Rapid City Elementary School

Q: Is Rapid City Elementary School a good school?

Rapid City Elementary School ranks 906 th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Rapid City Elementary School is a small public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Rapid City, Michigan, with a student population of just 96 students. The school is part of the Kalkaska Public Schools district, which is ranked 323 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Rapid City Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (92.71%) compared to the state average, it faces several challenges. The school has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.2% to 42.1% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state average and the nearby Kalkaska Elementary School (32.9%). Academically, Rapid City Elementary's proficiency rates on the M-Step assessment are generally lower than the state and district averages, with its 3rd grade English Language Arts proficiency rate at just 25% in 2023-2024, compared to 40.8% for the Kalkaska Public Schools district and 39.6% for the state.

Rapid City Elementary also has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 80.82% to 92.71% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby Kalkaska Elementary School (71.75%) and the state average. While the school has a relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $13,701 to $18,837, its academic performance and statewide ranking have declined over the years, suggesting that the school's challenges may not be easily addressed by increased funding alone. Compared to higher-performing schools in the Traverse City Area Public Schools district, such as Eastern Elementary and Courtade Elementary, Rapid City Elementary has significant room for improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

5258 River Rd
Rapid City, MI 49676

(231) 331-6121

District: Kalkaska Public Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,837

Students who attend Rapid City Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kalkaska Middle School
High:	Kalkaska High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 85

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.1%

Two or more races:

4.7%

African American:

1.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Rapid City Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Rapid City Elementary School ranks worse than 61% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.89. (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 Racial makeup is: White (94.1%), two or more races (4.7%), African American (1.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Rapid City Elementary School is 13.2. (See more...)

Compare Rapid City Elementary School employs 6.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rapid City Elementary School is $18,837.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rapid City Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Rapid City Elementary School 906^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Rapid City Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

White students:

Kalkaska Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kalkaska Public Schools 323^rd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rapid City Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Rapid City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	43.59	1111^th	1545	28.1%
2007	30.30	1315^th	1565	16.0%
2008	37.74	1242^nd	1577	21.2%
2009	44.77	1144^th	1589	28.0%
2010	83.08	55^th	1552	96.5%
2011	63.24	679^th	1552	56.3%
2012	42.66	1007^th	1566	35.7%
2013	47.76	886^th	1563	43.3%
2014	46.57	891^st	1533	41.9%
2015	23.32	1250^th	1580	20.9%
2016	32.57	1070^th	1548	30.9%
2017	33.62	971^st	1466	33.8%
2018	16.66	1264^th	1448	12.7%
2023	34.09	932^nd	1470	36.6%
2024	36.89	906^th	1486	39.0%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rapid City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	27.79	1096^th	1397	21.5%
2023	40.89	785^th	1350	41.9%
2024	64.74	367^th	1381	73.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Rapid City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	29.38	961^st	1342	28.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Rapid City Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	7.93	1212^th	1253	3.3%
2023	24.14	949^th	1198	20.8%
2024	20.30	1017^th	1204	15.5%

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.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Rapid City Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	220	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	221
1989	212	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	212
1990	210	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	210
1991	228	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	228
1992	214	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	214
1993	260	0	1	2	5	n/a	n/a	268
1994	208	0	2	0	5	n/a	n/a	215
1995	149	1	1	0	8	n/a	n/a	159
1996	149	1	1	0	8	n/a	n/a	159
1997	142	4	2	1	7	n/a	n/a	156
1998	122	2	2	0	5	n/a	n/a	131
1999	113	1	0	2	4	n/a	n/a	120
2000	98	0	0	2	3	n/a	n/a	103
2001	107	0	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	111
2002	116	0	1	2	3	n/a	n/a	122
2003	116	0	1	2	3	n/a	n/a	122
2004	120	0	0	2	3	n/a	n/a	125
2005	129	0	0	0	5	n/a	n/a	134
2006	122	0	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	125
2007	109	1	0	0	4	n/a	n/a	114
2008	102	n/a	n/a	1	2	n/a	n/a	105
2009	98	0	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	102
2010	107	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	109
2011	102	0	0	2	0	0	1	105
2012	89	1	0	0	0	0	1	91
2013	83	1	0	1	0	0	0	85
2014	70	2	0	2	0	0	0	74
2015	76	1	0	1	0	0	1	79
2016	82	1	0	2	1	0	1	87
2017	76	1	0	2	2	0	0	81
2018	87	1	0	2	2	0	0	92
2019	82	1	0	0	1	0	0	84
2020	82	0	1	2	0	0	2	87
2021	65	2	0	2	0	0	4	73
2022	86	1	0	2	0	0	5	94
2023	89	1	0	0	1	0	5	96
2024	80	1	0	0	0	0	4	85

