Washington Writers Academy

Summary:

Washington Writers Academy is an elementary public magnet school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 235. The school is part of the Kalamazoo Public Schools district, which is ranked 421 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's high per-student spending of $18,226 in 2022-2023, Washington Writers Academy consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of Michigan elementary schools based on the statewide SchoolDigger rankings. The school's proficiency rates in M-Step assessments for English Language Arts, Math, and Science are significantly lower than the Kalamazoo Public Schools district and the state averages. Additionally, Washington Writers Academy has experienced very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25% to 63% over the past few years, which is much higher than the nearby schools and the state average. The school's student population is predominantly African American (60.85%), and this subgroup performs significantly worse than their peers at the nearby schools, such as Lincoln International Studies School, Woodward Elementary, and Woods Lake Elementary.

The combination of high poverty, with over 94% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, racial disparities, chronic absenteeism, and persistent low performance suggests that Washington Writers Academy faces significant challenges that may require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to address the root causes of the school's underperformance. While the nearby schools also struggle with low performance, Washington Writers Academy stands out as the lowest-performing school in the immediate vicinity, despite the high level of funding and resources invested in the school.

Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

1919 Portage St
Kalamazoo, MI 49001-3833

(269) 337-0770

District: Kalamazoo Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1363^rd of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,226

Students who attend Washington Writers Academy usually attend:

Middle:	Milwood Magnet School
High:	Loy Norrix High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 235

Racial breakdown:

African American:

60.9%

White:

15.7%

Two or more races:

14.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.5%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Washington Writers Academy to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Washington Writers Academy ranks worse than 91.7% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 11^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.06. (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 Student population at Washington Writers Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (60.9%), White (15.7%), two or more races (14.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Washington Writers Academy is 17. 9 elementary schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Washington Writers Academy employs 13.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Washington Writers Academy is $18,226, which is the 7^th highest among 15 elementary schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Washington Writers Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington Writers Academy 1363^rd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Washington Writers Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

African American students:

Kalamazoo Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kalamazoo Public Schools 421^st of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Washington Writers Academy

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Rank History for all students at Washington Writers Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	17.73	1418^th	1545	8.2%
2007	5.92	1529^th	1565	2.3%
2008	2.78	1563^rd	1577	0.9%
2009	3.62	1561^st	1589	1.8%
2010	9.78	1488^th	1552	4.1%
2011	11.04	1466^th	1552	5.5%
2012	12.17	1450^th	1566	7.4%
2013	6.65	1510^th	1563	3.4%
2014	7.64	1455^th	1533	5.1%
2015	11.43	1422^nd	1580	10.0%
2016	6.52	1485^th	1548	4.1%
2017	3.51	1455^th	1466	0.8%
2018	9.33	1376^th	1448	5.0%
2024	9.06	1363^rd	1486	8.3%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Washington Writers Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	13.22	1284^th	1397	8.1%
2024	11.23	1271^st	1381	8.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Washington Writers Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	9.97	1336^th	1443	7.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Washington Writers Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	9.38	1348^th	1446	6.8%
2024	11.69	1224^th	1347	9.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Washington Writers Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.26	404^th	475	14.9%
2024	27.74	255^th	348	26.7%

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 Washington Writers Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	298	104	3	20	3	n/a	n/a	428
1989	306	112	3	16	7	n/a	n/a	444
1990	298	134	1	27	10	n/a	n/a	470
1991	296	119	1	19	11	n/a	n/a	446
1992	260	131	4	14	6	n/a	n/a	415
1993	222	138	4	17	5	n/a	n/a	386
1994	233	131	4	18	15	n/a	n/a	401
1995	185	181	4	23	11	n/a	n/a	404
1996	185	181	4	23	11	n/a	n/a	404
1997	164	182	2	24	7	n/a	n/a	379
1998	150	196	5	26	5	n/a	n/a	382
1999	119	176	3	23	4	n/a	n/a	325
2000	132	195	2	24	6	n/a	n/a	359
2001	110	214	2	30	6	n/a	n/a	362
2002	93	224	2	32	2	n/a	n/a	353
2003	93	224	2	32	2	n/a	n/a	353
2004	89	258	3	26	4	n/a	n/a	380
2005	85	287	5	32	3	n/a	n/a	412
2006	67	228	5	22	2	n/a	n/a	324
2007	78	262	5	26	2	n/a	n/a	373
2008	82	247	4	12	4	n/a	n/a	349
2009	71	234	13	0	1	n/a	n/a	319
2010	75	236	1	22	2	n/a	n/a	336
2011	64	257	0	9	1	0	1	332
2012	73	224	0	12	0	0	20	329
2013	64	245	3	15	1	0	30	358
2014	59	204	2	17	0	0	36	318
2015	63	239	0	30	0	0	48	380
2016	53	281	3	40	0	0	56	433
2017	40	247	0	38	0	0	58	383
2018	42	232	0	33	1	0	55	363
2019	18	149	0	20	0	0	36	223
2020	21	144	0	14	0	0	29	208
2021	28	142	0	18	0	0	28	216
2022	28	129	0	22	1	0	30	210
2023	37	143	1	18	2	0	34	235

