a n/a 0 371
1997 243 12 2 112 6 n/a n/a 0 375
1998 229 10 1 116 6 n/a n/a 0 362
1999 211 10 0 126 7 n/a n/a 0 354
2000 199 5 1 117 5 n/a n/a 0 327
2001 179 8 1 110 5 n/a n/a 0 303
2002 170 10 0 103 7 n/a n/a 0 290
2003 170 10 0 103 7 n/a n/a 0 290
2004 167 10 0 123 5 n/a n/a 0 305
2005 156 9 1 131 7 n/a n/a 0 304
2006 162 5 1 119 5 n/a n/a 0 292
2007 156 4 0 88 4 n/a n/a 0 252
2008 138 4 n/a 90 2 n/a n/a 0 234
2009 157 3 0 87 4 n/a n/a 0 251
2010 127 4 0 104 2 n/a n/a 1 238
2011 112 3 0 82 1 0 5 0 203
2012 110 8 0 110 0 0 7 0 235
2013 107 5 0 113 0 0 10 0 235
2014 106 5 0 112 0 0 14 0 237
2015 95 2 0 108 0 0 23 0 228
2016 94 1 0 81 0 0 17 0 193
2017 102 3 0 87 1 0 17 0 210
2018 103 1 0 83 4 0 12 0 203
2019 76 1 0 84 4 0 6 0 171
2020 71 0 0 76 6 0 9 0 162
2021 81 1 0 77 6 0 6 0 171
2022 101 1 0 64 6 0 9 0 181
2023 99 0 0 65 8 0 9 0 181

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 Sister Lakes Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 376 n/a n/a n/a
1989 326 n/a n/a 34.7
1990 334 25.0 13.3 37.4
1991 321 n/a n/a n/a
1992 321 n/a n/a 47.7
1993 360 n/a 0.0 62.5
1994 354 17.9 19.8 49.2
1995 371 18.5 20.1 42
1996 371 18.5 20.1 42
1997 375 19.0 19.7 40.5
1998 362 19.0 19.1 44.8
1999 354 19.0 18.6 47.2
2000 327 18.1 18.1 43.7
2001 303 18.3 16.6 48.2
2002 290 14.7 19.7 52.8
2003 290 14.7 19.7 52.8
2004 305 15.3 19.9 59.3
2005 304 15.3 19.9 64.5
2006 292 16.3 17.9 66.8
2007 252 14.4 17.5 64.3
2008 234 14.0 16.7 64.5
2009 251 17.5 14.3 70.9
2010 238 15.0 15.8 81.9
2011 203 14.8 13.6 79.8
2012 235 15.7 14.9 83
2013 235 18.5 12.6 87.2
2014 237 15.1 15.6 86.9
2015 228 16.0 14.2 87.3
2016 193 16.0 12.0 81.9
2017 210 14.7 14.2 83.3
2018 203 15.6 12.9 87.2
2019 171 15.1 11.2 84.8
2020 162 14.0 11.5 82.7
2021 171 11.0 15.5 84.8
2022 181 11.0 16.4 80.1
2023 181 12.3 14.7 80.7

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 Sister Lakes Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 376 n/a n/a n/a
1989 326 n/a n/a 34.7
1990 334 25.0 13.3 37.4
1991 321 n/a n/a n/a
1992 321 n/a n/a 47.7
1993 360 n/a 0.0 62.5
1994 354 17.9 19.8 49.2
1995 371 18.5 20.1 42
1996 371 18.5 20.1 42
1997 375 19.0 19.7 40.5
1998 362 19.0 19.1 44.8
1999 354 19.0 18.6 47.2
2000 327 18.1 18.1 43.7
2001 303 18.3 16.6 48.2
2002 290 14.7 19.7 52.8
2003 290 14.7 19.7 52.8
2004 305 15.3 19.9 59.3
2005 304 15.3 19.9 64.5
2006 292 16.3 17.9 66.8
2007 252 14.4 17.5 64.3
2008 234 14.0 16.7 64.5
2009 251 17.5 14.3 70.9
2010 238 15.0 15.8 81.9
2011 203 14.8 13.6 79.8
2012 235 15.7 14.9 83
2013 235 18.5 12.6 87.2
2014 237 15.1 15.6 86.9
2015 228 16.0 14.2 87.3
2016 193 16.0 12.0 81.9
2017 210 14.7 14.2 83.3
2018 203 15.6 12.9 87.2
2019 171 15.1 11.2 84.8
2020 162 14.0 11.5 82.7
2021 171 11.0 15.5 84.8
2022 181 11.0 16.4 80.1
2023 181 12.3 14.7 80.7

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 Sister Lakes Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,315 (17.1%) $11,194 (82.9%) $13,509
2020 $2,519 (19.5%) $10,430 (80.5%) $12,950
2021 $3,274 (25.8%) $9,419 (74.2%) $12,693
2022 $4,665 (31.4%) $10,195 (68.6%) $14,860
2023 $4,349 (25.2%) $12,878 (74.8%) $17,226

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Sister Lakes 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 1082nd of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 766th of 1470 Elementary schools
 24.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sister Lakes Elementary School)3740
 3%
   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 (Sister Lakes Elementary School)29.646.7
 17.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Dowagiac Union School District)25.231.3
 6.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sister Lakes Elementary School)34.246.4
 12.2%
   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 (Sister Lakes Elementary School)21.117.9
 3.2%
   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 Students171181
 5.8%
African American10
 100%
American Indian48
 100%
Asian00
Hispanic8465
 22.6%
Pacific Islander00
White7699
 30.3%
Two or More Races69
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients84.8%80.7%
 4.1%


Schools Near Sister Lakes Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Sister Lakes Elementary School

Students who attend Sister Lakes Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dowagiac Middle School
High : Union High School

Sister Lakes Elementary School ranks 863rd of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 181 students attended Sister Lakes Elementary School.

Students at Sister Lakes Elementary School are 55% White, 36% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% American Indian.


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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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