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 Rapid City Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	221	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	212	n/a	n/a	30.2
1990	210	22.0	9.5	30
1991	228	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	214	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	268	n/a	0.0	0
1994	215	11.5	18.7	40.9
1995	159	8.4	18.9	49.7
1996	159	8.4	18.9	49.7
1997	156	9.0	17.3	52.6
1998	131	8.0	16.4	55.7
1999	120	8.0	15.0	40.8
2000	103	8.3	12.4	52.4
2001	111	8.8	12.6	63.1
2002	122	n/a	n/a	58.2
2003	122	n/a	n/a	58.2
2004	125	9.8	12.8	63.2
2005	134	8.8	15.2	59.7
2006	125	10.0	12.5	64.8
2007	114	6.4	17.8	72.8
2008	105	7.3	14.4	64.8
2009	102	8.3	12.3	65.7
2010	109	7.1	15.3	65.1
2011	105	6.9	15.2	54.3
2012	91	6.2	14.6	70.3
2013	85	7.7	11.0	64.7
2014	74	7.2	10.2	48.6
2015	79	7.0	11.2	54.4
2016	87	6.0	14.5	47.1
2017	81	6.6	12.2	64.2
2018	92	6.6	13.9	71.7
2019	84	6.4	13.1	78.6
2020	87	8.4	10.3	73.6
2021	73	7.4	9.8	80.8
2022	94	8.5	11.0	81.9
2023	96	7.4	12.9	92.7
2024	85	6.4	13.2	85.9

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 Rapid City Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	221	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	212	n/a	n/a	30.2
1990	210	22.0	9.5	30
1991	228	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	214	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	268	n/a	0.0	0
1994	215	11.5	18.7	40.9
1995	159	8.4	18.9	49.7
1996	159	8.4	18.9	49.7
1997	156	9.0	17.3	52.6
1998	131	8.0	16.4	55.7
1999	120	8.0	15.0	40.8
2000	103	8.3	12.4	52.4
2001	111	8.8	12.6	63.1
2002	122	n/a	n/a	58.2
2003	122	n/a	n/a	58.2
2004	125	9.8	12.8	63.2
2005	134	8.8	15.2	59.7
2006	125	10.0	12.5	64.8
2007	114	6.4	17.8	72.8
2008	105	7.3	14.4	64.8
2009	102	8.3	12.3	65.7
2010	109	7.1	15.3	65.1
2011	105	6.9	15.2	54.3
2012	91	6.2	14.6	70.3
2013	85	7.7	11.0	64.7
2014	74	7.2	10.2	48.6
2015	79	7.0	11.2	54.4
2016	87	6.0	14.5	47.1
2017	81	6.6	12.2	64.2
2018	92	6.6	13.9	71.7
2019	84	6.4	13.1	78.6
2020	87	8.4	10.3	73.6
2021	73	7.4	9.8	80.8
2022	94	8.5	11.0	81.9
2023	96	7.4	12.9	92.7
2024	85	6.4	13.2	85.9

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 Rapid City Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,988 (14.4%)	$11,790 (85.6%)	$13,778
2020	$1,695 (12.4%)	$12,006 (87.6%)	$13,701
2021	$2,685 (15.8%)	$14,303 (84.2%)	$16,988
2022	$2,842 (16.9%)	$13,962 (83.1%)	$16,803
2023	$3,196 (17.0%)	$15,641 (83.0%)	$18,837

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rapid City 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	84	96	14.3%
African American	1	1
American Indian	1	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	0	0
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	82	89	8.5%
Two or More Races	0	5
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.6%	92.7%	14.1%

