Is Cardinal Elementary a good school?

Cardinal Elementary ranks in the bottom 13.5% of Michigan alternative schools.

How many students attend Cardinal Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 610 students attended Cardinal Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cardinal Elementary?

Students at Cardinal Elementary are 53% White, 27% African American, 10% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic.

Cardinal Elementary

Summary:

Cardinal Elementary is an alternative public magnet school located in Muskegon, Michigan, serving grades K-9 with a total enrollment of 610 students. The school is part of the Muskegon Area Independent School District (Isd), which is ranked 544 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cardinal Elementary stands out from the nearby schools, such as Grand Haven Cyber School and White Lake Area Community Education, in several key ways. The school has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of African American (26.72%) and Hispanic (9.67%) students. However, Cardinal Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, reaching a high of 56.6% in the 2020-2021 school year, which is notably higher than the state average and the surrounding schools. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by M-Step test scores, is significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Further analysis reveals that Cardinal Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 81.43% to 82.71% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools. Despite this, the school has a relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $12,626 to $15,831 over the past four school years, which is higher than the state average and the surrounding schools. These findings suggest that the school is facing significant challenges, including low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and a student population with substantial socioeconomic needs, which will require a comprehensive and targeted approach to address.

Detail:

Public, Magnet, Alternative K-9

2310 Marquette Ave
Muskegon, MI 49442-1409

(231) 760-1700

District: Orchard View Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1285^th of 1,486 Michigan Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,488

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 610

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.8%

African American:

26.7%

Two or more races:

9.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 82%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Cardinal Elementary to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cardinal Elementary ranks worse than 86.5% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.11. (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 (52.8%), African American (26.7%), two or more races (9.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 82% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cardinal Elementary is 14.9. (See more...)

Compare Cardinal Elementary employs 40.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cardinal Elementary is $15,488.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cardinal Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cardinal Elementary 1285^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Cardinal Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Orchard View Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Orchard View Schools 544^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Cardinal Elementary?

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Rank History for Cardinal Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2010	43.73	1173^rd	1552	24.4%
2011	46.15	1074^th	1552	30.8%
2012	34.75	1150^th	1566	26.6%
2013	30.51	1181^st	1563	24.4%
2014	28.47	1192^nd	1533	22.2%
2015	39.89	1011^th	1580	36.0%
2016	36.62	1003^rd	1548	35.2%
2017	26.36	1072^nd	1466	26.9%
2018	19.04	1220^th	1448	15.7%
2019	16.30	1186^th	1408	15.8%
2021	9.44	1085^th	1153	5.9%
2022	15.01	1155^th	1344	14.1%
2023	13.87	1250^th	1470	15.0%
2024	13.11	1285^th	1486	13.5%

See the entire list of Michigan Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	21.24	68^th	81	16.0%
2022	22.17	8^th	10	20.0%
2023	17.65	73^rd	81	9.9%
2024	23.31	63^rd	78	19.2%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.10	336^th	403	16.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	26.58	1113^th	1397	20.3%
2019	21.47	952^nd	1134	16.0%
2021	11.18	720^th	749	3.9%
2022	20.67	920^th	1099	16.3%
2023	20.06	1114^th	1350	17.5%
2024	19.02	1166^th	1381	15.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	15.96	1248^th	1443	13.5%
2019	9.89	1100^th	1171	6.1%
2021	7.27	877^th	902	2.8%
2022	8.55	1056^th	1106	4.5%
2023	7.97	1251^st	1321	5.3%
2024	8.29	1266^th	1342	5.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	22.71	1144^th	1446	20.9%
2019	16.28	1033^rd	1196	13.6%
2021	5.42	906^th	915	1.0%
2022	13.20	1028^th	1139	9.7%
2023	14.37	1156^th	1334	13.3%
2024	13.76	1193^rd	1347	11.4%

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

Rank History for African American students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	29.87	344^th	475	27.6%
2023	27.39	237^th	321	26.2%
2024	22.33	284^th	348	18.4%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	54.77	80^th	222	64.0%
2023	23.96	147^th	188	21.8%
2024	36.19	124^th	201	38.3%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Cardinal Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	10.52	1192^nd	1253	4.9%
2019	14.73	1031^st	1128	8.6%
2021	9.88	964^th	1005	4.1%
2022	12.77	1021^st	1102	7.4%
2023	10.70	1123^rd	1198	6.3%
2024	9.44	1140^th	1204	5.3%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Alternative 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 Cardinal Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2008	715	70	5	62	11	n/a	n/a	24	887
2009	696	77	5	54	8	n/a	n/a	51	891
2010	627	82	5	49	8	n/a	n/a	59	830
2011	593	84	5	91	4	0	33	0	810
2012	565	67	5	73	3	1	34	0	748
2013	551	79	5	67	5	1	38	0	746
2014	526	76	7	62	3	1	32	0	707
2015	505	85	6	54	6	1	33	0	690
2016	484	71	5	51	4	1	48	0	664
2017	438	77	5	53	3	1	42	0	619
2018	408	87	3	61	4	1	64	0	628
2019	371	102	3	55	2	1	77	0	611
2020	364	109	5	54	3	0	65	0	600
2021	349	120	4	52	3	0	75	0	603
2022	349	143	3	49	6	0	69	0	619
2023	322	163	3	59	3	0	60	0	610

