Is Emerson School a good school?

Emerson School ranks 1063 rd of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Emerson School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 172 students attended Emerson School.

What is the racial makeup of Emerson School?

Students at Emerson School are 77% White, 19% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Emerson School attend?

Students who attend Emerson School usually go on to attend: Middle : Ionia Middle School High : Ionia High School

Emerson School

Summary:

Emerson School is an elementary school located in Ionia, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 172. As part of the Ionia Public Schools district, which is ranked 402 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating, Emerson School faces several challenges that set it apart from nearby schools.

One key difference is Emerson School's racial makeup, with a higher percentage of Hispanic students (19.19%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 4.61% to 13.02% Hispanic students. Additionally, Emerson School has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 34.4% to 38.6% in recent years, compared to the nearby schools, which range from 13.9% to 28.3%. Academically, Emerson School's test scores are generally lower than the Ionia Public Schools district and the state of Michigan averages across various subjects and grade levels, with its 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate at just 11.54% in 2023-2024, compared to the district's 33.2% and the state's 39.6%. Furthermore, Emerson School has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 72.09% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, which is higher than the surrounding schools.

These factors contribute to Emerson School's consistently low rankings, with the school ranking 1063 out of 1486 Michigan elementary schools in 2023-2024 and receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. In comparison, nearby schools such as Twin Rivers Elementary, RB Boyce Elementary, and AA Rather School generally perform better on various metrics, including test scores and school rankings. While Emerson School faces significant challenges, the data suggests that targeted interventions and support could potentially lead to improved outcomes for the students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

645 Hackett St
Ionia, MI 48846-1418

(616) 527-8018

District: Ionia Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1063^rd of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,503

Students who attend Emerson School usually attend:

Middle:	Ionia Middle School
High:	Ionia High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 172

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.7%

Hispanic:

19.2%

Two or more races:

2.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Emerson School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Emerson School ranks worse than 71.5% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Ionia Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 27.37. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Emerson School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Ionia Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (76.7%), Hispanic (19.2%), two or more races (2.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Emerson School is 12.2, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Ionia Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Emerson School employs 14 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Emerson School is $14,503, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Ionia Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Emerson School:

SchoolDigger ranks Emerson School 1063^rd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Emerson School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Ionia Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Ionia Public Schools 402^nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Emerson School?

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Rank History for Emerson School

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Rank History for all students at Emerson School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	26.76	1343^rd	1545	13.1%
2007	41.32	1165^th	1565	25.6%
2008	60.35	761^st	1577	51.7%
2009	48.02	1092^nd	1589	31.3%
2010	35.80	1259^th	1552	18.9%
2011	28.83	1308^th	1552	15.7%
2012	22.58	1313^th	1566	16.2%
2013	27.84	1221^st	1563	21.9%
2014	62.13	595^th	1533	61.2%
2015	29.89	1161^st	1580	26.5%
2016	31.31	1084^th	1548	30.0%
2017	27.65	1057^th	1466	27.9%
2018	34.96	1013^th	1448	30.0%
2019	19.71	1142^nd	1408	18.9%
2022	35.65	831^st	1344	38.2%
2023	40.94	838^th	1470	43.0%
2024	27.37	1063^rd	1486	28.5%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Emerson School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	50.51	719^th	1397	48.5%
2019	31.52	826^th	1134	27.2%
2022	56.55	421^st	1099	61.7%
2023	48.25	658^th	1350	51.3%
2024	45.97	699^th	1381	49.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Emerson School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	38.19	929^th	1443	35.6%
2024	26.48	1008^th	1342	24.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Emerson School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	32.76	1017^th	1446	29.7%
2024	27.37	965^th	1347	28.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Emerson School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	27.64	970^th	1253	22.6%
2019	11.37	1059^th	1128	6.1%
2022	17.07	959^th	1102	13.0%
2023	25.77	926^th	1198	22.7%
2024	18.30	1045^th	1204	13.2%