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 Washington Writers Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	428	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	444	n/a	n/a	38.1
1990	470	32.0	14.6	43
1991	446	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	415	n/a	n/a	69.2
1993	386	n/a	0.0	67.6
1994	401	21.1	19.0	72.3
1995	404	22.7	17.8	69.1
1996	404	22.7	17.8	69.1
1997	379	22.0	17.2	75.5
1998	382	22.0	17.4	76.7
1999	325	22.0	14.8	81.5
2000	359	25.1	14.3	92.8
2001	362	25.2	14.4	91.7
2002	353	27.0	13.1	89.2
2003	353	27.0	13.1	89.2
2004	380	28.9	13.1	89.7
2005	412	27.8	14.8	91.3
2006	324	25.9	12.5	95.4
2007	373	25.4	14.7	85.5
2008	349	27.9	12.5	96.8
2009	319	26.5	12.0	99.1
2010	336	25.0	13.4	97.3
2011	332	26.0	12.7	97.6
2012	329	27.9	11.7	97
2013	358	27.3	13.1	99.2
2014	318	24.9	12.7	98.1
2015	380	24.0	15.8	96.8
2016	433	29.0	14.9	92.8
2017	383	27.8	13.7	95.8
2018	363	29.0	12.4	97.8
2019	223	21.2	10.4	96.9
2020	208	16.6	12.5	93.8
2021	216	15.3	14.0	88
2022	210	16.8	12.5	94.8
2023	235	13.8	17.0	94.5

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 Washington Writers Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	428	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	444	n/a	n/a	38.1
1990	470	32.0	14.6	43
1991	446	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	415	n/a	n/a	69.2
1993	386	n/a	0.0	67.6
1994	401	21.1	19.0	72.3
1995	404	22.7	17.8	69.1
1996	404	22.7	17.8	69.1
1997	379	22.0	17.2	75.5
1998	382	22.0	17.4	76.7
1999	325	22.0	14.8	81.5
2000	359	25.1	14.3	92.8
2001	362	25.2	14.4	91.7
2002	353	27.0	13.1	89.2
2003	353	27.0	13.1	89.2
2004	380	28.9	13.1	89.7
2005	412	27.8	14.8	91.3
2006	324	25.9	12.5	95.4
2007	373	25.4	14.7	85.5
2008	349	27.9	12.5	96.8
2009	319	26.5	12.0	99.1
2010	336	25.0	13.4	97.3
2011	332	26.0	12.7	97.6
2012	329	27.9	11.7	97
2013	358	27.3	13.1	99.2
2014	318	24.9	12.7	98.1
2015	380	24.0	15.8	96.8
2016	433	29.0	14.9	92.8
2017	383	27.8	13.7	95.8
2018	363	29.0	12.4	97.8
2019	223	21.2	10.4	96.9
2020	208	16.6	12.5	93.8
2021	216	15.3	14.0	88
2022	210	16.8	12.5	94.8
2023	235	13.8	17.0	94.5

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 Washington Writers Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,338 (13.5%)	$14,990 (86.5%)	$17,328
2020	$2,266 (13.7%)	$14,217 (86.3%)	$16,483
2021	$1,884 (12.6%)	$13,010 (87.4%)	$14,894
2022	$2,780 (16.6%)	$13,954 (83.4%)	$16,734
2023	$3,345 (18.4%)	$14,881 (81.6%)	$18,226

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Washington Writers Academy

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	223	235	5.4%
African American	149	143	4%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	20	18	10%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	18	37	105.6%
Two or More Races	36	34	5.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	96.9%	94.5%	2.4%

