Bowen Elementary

Summary:

Bowen Elementary is a public elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. With a diverse student population, the school has shown mixed academic performance, facing challenges with chronic absenteeism but also strengths in supporting certain student subgroups.

Academically, Bowen Elementary has proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math that are generally higher than the state averages but lower than the Kentwood Public Schools district averages. However, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 8.6% to 28.1% in recent years, which is notably higher than state and district levels. Bowen Elementary has shown strong performance for its African American and English Language Learner student subgroups, ranking in the top 25% and top 35% of Michigan elementary schools, respectively, but lower performance for its Asian and White student subgroups.

Compared to nearby schools, Bowen Elementary's academic performance is generally higher than Glenwood Elementary and Meadowlawn Elementary, which are also part of the Kentwood Public Schools district. However, Bowen's chronic absenteeism rate is higher than these nearby schools. In contrast, schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, such as KenOSha Park Elementary and Sherwood Global Studies Academy, have significantly lower academic performance and higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to Bowen Elementary.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4483 Kalamazoo Ave SE
       Grand Rapids, MI  49508-4622


(616) 455-5220

District: Kentwood Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
711th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,153 Help


Students who attend Bowen Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Crestwood Middle School
High:    East Kentwood High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.2 Help
Number of students:  348

Racial breakdown:

African American:
34.8%
Asian:
28.2%
White:
18.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  78.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Bowen Elementary ranks better than 52.2% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 4th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Kentwood Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.15. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Student population at Bowen Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (34.8%), Asian (28.2%), White (18.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 78.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bowen Elementary is 14.2, which is the lowest among 10 elementary schools in the Kentwood Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Bowen Elementary employs 24.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bowen Elementary is $13,153. 8 elementary schools in the Kentwood Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bowen Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bowen Elementary 711th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Bowen Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:


Kentwood Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kentwood Public Schools 318th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Bowen Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 46.25 1065th 1545 31.1%
2007 63.61 636th 1565 59.4%
2008 55.25 901st 1577 42.9%
2009 47.30 1102nd 1589 30.6%
2010 48.71 1088th 1552 29.9%
2011 29.31 1304th 1552 16.0%
2012 18.02 1383rd 1566 11.7%
2013 24.78 1258th 1563 19.5%
2014 44.74 929th 1533 39.4%
2015 39.02 1019th 1580 35.5%
2016 30.65 1097th 1548 29.1%
2017 22.93 1110th 1466 24.3%
2018 31.71 1056th 1448 27.1%
2019 42.16 801st 1408 43.1%
2021 40.33 669th 1153 42.0%
2022 54.43 565th 1344 58.0%
2023 43.89 786th 1470 46.5%
2024 49.15 711th 1486 52.2%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.63 179th 270 33.7%
2019 66.14 34th 117 70.9%
2021 54.41 22nd 42 47.6%
2022 65.62 28th 98 71.4%
2023 56.46 69th 180 61.7%
2024 62.36 64th 184 65.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.12 906th 1397 35.1%
2019 56.29 446th 1134 60.7%
2021 60.13 241st 749 67.8%
2022 71.03 217th 1099 80.3%
2023 61.17 428th 1350 68.3%
2024 62.77 420th 1381 69.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.30 1014th 1443 29.7%
2019 42.52 682nd 1171 41.8%
2021 35.53 600th 902 33.5%
2022 27.34 842nd 1106 23.9%
2023 43.73 708th 1321 46.4%
2024 52.99 576th 1342 57.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 31.36 1030th 1446 28.8%
2019 44.03 663rd 1196 44.6%
2021 39.81 539th 915 41.1%
2022 60.63 401st 1139 64.8%
2023 36.96 829th 1334 37.9%
2024 41.43 758th 1347 43.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.16 95th 101 5.9%
2021 16.81 26th 29 10.3%
2022 28.41 40th 51 21.6%
2023 18.63 72nd 84 14.3%
2024 27.55 76th 97 21.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.54 137th 475 71.2%
2019 68.96 47th 212 77.8%
2023 60.57 85th 321 73.5%
2024 59.48 104th 348 70.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Bowen Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.87 937th 1253 25.2%
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.

Bowen Elementary 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 Bowen Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 354 21 22 1 0 n/a n/a 0 398
1989 411 22 18 4 0 n/a n/a -6 449
1990 432 33 26 0 0 n/a n/a -7 484
1991 331 44 17 5 1 n/a n/a 0 398
1992 345 55 18 7 0 n/a n/a 0 425
1993 354 55 20 11 0 n/a n/a 0 440
1994 326 82 21 16 0 n/a n/a 0 445
1995 328 73 23 16 1 n/a n/a 0 441
1996 328 73 23 16 1 n/a n/a 0 441
1997 290 59 17 14 2 n/a n/a 0 382
1998 278 98 17 16 3 n/a n/a 0 412
1999 249 119 15 19 5 n/a n/a 0 407
2000 212 147 12 25 4 n/a n/a 0 400
2001 173 168 11 26 7 n/a n/a 0 385
2002 145 191 12 34 4 n/a n/a 0 386
2003 145 191 12 34 4 n/a n/a 0 386
2004 119 205 11 38 3 n/a n/a 4 380
2005 110 211 17 34 3 n/a n/a 6 381
2006 98 237 19 41 1 n/a n/a 9 405
2007 90 181 19 30 3 n/a n/a 9 332
2008 72 159 23 40 5 n/a n/a 20 319
2009 73 140 21 30 3 n/a n/a 35 302
2010 57 123 34 25 4 n/a n/a 28 271
2011 55 117 44 26 1 0 32 0 275
2012 64 122 44 39 1 0 38 0 308
2013 71 112 47 41 1 0 44 0 316
2014 73 124 48 36 1 0 41 0 323
2015 69 118 72 36 1 0 31 0 327
2016 64 113 85 39 0 0 29 0 330
2017 61 126 98 33 0 0 24 0 342
2018 52 135 106 27 0 0 18 0 338
2019 51 127 111 32 0 0 18 0 339
2020 44 117 127 37 0 0 20 0 345
2021 49 109 119 38 0 0 16 0 331
2022 54 102 111 33 0 0 24 0 324
2023 63 127 110 34 0 0 31 0 365
2024 63 121 98 38 1 1 26 0 348