Schools Near Rapid City Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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 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 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	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Rapid City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5258 River Rd	Rapid City	49676	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 331-6121	85	6	13.2	85.9%	80 (94.1%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)	36.9	906^th of 1486 public elementary schools	39.0%		34.1	932^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	36.6%	26		25.0	41.7	35.0		33.3		30.0			35.0				$18,837	$3,196	$15,641
Mill Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9039 Old M 72	Williamsburg	49690	Grand Traverse County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 267-9955	248	15	16.5	26.2%	220 (88.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.5%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.8%)	74.6	332^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	77.7%		81.3	238^th of 1470 public elementary schools	83.8%	94		52.9	68.8	55.2		61.8	45.8	44.8			55.2		24.1		$00	$00	$00
Lakeland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	616 Buckley St	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 264-8289	311	18	17.2	42.8%	282 (90.7%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.3%)	80.4	243^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	83.6%		74.8	328^th of 1470 public elementary schools	77.7%	85		48.9	71.2	59.6		53.2	59.0	51.9			59.6		30.8		$00	$00	$00
Kalkaska Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	309 N Birch St	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 258-8629	501	44	11.4	67.7%	481 (96.0%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	42.3	813^th of 1486 public elementary schools	45.3%					(n/a)		43.0	24.7	41.8		52.3	23.3	19.0			45.6		17.7		$15,087	$1,997	$13,090
John R Rodger Elementary School	Public	K-5	6535 John R Rodgers Rd	Bellaire	49615	Antrim County	Bellaire Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 533-8916	111	8	14.1	49.5%	108 (97.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	39.8	851^st of 1486 public elementary schools	42.7%		50.8	681^st of 1470 public elementary schools	53.7%	170		44.4	27.3	43.8		44.4	18.2	25.0			43.8				$24,034	$3,737	$20,297
Mancelona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	231 W Limits St	Mancelona	49659	Antrim County	Mancelona Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 587-8661	298	18	16.4	76.2%	282 (94.6%)	2 (0.7%)	7 (2.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	23.6	1107^th of 1486 public elementary schools	25.5%		15	1237^th of 1470 public elementary schools	15.9%	130		21.3	25.0			36.1	25.0								$14,296	$2,803	$11,494
Old Mission Peninsula School	Public, Charter	K-6	2699 Island View Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Old Mission Peninsula School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 225-0225	135	13	10.3	25.9%	112 (83.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.7%)	89.1	131^st of 1486 public elementary schools	91.2%		82.1	228^th of 1470 public elementary schools	84.5%	97		66.7	72.2	77.8		70.8	47.4	55.6			72.2		38.9		$10,125	$718	$9,407
Woodland School	Public, Charter	K-8	7224 Supply Rd	Traverse City	49696	Grand Traverse County	Woodland School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 947-7474	212	14	15.5	28.3%	203 (95.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	64.5	490^th of 1486 public elementary schools	67.0%		75.1	324^th of 1470 public elementary schools	78.0%	166	47.1	36.4	58.3	48.0	65.4	63.6	58.3	24.0	38.5	84.2	56.0	55.6	12.0	33.3	$9,107	$657	$8,450
Crawford School	Public	K-8	5521 M 72 E	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Excelsior Township S/D #1	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 258-2934	40	2	20.0	62.5%	40 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)															$12,518	$3,114	$9,404
Courtade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1111 Rasho Rd	Traverse City	49696	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5800	209	14	15.0	42.6%	180 (86.1%)	3 (1.4%)	6 (2.9%)	4 (1.9%)	7 (3.3%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (3.8%)	72.9	359^th of 1486 public elementary schools	75.8%		69.2	406^th of 1470 public elementary schools	72.4%	47		73.9	51.3	61.3		67.4	25.6	41.9			64.5		25.8		$16,115	$1,211	$14,904

Frequently Asked Questions about Rapid City Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Rapid City Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Rapid City Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kalkaska Middle School
High : Kalkaska High School

How many students attend Rapid City Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 85 students attended Rapid City Elementary School.

What district is Rapid City Elementary School in?

Kalkaska Public Schools

Is Rapid City Elementary School a good school?

Rapid City Elementary School ranks 906^th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Rapid City Elementary School?

Students at Rapid City Elementary School are 94% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Rate Rapid City Elementary 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.