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 Cardinal Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	887	47.5	18.7	58.3
2009	891	43.8	20.3	66.7
2010	830	40.5	20.4	74.4
2011	810	38.0	21.3	73.1
2012	748	37.0	20.2	78.1
2013	746	37.0	20.1	75.3
2014	707	37.5	18.8	77.8
2015	690	38.0	18.1	79.7
2016	664	40.0	16.6	78.9
2017	619	39.0	15.8	75.9
2018	628	37.0	16.9	79.5
2019	611	35.6	17.1	79.4
2020	600	34.6	17.3	77.7
2021	603	37.6	16.0	81.4
2022	619	48.6	12.7	82.7
2023	610	40.6	14.9	82

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 Cardinal Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	887	47.5	18.7	58.3
2009	891	43.8	20.3	66.7
2010	830	40.5	20.4	74.4
2011	810	38.0	21.3	73.1
2012	748	37.0	20.2	78.1
2013	746	37.0	20.1	75.3
2014	707	37.5	18.8	77.8
2015	690	38.0	18.1	79.7
2016	664	40.0	16.6	78.9
2017	619	39.0	15.8	75.9
2018	628	37.0	16.9	79.5
2019	611	35.6	17.1	79.4
2020	600	34.6	17.3	77.7
2021	603	37.6	16.0	81.4
2022	619	48.6	12.7	82.7
2023	610	40.6	14.9	82

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 Cardinal Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,121 (9.4%)	$10,820 (90.6%)	$11,941
2020	$1,567 (12.4%)	$11,060 (87.6%)	$12,626
2021	$2,559 (19.7%)	$10,439 (80.3%)	$12,998
2022	$2,161 (13.7%)	$13,670 (86.3%)	$15,831
2023	$2,966 (19.2%)	$12,522 (80.8%)	$15,488

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardinal 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 1186^th of 1408 Elementary schools	Ranks 1250^th of 1470 Elementary schools	0.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Elementary)	26.9	21.9	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Orchard View Schools)	26.9	21.9	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Cardinal Elementary)	31.9	19.4	12.5%
3rd Grade Math (Orchard View Schools)	31.9	19.4	12.5%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Elementary)	15.2	26.3	11.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Orchard View Schools)	15.2	26.3	11.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
4th Grade Math (Cardinal Elementary)	13	14.7	1.7%
4th Grade Math (Orchard View Schools)	13	14.7	1.7%
4th Grade Math (Michigan)	41.8	38.6	3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cardinal Elementary)	36.8	21.4	15.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Orchard View Schools)	36.8	21.4	15.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	46.2	43.9	2.3%
5th Grade Math (Cardinal Elementary)	21.7	11.8	9.9%
5th Grade Math (Orchard View Schools)	21.7	11.8	9.9%
5th Grade Math (Michigan)	34.8	31.5	3.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	611	610	0.2%
African American	102	163	59.8%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	3	3
Hispanic	55	59	7.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	371	322	13.2%
Two or More Races	77	60	22.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	79.4%	82%	2.6%

Schools Near Cardinal Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th 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 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cardinal Elementary	Public, Magnet, Alternative	K-9	2310 Marquette Ave	Muskegon	49442	Muskegon County	Orchard View Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(231) 760-1700	610	41	14.9	82.0%	322 (52.8%)	163 (26.7%)	59 (9.7%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.8%)								(n/a)				16.9	26.4	21.6		20.9	19.0	9.4		18.7			4.4			$15,488	$2,966	$12,522
Lakeshore Learning Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	1001 Wesley Ave	Muskegon	49442	Muskegon County	Muskegon Area Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(231) 773-0534	21	5	4.2	81.0%	15 (71.4%)	3 (14.3%)	1 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (9.5%)								(n/a)
Wesley School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	915 Wesley Ave	Muskegon	49442	Muskegon County	Muskegon Area Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(231) 773-9158	112	24	4.6	32.1%	80 (71.4%)	20 (17.9%)	5 (4.5%)	2 (1.8%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	3 (2.7%)								(n/a)
Oakridge Middle School	Public, Alternative	3-12	251 S Wolf Lake Rd	Muskegon	49442	Muskegon County	Oakridge Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 788-7400	283	19	14.7	66.8%	239 (84.5%)	5 (1.8%)	28 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)								(n/a)	44.3	14.5					27.3				19.1		16.5			12.1		$13,884	$1,436	$12,448
White Lake Area Community Education	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	4600 Gibson Rd	Muskegon	49445	Muskegon County	Whitehall District Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 893-0515	109	21	5.2	91.7%	91 (83.5%)	4 (3.7%)	9 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.7%)								(n/a)																		$54,403	$1,316	$53,087
Grand Haven Cyber School	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1415 S Beechtree St	Grand Haven	49417	Ottawa County	Grand Haven Area Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(616) 850-6800	113	2	53.0	41.6%	94 (83.2%)	3 (2.7%)	10 (8.8%)	3 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)								(n/a)			27.8											38.9			27.8	$7,695	$829	$6,866

Cardinal Elementary

Cardinal Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Orchard View Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for all students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cardinal Elementary

Rank History for White students at Cardinal Elementary

Enrollment information for Cardinal Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cardinal Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Cardinal Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cardinal Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardinal Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cardinal Elementary