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 Bowen Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 398 n/a n/a n/a
1989 449 n/a n/a 6.2
1990 484 35.0 13.8 5.4
1991 398 n/a n/a n/a
1992 425 n/a n/a 11.8
1993 440 n/a 0.0 16.8
1994 445 21.0 21.2 14.6
1995 441 19.5 22.6 16.8
1996 441 19.5 22.6 16.8
1997 382 20.0 19.1 16
1998 412 20.0 20.6 24.8
1999 407 19.0 21.4 31.7
2000 400 19.5 20.5 39.3
2001 385 20.2 19.1 41.8
2002 386 21.1 18.3 51.6
2003 386 21.1 18.3 51.6
2004 380 18.7 20.3 62
2005 381 19.2 19.8 64.5
2006 405 20.9 19.4 73
2007 332 18.4 18.0 63.8
2008 319 16.5 19.3 63.9
2009 302 16.7 18.1 62.5
2010 271 18.6 14.5 83.1
2011 275 11.9 23.1 75.6
2012 308 12.3 25.0 80.5
2013 316 14.6 21.5 84.2
2014 323 15.1 21.3 84.5
2015 327 18.0 18.1 82.6
2016 330 19.0 17.3 87.3
2017 342 16.7 20.3 82.5
2018 338 19.4 17.4 86.1
2019 339 19.7 17.2 88.8
2020 345 20.7 16.6 84.1
2021 331 19.0 17.4 83.4
2022 324 21.2 15.2 82.7
2023 365 24.7 14.7 80.8
2024 348 24.5 14.2 78.2

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 Bowen Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 398 n/a n/a n/a
1989 449 n/a n/a 6.2
1990 484 35.0 13.8 5.4
1991 398 n/a n/a n/a
1992 425 n/a n/a 11.8
1993 440 n/a 0.0 16.8
1994 445 21.0 21.2 14.6
1995 441 19.5 22.6 16.8
1996 441 19.5 22.6 16.8
1997 382 20.0 19.1 16
1998 412 20.0 20.6 24.8
1999 407 19.0 21.4 31.7
2000 400 19.5 20.5 39.3
2001 385 20.2 19.1 41.8
2002 386 21.1 18.3 51.6
2003 386 21.1 18.3 51.6
2004 380 18.7 20.3 62
2005 381 19.2 19.8 64.5
2006 405 20.9 19.4 73
2007 332 18.4 18.0 63.8
2008 319 16.5 19.3 63.9
2009 302 16.7 18.1 62.5
2010 271 18.6 14.5 83.1
2011 275 11.9 23.1 75.6
2012 308 12.3 25.0 80.5
2013 316 14.6 21.5 84.2
2014 323 15.1 21.3 84.5
2015 327 18.0 18.1 82.6
2016 330 19.0 17.3 87.3
2017 342 16.7 20.3 82.5
2018 338 19.4 17.4 86.1
2019 339 19.7 17.2 88.8
2020 345 20.7 16.6 84.1
2021 331 19.0 17.4 83.4
2022 324 21.2 15.2 82.7
2023 365 24.7 14.7 80.8
2024 348 24.5 14.2 78.2

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 Bowen Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,552 (14.5%) $9,169 (85.5%) $10,721
2020 $1,724 (14.8%) $9,948 (85.2%) $11,672
2021 $2,920 (23.7%) $9,410 (76.3%) $12,330
2022 $2,476 (19.2%) $10,419 (80.8%) $12,895
2023 $2,549 (19.4%) $10,603 (80.6%) $13,152

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Bowen 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 801st of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 786th of 1470 Elementary schools
 3.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bowen Elementary)44.437.7
 6.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kentwood Public Schools)47.149.3
 2.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Bowen Elementary)51.925.9
 26%
   3rd Grade Math (Kentwood Public Schools)49.641.8
 7.8%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bowen Elementary)5146.3
 4.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kentwood Public Schools)55.447.1
 8.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Bowen Elementary)5140.7
 10.3%
   4th Grade Math (Kentwood Public Schools)53.239.4
 13.8%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bowen Elementary)2047.7
 27.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kentwood Public Schools)52.447.9
 4.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Bowen Elementary)1831
 13%
   5th Grade Math (Kentwood Public Schools)39.830
 9.8%
   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 Students339365
 7.7%
African American127127
American Indian00
Asian111110
 0.9%
Hispanic3234
 6.3%
Pacific Islander00
White5163
 23.5%
Two or More Races1831
 72.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients88.8%80.8%
 8%


Schools Near Bowen Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Bowen Elementary

Students at Bowen Elementary are 35% African American, 28% Asian, 18% White, 11% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Bowen Elementary ranks 711th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 348 students attended Bowen Elementary.

Students who attend Bowen Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Crestwood Middle School
High : East Kentwood 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.





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