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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Emerson School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1997	245	16	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	279
1998	218	14	0	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	246
1999	209	12	0	15	8	n/a	n/a	0	244
2000	197	16	0	23	5	n/a	n/a	0	241
2001	211	10	2	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
2002	224	5	0	21	0	n/a	n/a	4	254
2003	224	5	0	21	0	n/a	n/a	4	254
2004	215	3	0	23	1	n/a	n/a	7	249
2005	184	8	0	20	3	n/a	n/a	14	229
2006	164	12	3	16	0	n/a	n/a	16	211
2007	167	3	1	18	0	n/a	n/a	22	211
2008	135	n/a	1	18	1	n/a	n/a	11	166
2009	121	3	0	13	1	n/a	n/a	10	148
2010	130	4	0	14	0	n/a	n/a	15	163
2011	133	2	0	23	0	0	2	0	160
2012	142	2	1	16	0	0	0	0	161
2013	133	1	0	20	0	0	2	0	156
2014	141	1	0	21	0	0	4	0	167
2015	152	1	0	23	0	0	4	0	180
2016	132	2	0	27	0	0	8	0	169
2017	113	3	0	26	0	0	6	0	148
2018	120	3	0	32	0	0	7	0	162
2019	122	6	0	27	0	0	7	0	162
2020	139	6	0	38	0	0	12	0	195
2021	127	5	0	33	0	0	8	0	173
2022	124	2	0	35	0	0	4	0	165
2023	132	3	0	33	0	0	4	0	172

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 Emerson School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	279	14.0	19.9	45.5
1998	246	14.0	17.6	47.6
1999	244	14.0	17.4	55.3
2000	241	13.5	17.9	61.8
2001	249	14.5	17.2	57.4
2002	254	27.7	9.2	63.6
2003	254	27.7	9.2	63.6
2004	249	15.0	16.6	67.8
2005	229	14.0	16.4	66.5
2006	211	14.0	15.1	73.3
2007	211	14.0	15.1	77.2
2008	166	11.5	14.4	78.1
2009	148	9.3	15.9	84.1
2010	163	9.4	17.3	97.3
2011	160	9.6	16.6	91.9
2012	161	8.6	18.7	81.4
2013	156	8.5	18.3	87.2
2014	167	8.5	19.5	71.3
2015	180	9.0	20.0	74.4
2016	169	10.0	16.9	66.9
2017	148	9.6	15.2	80.4
2018	162	9.6	16.7	83.3
2019	162	10.6	15.1	74.7
2020	195	12.3	15.8	87.7
2021	173	13.8	12.5	81.5
2022	165	14.0	11.7	76.4
2023	172	14.0	12.2	72.1

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 Emerson School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1997	279	14.0	19.9	45.5
1998	246	14.0	17.6	47.6
1999	244	14.0	17.4	55.3
2000	241	13.5	17.9	61.8
2001	249	14.5	17.2	57.4
2002	254	27.7	9.2	63.6
2003	254	27.7	9.2	63.6
2004	249	15.0	16.6	67.8
2005	229	14.0	16.4	66.5
2006	211	14.0	15.1	73.3
2007	211	14.0	15.1	77.2
2008	166	11.5	14.4	78.1
2009	148	9.3	15.9	84.1
2010	163	9.4	17.3	97.3
2011	160	9.6	16.6	91.9
2012	161	8.6	18.7	81.4
2013	156	8.5	18.3	87.2
2014	167	8.5	19.5	71.3
2015	180	9.0	20.0	74.4
2016	169	10.0	16.9	66.9
2017	148	9.6	15.2	80.4
2018	162	9.6	16.7	83.3
2019	162	10.6	15.1	74.7
2020	195	12.3	15.8	87.7
2021	173	13.8	12.5	81.5
2022	165	14.0	11.7	76.4
2023	172	14.0	12.2	72.1

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 Emerson School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$890 (7.8%)	$10,589 (92.2%)	$11,479
2020	$1,026 (9.2%)	$10,167 (90.8%)	$11,193
2021	$1,871 (14.6%)	$10,925 (85.4%)	$12,795
2022	$1,712 (11.9%)	$12,721 (88.1%)	$14,433
2023	$1,408 (9.7%)	$13,095 (90.3%)	$14,503

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson 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 1142^nd of 1408 Elementary schools	Ranks 838^th of 1470 Elementary schools	24.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Emerson School)	21.7	40	18.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ionia Public Schools)	40.1	33.7	6.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Emerson School)	30.4	30.8	0.4%
3rd Grade Math (Ionia Public Schools)	33.8	36.2	2.4%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson School)	32	50	18%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ionia Public Schools)	37.4	28	9.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
4th Grade Math (Emerson School)	32	33.3	1.3%
4th Grade Math (Ionia Public Schools)	24.3	24.6	0.3%
4th Grade Math (Michigan)	41.8	38.6	3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson School)	31.6	35.3	3.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ionia Public Schools)	46.2	32.3	13.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	46.2	43.9	2.3%
5th Grade Math (Emerson School)	22.2	35.3	13.1%
5th Grade Math (Ionia Public Schools)	33.2	27.6	5.6%
5th Grade Math (Michigan)	34.8	31.5	3.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	162	172	6.2%
African American	6	3	50%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	27	33	22.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	122	132	8.2%
Two or More Races	7	4	42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74.7%	72.1%	2.6%

