Woodward Elementary

Summary:

Woodward Elementary is a public magnet elementary school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving 206 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Kalamazoo Public Schools district, which is ranked 421 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Woodward Elementary stands out from nearby schools like KingWestwood Elementary School and Indian Prairie Elementary School in several key ways. The school has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (66.5%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 21.74% to 60.85% African American. Woodward also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 28.1% to 66.9% over the past few years, much higher than the 28.9% to 52.6% range of nearby schools. Academically, Woodward's M-Step proficiency rates are significantly lower than the district and state averages, with just 16.7% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA compared to 31.3% district-wide and 39.6% statewide.

Despite Woodward's higher per-student spending, ranging from $17,941 to $21,618 over the past few years, the school's academic performance remains low. This suggests the need for a closer look at how resources are being allocated and utilized to support the school's predominantly disadvantaged student population, which has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 92.31% to 94.66%. Addressing the root causes of Woodward's chronic absenteeism and low academic achievement will likely require a multifaceted approach, including targeted interventions and greater community collaboration, to help these students succeed.

Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

606 Stuart Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49007-3207

(269) 337-0810

District: Kalamazoo Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1367^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,257

Students who attend Woodward Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts
High:	Loy Norrix High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 206

Racial breakdown:

African American:

66.5%

Two or more races:

17.0%

White:

11.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.7%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Woodward Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Woodward Elementary ranks worse than 92% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 12^th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.8. (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 (66.5%), two or more races (17%), White (11.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Woodward Elementary is 11.7, which is the lowest among 17 elementary schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Woodward Elementary employs 17.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Woodward Elementary is $21,257, which is the highest among 17 elementary schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Woodward Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Woodward Elementary 1367^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Woodward Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female 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 Woodward Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Woodward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	22.68	1374^th	1545	11.1%
2007	11.96	1480^th	1565	5.4%
2008	2.60	1565^th	1577	0.8%
2009	4.88	1549^th	1589	2.5%
2010	4.83	1517^th	1552	2.3%
2011	11.80	1458^th	1552	6.1%
2012	11.58	1456^th	1566	7.0%
2013	7.73	1493^rd	1563	4.5%
2014	4.34	1514^th	1533	1.2%
2015	13.38	1399^th	1580	11.5%
2016	15.39	1314^th	1548	15.1%
2017	8.74	1344^th	1466	8.3%
2018	9.26	1379^th	1448	4.8%
2024	8.80	1367^th	1486	8.0%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Woodward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	11.09	1312^th	1397	6.1%
2024	8.61	1325^th	1381	4.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Woodward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	7.83	1389^th	1443	3.7%
2024	9.62	1247^th	1342	7.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Woodward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	11.21	1309^th	1446	9.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Woodward Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.88	421^st	475	11.4%
2024	22.96	283^rd	348	18.7%

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 Woodward Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	165	211	2	13	7	n/a	n/a	398
1989	183	225	1	7	6	n/a	n/a	422
1990	180	254	5	7	5	n/a	n/a	451
1991	169	242	4	3	3	n/a	n/a	421
1992	201	239	12	8	2	n/a	n/a	462
1993	191	234	13	6	3	n/a	n/a	447
1994	190	233	22	7	7	n/a	n/a	459
1995	177	230	12	18	5	n/a	n/a	442
1996	177	230	12	18	5	n/a	n/a	442
1997	111	207	8	8	1	n/a	n/a	335
1998	115	208	16	6	1	n/a	n/a	346
1999	101	202	10	7	0	n/a	n/a	320
2000	115	207	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	332
2001	119	205	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	336
2002	91	233	7	7	2	n/a	n/a	340
2003	91	233	7	7	2	n/a	n/a	340
2004	94	231	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	335
2005	82	256	2	5	3	n/a	n/a	348
2006	84	257	0	5	2	n/a	n/a	348
2007	109	308	6	9	3	n/a	n/a	435
2008	95	297	5	5	7	n/a	n/a	409
2009	85	312	23	0	4	n/a	n/a	424
2010	80	277	5	14	5	n/a	n/a	381
2011	77	288	5	10	3	0	1	384
2012	70	276	3	15	0	0	28	392
2013	66	263	0	17	1	0	25	372
2014	51	267	0	23	0	0	27	368
2015	36	255	2	22	0	0	31	346
2016	45	257	1	24	1	0	32	360
2017	39	241	1	27	1	0	30	339
2018	37	231	1	22	1	0	25	317
2019	29	158	0	16	4	0	14	221
2020	17	141	0	14	5	0	14	191
2021	22	137	1	12	4	0	19	195
2022	16	133	1	15	3	0	19	187
2023	24	137	0	9	1	0	35	206

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 Woodward Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	398	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	422	n/a	n/a	48.8
1990	451	42.0	10.7	44.6
1991	421	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	462	n/a	n/a	62.8
1993	447	n/a	0.0	60
1994	459	24.8	18.5	50.1
1995	442	26.0	17.0	64.7
1996	442	26.0	17.0	64.7
1997	335	21.0	16.0	69
1998	346	23.0	15.0	66.2
1999	320	24.0	13.3	71.9
2000	332	25.2	13.2	73.8
2001	336	24.4	13.8	69.3
2002	340	25.3	13.4	70.9
2003	340	25.3	13.4	70.9
2004	335	25.4	13.2	72.8
2005	348	23.8	14.6	71.6
2006	348	24.3	14.3	77.6
2007	435	25.5	17.1	67.1
2008	409	24.6	16.6	80
2009	424	27.6	15.4	84.4
2010	381	23.7	16.0	88.5
2011	384	23.3	16.4	91.7
2012	392	27.8	14.1	90.3
2013	372	28.0	13.2	89.8
2014	368	28.1	13.0	93.2
2015	346	30.0	11.5	93.6
2016	360	29.0	12.4	80.6
2017	339	25.0	13.5	90.9
2018	317	23.1	13.6	92.1
2019	221	21.4	10.3	93.2
2020	191	16.8	11.3	93.2
2021	195	16.6	11.7	92.3
2022	187	16.6	11.2	94.7
2023	206	17.6	11.7	94.7

