Is Murray Lake Elementary a good school?

Yes. Murray Lake Elementary ranks in the top 5.8% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Murray Lake Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 427 students attended Murray Lake Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Murray Lake Elementary?

Students at Murray Lake Elementary are 90% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Murray Lake Elementary attend?

Students who attend Murray Lake Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Lowell Middle School High : Lowell Senior High School

Murray Lake Elementary

Summary:

Murray Lake Elementary is a public elementary school located in Lowell, Michigan, serving 437 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Lowell Area Schools district, which is ranked 36 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Murray Lake Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Michigan, with students outperforming the state and district averages in M-Step assessments across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 64.3% of 3rd graders, 80.8% of 4th graders, and 69.3% of 5th graders at Murray Lake Elementary were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 39.6%, 43.3%, and 44%, respectively. However, the school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (91.99%) compared to the state and nearby schools, such as Crestwood Elementary School and Thornapple Elementary School.

While Murray Lake Elementary's academic performance is impressive, the school has seen a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.4% in 2017-2018 to 19.7% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average and nearby schools. Additionally, the school serves a relatively affluent student population, with only 17.62% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, compared to the nearby schools, which have free and reduced-price lunch rates ranging from 12.69% to 59.14%. These factors suggest that the school may need to address issues of equity and accessibility to ensure all students have the opportunity to fully engage in their education.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3275 Alden Nash Ave NE
Lowell, MI 49331-8581

(616) 987-2750

District: Lowell Area Schools

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,342

Students who attend Murray Lake Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lowell Middle School
High:	Lowell Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 18.6

Number of students: 427

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.9%

Two or more races:

4.9%

Hispanic:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Murray Lake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Murray Lake Elementary ranks better than 94.2% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Lowell Area Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.63. (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 (89.9%), two or more races (4.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Lowell Area Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murray Lake Elementary is 18.6, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Lowell Area Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Murray Lake Elementary employs 22.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murray Lake Elementary is $12,342, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Lowell Area Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Murray Lake Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Murray Lake Elementary 86^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Murray Lake Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Lowell Area Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowell Area Schools 36^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Murray Lake Elementary?

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Rank History for Murray Lake Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Murray Lake Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	75.70	275^th	1545	82.2%
2007	78.08	238^th	1565	84.8%
2008	79.15	234^th	1577	85.2%
2009	79.64	211^th	1589	86.7%
2010	78.20	206^th	1552	86.7%
2011	76.26	311^th	1552	80.0%
2012	77.51	309^th	1566	80.3%
2013	80.80	239^th	1563	84.7%
2014	81.99	205^th	1533	86.6%
2015	83.10	211^th	1580	86.6%
2016	92.51	74^th	1548	95.2%
2017	86.30	123^rd	1466	91.6%
2018	87.53	143^rd	1448	90.1%
2019	85.55	146^th	1408	89.6%
2021	93.75	41^st	1153	96.4%
2022	88.77	113^th	1344	91.6%
2023	93.58	58^th	1470	96.1%
2024	91.63	86^th	1486	94.2%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murray Lake Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	82.77	137^th	1397	90.2%
2019	71.14	219^th	1134	80.7%
2023	89.02	63^rd	1350	95.3%
2024	83.70	117^th	1381	91.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Murray Lake Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	84.09	173^rd	1443	88.0%
2019	82.88	131^st	1171	88.8%
2021	91.53	33^rd	902	96.3%
2022	82.56	130^th	1106	88.2%
2023	93.57	39^th	1321	97.0%
2024	88.66	93^rd	1342	93.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Murray Lake Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	86.43	148^th	1446	89.8%
2019	81.59	161^st	1196	86.5%
2021	88.08	67^th	915	92.7%
2022	86.69	103^rd	1139	91.0%
2023	90.43	73^rd	1334	94.5%
2024	90.56	82^nd	1347	93.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Murray Lake Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	81.55	173^rd	1253	86.2%
2019	79.77	172^nd	1128	84.8%
2021	92.74	37^th	1005	96.3%
2022	85.96	106^th	1102	90.4%
2023	90.21	70^th	1198	94.2%
2024	86.47	113^th	1204	90.6%