Schools Near Emerson School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th 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
Emerson School	Public	PK, KG-5	645 Hackett St	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-8018	172	14	12.2	72.1%	132 (76.7%)	3 (1.7%)	33 (19.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	27.4	1063^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	28.5%		40.9	838^th of 1470 public elementary schools	43.0%	225	11.5	34.6	37.0		26.9	38.5	19.2		29.6	11.5	$14,503	$1,408	$13,095
Jefferson School	Public	PK, KG-5	420 N Jefferson St	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-2740	315	15	21.0	72.7%	255 (81.0%)	2 (0.6%)	41 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.1%)	26.8	1071^st of 1486 public elementary schools	27.9%		20.7	1134^th of 1470 public elementary schools	22.9%	63	32.4	37.0	28.6		24.3	34.8	18.4		28.6	8.2	$12,277	$3,135	$9,143
AA Rather School	Public	PK, KG-5	380 E Tuttle Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-1720	321	18	17.8	60.4%	274 (85.4%)	3 (0.9%)	29 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.4%)	55.9	620^th of 1486 public elementary schools	58.3%		41.7	823^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	44.0%	203	56.9	44.8	47.1		51.0	44.8	19.6		39.2		$11,252	$1,513	$9,738
North LeValley Elementary School	Public	K-5	2120 N State Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Township S/D #2	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-4900	14	1	14.0	57.1%	14 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$18,125	$11,859	$6,266
Haynor School	Public	K-6	1779 Haynor Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Easton Township S/D #6	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-4900	9	1	9.0	55.6%	8 (88.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (11.1%)								(n/a)											$20,575	$2,905	$17,669
RB Boyce Elementary School	Public	K-5	3550 N State Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-0571	264	16	16.5	58.0%	232 (87.9%)	2 (0.8%)	23 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	17.8	1204^th of 1486 public elementary schools	19.0%		33.5	945^th of 1470 public elementary schools	35.7%	259	26.4	35.7	26.9		27.8	21.4	5.7		18.9	5.7	$12,257	$1,385	$10,871
Coon School	Public	K-6	6679 S State Rd	Ionia	48846	Ionia County	Berlin Township S/D #3	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 527-4900	9	1	9.0	44.4%	9 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$17,348	$6,758	$10,590
Twin Rivers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	435 Lou Lemke Ln	Muir	48860	Ionia County	Ionia Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 522-0005	188	11	16.9	68.1%	161 (85.6%)	3 (1.6%)	16 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.7%)	29.7	1024^th of 1486 public elementary schools	31.1%		18	1194^th of 1470 public elementary schools	18.8%	170	25.0	54.5	15.6		21.9	40.9					$13,399	$2,002	$11,398
Saranac Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-6	250 Pleasant St	Saranac	48881	Ionia County	Saranac Community Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 642-1200	434	31	14.0	53.7%	397 (91.5%)	6 (1.4%)	20 (4.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	62.8	516^th of 1486 public elementary schools	65.3%		60.8	539^th of 1470 public elementary schools	63.3%	23	35.5	32.7	54.8	43.7	50.8	36.5	48.4	40.8	54.8	27.4	$13,883	$1,526	$12,357
Westwood Elementary School	Public	3-5	883 Cross St	Portland	48875	Ionia County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 647-2989	405	25	16.0	35.6%	369 (91.1%)	5 (1.2%)	19 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	43	802^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	46.0%		48.8	702^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	52.2%	100	30.2	44.6	36.8		35.6	52.3	34.0		38.5	11.1	$13,213	$1,500	$11,713

Emerson School

Emerson School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Ionia Public Schools:

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Rank History for Emerson School

Rank History for all students at Emerson School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Emerson School

Rank History for Female students at Emerson School

Rank History for Male students at Emerson School

Rank History for White students at Emerson School

Enrollment information for Emerson School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Emerson School

Student/Teacher Ratio Emerson School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Emerson School

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Emerson School

Emerson School

Jefferson School

AA Rather School

North LeValley Elementary School

Haynor School

RB Boyce Elementary School

Coon School

Twin Rivers Elementary School

Saranac Elementary School

Westwood Elementary School

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