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 Woodward Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	398	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	422	n/a	n/a	48.8
1990	451	42.0	10.7	44.6
1991	421	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	462	n/a	n/a	62.8
1993	447	n/a	0.0	60
1994	459	24.8	18.5	50.1
1995	442	26.0	17.0	64.7
1996	442	26.0	17.0	64.7
1997	335	21.0	16.0	69
1998	346	23.0	15.0	66.2
1999	320	24.0	13.3	71.9
2000	332	25.2	13.2	73.8
2001	336	24.4	13.8	69.3
2002	340	25.3	13.4	70.9
2003	340	25.3	13.4	70.9
2004	335	25.4	13.2	72.8
2005	348	23.8	14.6	71.6
2006	348	24.3	14.3	77.6
2007	435	25.5	17.1	67.1
2008	409	24.6	16.6	80
2009	424	27.6	15.4	84.4
2010	381	23.7	16.0	88.5
2011	384	23.3	16.4	91.7
2012	392	27.8	14.1	90.3
2013	372	28.0	13.2	89.8
2014	368	28.1	13.0	93.2
2015	346	30.0	11.5	93.6
2016	360	29.0	12.4	80.6
2017	339	25.0	13.5	90.9
2018	317	23.1	13.6	92.1
2019	221	21.4	10.3	93.2
2020	191	16.8	11.3	93.2
2021	195	16.6	11.7	92.3
2022	187	16.6	11.2	94.7
2023	206	17.6	11.7	94.7

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 Woodward Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,423 (14.7%)	$14,075 (85.3%)	$16,498
2020	$2,428 (13.9%)	$15,030 (86.1%)	$17,458
2021	$3,016 (16.8%)	$14,924 (83.2%)	$17,940
2022	$5,670 (26.2%)	$15,948 (73.8%)	$21,618
2023	$3,340 (15.7%)	$17,917 (84.3%)	$21,257

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Woodward 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Math (Woodward Elementary)	14.7	15.8	1.1%
3rd Grade Math (Kalamazoo Public Schools)	37.5	28.9	8.6%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	221	206	6.8%
African American	158	137	13.3%
American Indian	4	1	75%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	16	9	43.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	29	24	17.2%
Two or More Races	14	35	150%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	93.2%	94.7%	1.4%

Schools Near Woodward Elementary

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 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
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
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
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
Northglade Montessori School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1914 Cobb Ave	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0700	273	14	20.1	53.1%	133 (48.7%)	94 (34.4%)	6 (2.2%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (12.1%)	77.1	299^th of 1486 public elementary schools	79.9%		63.7	496^th of 1470 public elementary schools	66.3%	197	52.4	70.0	54.3	42.9	56.0	45.7	60.0	37.1	$16,781	$2,879	$13,902
KingWestwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Nichols Rd	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0610	591	28	21.1	46.9%	325 (55.0%)	148 (25.0%)	26 (4.4%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (14.2%)	64.9	483^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	67.5%		56.7	595^th of 1470 public elementary schools	59.5%	112	45.8	59.6	59.1	49.0	48.9	33.8	46.6	24.1	$15,609	$2,387	$13,222
Indian Prairie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	3546 Grand Prairie Rd	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0590	204	12	17.7	54.9%	102 (50.0%)	62 (30.4%)	7 (3.4%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (15.2%)								(n/a)	50.0			52.5					$17,733	$2,569	$15,164
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
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
Arcadia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	932 Boswell Ln	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0530	354	23	15.1	82.8%	110 (31.1%)	143 (40.4%)	28 (7.9%)	10 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	61 (17.2%)	26.7	1074^th of 1486 public elementary schools	27.7%		14.8	1240^th of 1470 public elementary schools	15.6%	166	21.2	14.5	38.7	28.6	8.8	23.1	32.3	21.5	$17,046	$2,867	$14,179
Winchell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2316 Winchell Ave	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0780	483	25	19.5	43.5%	269 (55.7%)	105 (21.7%)	32 (6.6%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (14.3%)	79.6	254^th of 1486 public elementary schools	82.9%		80.8	244^th of 1470 public elementary schools	83.4%	10	54.7	60.9	58.8	58.7	49.4	52.9	58.8	32.9	$14,705	$2,369	$12,336

Frequently Asked Questions about Woodward Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Woodward Elementary?

Students at Woodward Elementary are 67% African American, 17% Two or more races, 12% White, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend Woodward Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 206 students attended Woodward Elementary.

Is Woodward Elementary a good school?

Woodward Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.0% of Michigan elementary schools.

What district is Woodward Elementary in?

Kalamazoo Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Woodward Elementary attend?

Students who attend Woodward Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Maple Street Magnet School for the Arts
High : Loy Norrix 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.