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 Murray Lake Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	363	1	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	369
2006	406	3	3	4	3	n/a	n/a	419
2007	407	2	3	0	15	n/a	n/a	427
2008	423	2	1	2	13	n/a	n/a	441
2009	423	5	2	3	9	n/a	n/a	442
2010	426	11	5	15	4	n/a	n/a	461
2011	417	5	4	14	3	1	2	446
2012	415	3	5	14	3	0	4	444
2013	421	5	7	12	2	0	3	450
2014	432	4	7	9	2	0	3	457
2015	433	3	6	7	0	0	3	452
2016	434	6	3	9	0	0	4	456
2017	451	3	2	9	0	0	8	473
2018	452	4	1	15	0	0	5	477
2019	418	3	1	13	0	0	6	441
2020	420	3	0	15	0	1	3	442
2021	404	3	0	15	0	1	7	430
2022	403	2	1	9	0	1	12	428
2023	402	3	2	14	0	1	15	437
2024	384	4	2	15	0	1	21	427

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 Murray Lake Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	369	20.9	17.7	9.8
2006	419	20.6	20.3	9.8
2007	427	20.6	20.7	14.8
2008	441	21.1	20.9	11.3
2009	442	22.5	19.6	16.3
2010	461	21.5	21.3	16.1
2011	446	21.5	20.7	14.1
2012	444	20.6	21.5	14.4
2013	450	24.2	18.5	14.7
2014	457	23.1	19.7	14.4
2015	452	23.0	19.6	15.5
2016	456	22.0	20.7	17.1
2017	473	24.4	19.3	16.1
2018	477	22.3	21.3	23.5
2019	441	23.4	18.8	20.6
2020	442	24.3	18.1	13.1
2021	430	25.0	17.2	13.7
2022	428	24.1	17.7	13.1
2023	437	23.9	18.2	17.6
2024	427	22.9	18.6	20.4

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 Murray Lake Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	369	20.9	17.7	9.8
2006	419	20.6	20.3	9.8
2007	427	20.6	20.7	14.8
2008	441	21.1	20.9	11.3
2009	442	22.5	19.6	16.3
2010	461	21.5	21.3	16.1
2011	446	21.5	20.7	14.1
2012	444	20.6	21.5	14.4
2013	450	24.2	18.5	14.7
2014	457	23.1	19.7	14.4
2015	452	23.0	19.6	15.5
2016	456	22.0	20.7	17.1
2017	473	24.4	19.3	16.1
2018	477	22.3	21.3	23.5
2019	441	23.4	18.8	20.6
2020	442	24.3	18.1	13.1
2021	430	25.0	17.2	13.7
2022	428	24.1	17.7	13.1
2023	437	23.9	18.2	17.6
2024	427	22.9	18.6	20.4

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 Murray Lake Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$468 (5.1%)	$8,694 (94.9%)	$9,163
2020	$449 (4.5%)	$9,537 (95.5%)	$9,986
2021	$1,591 (14.6%)	$9,283 (85.4%)	$10,874
2022	$854 (7.3%)	$10,854 (92.7%)	$11,708
2023	$756 (6.1%)	$11,586 (93.9%)	$12,342

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Murray Lake 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 146^th of 1408 Elementary schools	Ranks 58^th of 1470 Elementary schools	6.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Murray Lake Elementary)	76.9	70.7	6.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Area Schools)	69.9	63.8	6.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Murray Lake Elementary)	69.2	66.7	2.5%
3rd Grade Math (Lowell Area Schools)	69.9	65.4	4.5%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Murray Lake Elementary)	62.9	76.4	13.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Area Schools)	66.9	71.5	4.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
4th Grade Math (Murray Lake Elementary)	54.3	70.8	16.5%
4th Grade Math (Lowell Area Schools)	61.6	67.2	5.6%
4th Grade Math (Michigan)	41.8	38.6	3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Murray Lake Elementary)	67.6	80	12.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Area Schools)	68.5	73.4	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	46.2	43.9	2.3%
5th Grade Math (Murray Lake Elementary)	60.6	60	0.6%
5th Grade Math (Lowell Area Schools)	54.7	54	0.7%
5th Grade Math (Michigan)	34.8	31.5	3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Murray Lake Elementary)	35.2	52	16.8%
5th Grade Social Studies (Lowell Area Schools)	28.6	39.7	11.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	17.4	18.6	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	441	437	0.9%
African American	3	3
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	2	100%
Hispanic	13	14	7.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	418	402	3.8%
Two or More Races	6	15	150%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.6%	17.6%	3%

