Southwood Elementary

Summary:

Southwood Elementary is a public elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Kentwood Public Schools district. With a diverse student population and a high percentage of students from low-income families, the school faces several challenges, including high chronic absenteeism and below-average academic performance.

Southwood Elementary's chronic absenteeism rate is significantly higher than the state and district averages, ranging from 19.7% to 38.1% in recent years. Academically, the school's M-Step test scores are generally below the Kentwood Public Schools district and the state averages across various grade levels and subject areas, particularly in 5th-grade Social Studies. However, the school's performance varies among different student subgroups, with African American and Hispanic students performing better than the state average, while female and male students lag behind.

Compared to nearby schools within the Kentwood Public Schools district, such as Explorer Elementary and Brookwood Elementary, Southwood Elementary's performance is generally lower. However, the school outperforms some schools in the neighboring Kelloggsville Public Schools district, such as Central Kelloggsville Elementary. Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending and a student-teacher ratio comparable to nearby schools, these factors alone do not appear to be sufficient in addressing Southwood Elementary's performance challenges.


Detail:

Public K-5

 630 66th St SE
       Grand Rapids, MI  49548-6917


(616) 455-7230

District: Kentwood Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
791st of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,890 Help


Students who attend Southwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Pinewood Middle School
High:    East Kentwood High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.3 Help
Number of students:  301

Racial breakdown:

White:
42.5%
Hispanic:
23.3%
African American:
19.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  84.1% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Southwood Elementary ranks worse than 53.2% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 6th 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 43.76. (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 Southwood Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (42.5%), Hispanic (23.3%), African American (19.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 84.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwood Elementary is 16.3, which is the 5th best among 10 elementary schools in the Kentwood Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Southwood Elementary employs 18.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwood Elementary is $15,890, which is the 2nd highest among 10 elementary schools in the Kentwood Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Southwood Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Southwood Elementary 791st of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Southwood Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White 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 Southwood Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 86.90 41st 1545 97.3%
2007 86.85 38th 1565 97.6%
2008 83.30 111th 1577 93.0%
2009 71.38 461st 1589 71.0%
2010 75.09 317th 1552 79.6%
2011 81.21 142nd 1552 90.9%
2012 68.46 472nd 1566 69.9%
2013 39.88 1028th 1563 34.2%
2014 51.02 818th 1533 46.6%
2015 60.93 611th 1580 61.3%
2016 58.61 627th 1548 59.5%
2017 54.90 595th 1466 59.4%
2018 56.76 669th 1448 53.8%
2019 46.20 736th 1408 47.7%
2021 45.04 589th 1153 48.9%
2022 40.16 760th 1344 43.5%
2023 55.59 605th 1470 58.8%
2024 43.76 791st 1486 46.8%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.53 18th 403 95.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.02 271st 1397 80.6%
2019 67.01 273rd 1134 75.9%
2021 71.57 142nd 749 81.0%
2022 50.85 496th 1099 54.9%
2023 73.56 224th 1350 83.4%
2024 56.86 518th 1381 62.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.88 537th 1443 62.8%
2019 36.20 772nd 1171 34.1%
2022 33.38 749th 1106 32.3%
2023 42.23 725th 1321 45.1%
2024 46.70 671st 1342 50.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.37 798th 1446 44.8%
2019 53.68 530th 1196 55.7%
2021 35.85 598th 915 34.6%
2022 37.95 699th 1139 38.6%
2023 58.61 514th 1334 61.5%
2024 29.48 939th 1347 30.3%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.73 120th 475 74.7%
2023 75.53 46th 321 85.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 57.66 66th 188 64.9%
2024 43.13 96th 201 52.2%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Southwood Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.25 653rd 1253 47.9%
2019 31.07 810th 1128 28.2%
2021 29.25 745th 1005 25.9%
2022 33.22 740th 1102 32.8%
2023 52.46 544th 1198 54.6%
2024 52.59 542nd 1204 55.0%
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.

Southwood 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 Southwood Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 414 7 2 1 1 n/a n/a 0 425
1989 433 7 5 7 5 n/a n/a -3 454
1990 454 7 6 13 6 n/a n/a -4 482
1991 386 8 9 14 6 n/a n/a 0 423
1992 398 10 8 12 2 n/a n/a 0 430
1993 397 11 6 11 4 n/a n/a 0 429
1994 377 11 7 12 2 n/a n/a 0 409
1995 367 24 6 14 3 n/a n/a 0 414
1996 367 24 6 14 3 n/a n/a 0 414
1997 327 36 11 20 4 n/a n/a 0 398
1998 287 30 8 20 2 n/a n/a 0 347
1999 284 43 20 36 11 n/a n/a 0 394
2000 276 46 23 54 10 n/a n/a 0 409
2001 254 32 32 54 12 n/a n/a 0 384
2002 250 50 40 57 6 n/a n/a 0 403
2003 250 50 40 57 6 n/a n/a 0 403
2004 252 41 44 66 7 n/a n/a 5 415
2005 249 45 46 47 1 n/a n/a 5 393
2006 224 47 43 55 1 n/a n/a 9 379
2007 219 39 26 54 1 n/a n/a 17 356
2008 225 32 21 61 n/a n/a n/a 24 363
2009 191 29 22 57 1 n/a n/a 23 323
2010 200 22 22 44 0 n/a n/a 30 318
2011 182 29 22 54 0 0 22 0 309
2012 204 26 21 41 1 1 18 0 312
2013 196 38 22 51 3 2 13 0 325
2014 202 32 23 36 1 2 16 0 312
2015 188 32 19 57 1 0 20 0 317
2016 193 46 15 59 2 0 21 0 336
2017 175 52 18 63 2 0 26 0 336
2018 161 54 20 64 2 0 32 0 333
2019 146 62 19 70 1 0 40 0 338
2020 146 69 17 80 2 0 39 0 353
2021 134 56 20 78 2 0 32 0 322
2022 148 67 13 86 3 0 35 0 352
2023 140 62 15 80 3 0 32 0 332
2024 128 58 14 70 1 0 30 0 301