Schools Near Washington Writers Academy

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)	PSAT Mathematics (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	PSAT Mathematics 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Washington Writers Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1919 Portage St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0770	235	14	17.0	94.5%	37 (15.7%)	143 (60.9%)	18 (7.7%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (14.5%)	9.1	1363^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	8.3%					(n/a)			15.8		14.8			18.4					11.1			$18,226	$3,345	$14,881
ParkwoodUpjohn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2321 S Park St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0720	463	29	16.2	58.1%	247 (53.3%)	118 (25.5%)	36 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	58 (12.5%)	61.5	530^th of 1486 public elementary schools	64.3%		46.3	748^th of 1470 public elementary schools	49.1%	218			52.1	48.7	59.1			54.8	28.9	24.7			45.2		33.3	$17,013	$2,814	$14,198
Milwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3400 Lovers Ln	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0660	376	23	16.4	81.6%	125 (33.2%)	124 (33.0%)	57 (15.2%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (17.6%)	20.1	1163^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	21.7%		18.3	1188^th of 1470 public elementary schools	19.2%	25			18.6	25.6	34.3			18.6	13.4	22.4			32.8		9.0	$18,622	$2,507	$16,115
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	3501 Moreland St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0560	101	8	13.2	64.4%	41 (40.6%)	34 (33.7%)	9 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (15.8%)								(n/a)			44.4					33.3								$17,866	$2,553	$15,313
El Sol Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	604 W Vine St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0230	351	20	17.7	70.9%	108 (30.8%)	12 (3.4%)	198 (56.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.8%)	39.5	856^th of 1486 public elementary schools	42.4%		28.7	1008^th of 1470 public elementary schools	31.4%	152			38.3	39.7	45.5			37.5	25.0	23.2			37.5		17.9	$16,784	$2,703	$14,081
Edison Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	831 Lake St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0550	287	22	13.1	96.5%	38 (13.2%)	188 (65.5%)	27 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.1%)	14	1259^th of 1486 public elementary schools	15.3%		7.9	1366^th of 1470 public elementary schools	7.1%	107			26.0	28.1	17.3			23.5	15.8	9.4			9.4			$18,692	$3,063	$15,628
Paramount Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3624 S Westnedge Ave	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Paramount Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(269) 553-6400	379	26	14.5	93.1%	86 (22.7%)	181 (47.8%)	36 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (20.1%)	19.2	1172^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	21.1%		19	1169^th of 1470 public elementary schools	20.5%	3	55.6	18.5	9.3	13.2	42.3	19.2	26.9	16.7	31.6	15.4	19.2	19.2	25.9	33.3		$18,833	$2,389	$16,444
Lincoln International Studies School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	912 N Burdick St	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0640	226	19	12.1	93.4%	37 (16.4%)	134 (59.3%)	19 (8.4%)	15 (6.6%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.5%)	4.6	1474^th of 1486 public elementary schools	0.8%		6.4	1408^th of 1470 public elementary schools	4.2%	66				7.0				9.4	7.1							$20,353	$2,587	$17,767
Woodward Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	606 Stuart Ave	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0810	206	18	11.7	94.7%	24 (11.7%)	137 (66.5%)	9 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (17.0%)	8.8	1367^th of 1486 public elementary schools	8.0%					(n/a)			16.7	14.6	14.3			16.7					14.3			$21,257	$3,340	$17,917
Woods Lake ElementaryA Magnet Center For The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3215 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0790	566	28	20.0	86.0%	157 (27.7%)	242 (42.8%)	77 (13.6%)	5 (0.9%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (14.1%)	18	1201^st of 1486 public elementary schools	19.2%		24	1090^th of 1470 public elementary schools	25.9%	111			16.9	17.4	31.9			20.9	14.0	18.2			27.6		12.4	$14,791	$2,792	$11,999

Frequently Asked Questions about Washington Writers Academy

Is Washington Writers Academy a good school?

Washington Writers Academy ranks in the bottom 8.3% of Michigan elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Washington Writers Academy attend?

Students who attend Washington Writers Academy usually go on to attend:

Middle : Milwood Magnet School
High : Loy Norrix High School

How many students attend Washington Writers Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 235 students attended Washington Writers Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Washington Writers Academy?

Students at Washington Writers Academy are 61% African American, 16% White, 14% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic.

What district is Washington Writers Academy in?

Kalamazoo Public Schools

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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.