Schools Near Murray Lake 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
Murray Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3275 Alden Nash Ave NE	Lowell	49331	Kent County	Lowell Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 987-2750	427	23	18.6	20.4%	384 (89.9%)	4 (0.9%)	15 (3.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.9%)	91.6	86^th of 1486 public elementary schools	94.2%		93.6	58^th of 1470 public elementary schools	96.1%	28	64.3	80.8	69.3	70.0	76.7	48.0	65.3	45.3	$12,342	$757	$11,586
Cannonsburg Elementary School	Public	K-5	4894 Sturgis Ave NE	Rockford	49341	Kent County	Rockford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 863-6344	231	14	16.1	17.7%	205 (88.7%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.1%)	94.7	55^th of 1486 public elementary schools	96.3%		91.7	87^th of 1470 public elementary schools	94.1%	32	63.0	74.4	70.7	73.9	65.1	82.9	85.4	56.1	$17,672	$524	$17,148
Cherry Creek Elementary School	Public	2-5	12675 Foreman St	Lowell	49331	Kent County	Lowell Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 987-2700	473	26	18.0	36.4%	411 (86.9%)	10 (2.1%)	25 (5.3%)	7 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.6%)	81.1	239^th of 1486 public elementary schools	83.9%		80.6	246^th of 1470 public elementary schools	83.3%	7	64.4	55.0	65.0	59.3	45.0	49.6	67.5	34.2	$17,208	$3,120	$14,088
Bushnell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	700 Elizabeth St	Lowell	49331	Kent County	Lowell Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 987-2650	271	19	14.4	39.5%	231 (85.2%)	4 (1.5%)	20 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.9%)								(n/a)									$14,173	$1,529	$12,644
Lakes Elementary School	Public	K-5	6849 Young Ave NE	Rockford	49341	Kent County	Rockford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 863-6340	502	30	16.5	17.5%	439 (87.5%)	5 (1.0%)	22 (4.4%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.0%)	90.1	111^th of 1486 public elementary schools	92.5%		83.4	208^th of 1470 public elementary schools	85.9%	97	67.5	57.0	67.5	72.7	68.8	68.8	70.1	36.4	$13,581	$893	$12,688
Ada Vista Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-4	7192 Bradfield Ave SE	Ada	49301	Kent County	Forest Hills Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(616) 493-8970	457	24	18.6	7.2%	320 (70.0%)	7 (1.5%)	89 (19.5%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.7%)	89.7	117^th of 1486 public elementary schools	92.1%		65.5	465^th of 1470 public elementary schools	68.4%	348	68.8	67.4		71.0	60.0				$12,152	$460	$11,692
Ada Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	731 Ada Dr SE	Ada	49301	Kent County	Forest Hills Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 493-8940	310	24	12.9	13.2%	252 (81.3%)	2 (0.6%)	9 (2.9%)	30 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.5%)	97.4	17^th of 1486 public elementary schools	98.9%		94.6	52^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	96.5%	35	76.7	78.9		80.3	84.2				$15,286	$1,136	$14,150
Woodview Elementary School	Public	3-5	450 Orchard St	Belding	48809	Ionia County	Belding Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 794-4750	348	28	12.3	63.8%	293 (84.2%)	3 (0.9%)	39 (11.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	33.9	957^th of 1486 public elementary schools	35.6%		42.8	803^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	45.4%	154	23.5	26.5	34.5	40.0	32.7	36.3	32.7	14.2	$16,444	$2,954	$13,490
Thornapple Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	6932 Bridgewater Dr SE	Grand Rapids	49546	Kent County	Forest Hills Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 493-8920	387	23	16.8	16.8%	297 (76.7%)	5 (1.3%)	21 (5.4%)	35 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	90.9	96^th of 1486 public elementary schools	93.5%		91.7	88^th of 1470 public elementary schools	94.0%	8	63.0	63.2		72.8	75.0				$13,097	$1,144	$11,953
Ellis Elementary School	Public	K-2	100 W Ellis Ave	Belding	48809	Ionia County	Belding Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 794-4100	387	27	14.1	61.2%	320 (82.7%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (11.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.4%)								(n/a)									$16,252	$2,791	$13,461

Murray Lake Elementary

Murray Lake Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lowell Area Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Murray Lake Elementary

Rank History for all students at Murray Lake Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murray Lake Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Murray Lake Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Murray Lake Elementary

Rank History for White students at Murray Lake Elementary

Enrollment information for Murray Lake Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Murray Lake Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Murray Lake Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Murray Lake Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Murray Lake Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Murray Lake Elementary