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 Southwood Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 425 n/a n/a n/a
1989 454 n/a n/a 10.8
1990 482 33.0 14.6 8.7
1991 423 n/a n/a n/a
1992 430 n/a n/a 25.8
1993 429 n/a 0.0 26.3
1994 409 24.0 17.0 22
1995 414 21.8 19.0 24.9
1996 414 21.8 19.0 24.9
1997 398 20.0 19.9 25.4
1998 347 20.0 17.4 27.7
1999 394 21.0 18.8 27.9
2000 409 21.5 19.0 43.5
2001 384 21.7 17.7 37.5
2002 403 24.0 16.8 53.1
2003 403 24.0 16.8 53.1
2004 415 23.1 18.0 51
2005 393 21.9 17.9 58.5
2006 379 20.2 18.8 61.6
2007 356 19.0 18.7 67
2008 363 19.3 18.8 67.8
2009 323 20.2 16.0 60.7
2010 318 19.9 15.9 79.2
2011 309 16.5 18.7 73.1
2012 312 12.6 24.7 73.1
2013 325 13.9 23.3 75.4
2014 312 12.3 25.2 80.8
2015 317 16.0 19.8 79.5
2016 336 14.0 24.0 83.9
2017 336 14.8 22.5 81.5
2018 333 17.5 19.0 85.3
2019 338 15.4 21.9 87.3
2020 353 20.1 17.5 85.3
2021 322 26.0 12.3 87.6
2022 352 22.7 15.5 81.3
2023 332 19.4 17.1 83.7
2024 301 18.4 16.3 84.1

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 Southwood Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 425 n/a n/a n/a
1989 454 n/a n/a 10.8
1990 482 33.0 14.6 8.7
1991 423 n/a n/a n/a
1992 430 n/a n/a 25.8
1993 429 n/a 0.0 26.3
1994 409 24.0 17.0 22
1995 414 21.8 19.0 24.9
1996 414 21.8 19.0 24.9
1997 398 20.0 19.9 25.4
1998 347 20.0 17.4 27.7
1999 394 21.0 18.8 27.9
2000 409 21.5 19.0 43.5
2001 384 21.7 17.7 37.5
2002 403 24.0 16.8 53.1
2003 403 24.0 16.8 53.1
2004 415 23.1 18.0 51
2005 393 21.9 17.9 58.5
2006 379 20.2 18.8 61.6
2007 356 19.0 18.7 67
2008 363 19.3 18.8 67.8
2009 323 20.2 16.0 60.7
2010 318 19.9 15.9 79.2
2011 309 16.5 18.7 73.1
2012 312 12.6 24.7 73.1
2013 325 13.9 23.3 75.4
2014 312 12.3 25.2 80.8
2015 317 16.0 19.8 79.5
2016 336 14.0 24.0 83.9
2017 336 14.8 22.5 81.5
2018 333 17.5 19.0 85.3
2019 338 15.4 21.9 87.3
2020 353 20.1 17.5 85.3
2021 322 26.0 12.3 87.6
2022 352 22.7 15.5 81.3
2023 332 19.4 17.1 83.7
2024 301 18.4 16.3 84.1

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 Southwood Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,466 (14.5%) $8,657 (85.5%) $10,123
2020 $1,499 (12.7%) $10,337 (87.3%) $11,836
2021 $1,976 (14.5%) $11,642 (85.5%) $13,618
2022 $2,119 (14.7%) $12,252 (85.2%) $14,372
2023 $2,323 (14.6%) $13,568 (85.4%) $15,890

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwood 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 736th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 605th of 1470 Elementary schools
 11.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southwood Elementary)5147.9
 3.1%
   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 (Southwood Elementary)29.431.3
 1.9%
   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 (Southwood Elementary)58.748.8
 9.9%
   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 (Southwood Elementary)52.940.9
 12%
   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 (Southwood Elementary)35.747.1
 11.4%
   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 (Southwood Elementary)30.537.3
 6.8%
   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 Students338332
 1.8%
African American6262
American Indian13
 200%
Asian1915
 21.1%
Hispanic7080
 14.3%
Pacific Islander00
White146140
 4.1%
Two or More Races4032
 20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients87.3%83.7%
 3.5%


Schools Near Southwood Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Southwood Elementary

Southwood Elementary ranks 791st of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2023-24 school year, 301 students attended Southwood Elementary.

Students at Southwood Elementary are 43% White, 23% Hispanic, 19% African American, 10% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

Students who attend Southwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pinewood 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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