Is Thomas Read Elementary School a good school?

Thomas Read Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.8% of Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Thomas Read Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 314 students attended Thomas Read Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Read Elementary School?

Students at Thomas Read Elementary School are 50% White, 44% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Thomas Read Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Thomas Read Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Shelby Middle School High : Shelby High School

Thomas Read Elementary School

Summary:

Thomas Read Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Shelby, Michigan, serving grades K-3 with a total enrollment of 314 students. The school is part of the Shelby Public Schools district, which is ranked 459 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thomas Read Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (43.95%) compared to the surrounding schools, which tend to have a majority white student population. The school has also experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 35.2% in 2020-2021 to 76.3% in 2022-2023, which is much higher than the state average and the nearby schools. Academically, Thomas Read Elementary's performance, as measured by M-Step proficiency rates, is significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 15.3% of 3rd-grade students were proficient in English Language Arts and Math, compared to the state averages of 39.6% and 43.4%, respectively. Additionally, the school has a very high percentage of students (84.39% in 2022-2023) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Thomas Read Elementary to other nearby schools, such as Holton Elementary School, it becomes clear that the school is struggling significantly in terms of academic performance and student engagement. The school's ranking and performance on the SchoolDigger scale have declined over the years, from a ranking of 1207 out of 1545 Michigan elementary schools in 2005-2006 to a ranking of 1266 out of 1486 in 2023-2024, with a consistent 1-star rating. Despite the school's challenges, the per-student spending at Thomas Read Elementary has increased over the years, suggesting that the issue may not be solely a lack of resources, but rather the effective allocation and utilization of those resources.

Detail:

Public K-3

155 E 6th St
Shelby, MI 49455-1165

(231) 861-5541

District: Shelby Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1266^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,256

Students who attend Thomas Read Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Shelby Middle School
High:	Shelby High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 314

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.3%

Hispanic:

43.9%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Thomas Read Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Thomas Read Elementary School ranks worse than 85.2% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.77. (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 (50.3%), Hispanic (43.9%), two or more races (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Thomas Read Elementary School is 14.6. (See more...)

Compare Thomas Read Elementary School employs 21.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Thomas Read Elementary School is $17,256.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Thomas Read Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Thomas Read Elementary School 1266^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Thomas Read Elementary School 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:

Shelby Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Shelby Public Schools 459^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Thomas Read Elementary School?

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Rank History for Thomas Read Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	38.40	1207^th	1545	21.9%
2007	31.78	1294^th	1565	17.3%
2008	18.10	1429^th	1577	9.4%
2009	24.00	1384^th	1589	12.9%
2010	19.05	1408^th	1552	9.3%
2024	13.77	1266^th	1486	14.8%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	16.51	1209^th	1381	12.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	11.19	1226^th	1342	8.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	11.22	1232^nd	1347	8.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	15.29	185^th	201	8.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	10.92	1122^nd	1204	6.8%

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 Thomas Read Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	324	2	0	81	1	n/a	n/a	0	408
1989	318	2	0	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	389
1990	306	4	2	75	1	n/a	n/a	0	388
1991	308	2	2	91	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1992	333	1	1	83	0	n/a	n/a	0	418
1993	301	1	0	81	4	n/a	n/a	0	387
1994	295	1	0	86	3	n/a	n/a	0	385
1995	296	3	0	110	2	n/a	n/a	0	411
1996	296	3	0	110	2	n/a	n/a	0	411
1997	283	4	0	106	5	n/a	n/a	2	400
1998	266	3	0	115	6	n/a	n/a	0	390
1999	269	2	0	105	4	n/a	n/a	0	380
2000	251	0	0	130	3	n/a	n/a	0	384
2001	252	0	0	136	2	n/a	n/a	0	390
2002	306	2	16	199	0	n/a	n/a	0	523
2003	306	2	16	199	0	n/a	n/a	0	523
2004	314	1	9	215	2	n/a	n/a	0	541
2005	302	2	2	214	2	n/a	n/a	0	522
2006	228	0	1	189	1	n/a	n/a	0	419
2007	253	0	0	206	1	n/a	n/a	0	460
2008	259	3	3	216	2	n/a	n/a	0	483
2009	142	0	0	165	1	n/a	n/a	16	324
2010	138	0	1	182	0	n/a	n/a	15	336
2011	189	4	2	126	1	0	2	0	324
2012	178	7	0	139	1	0	6	0	331
2013	230	6	0	169	2	1	10	0	418
2014	210	5	0	186	2	1	11	0	415
2015	217	3	0	168	2	0	12	0	402
2016	207	3	0	165	1	0	11	0	387
2017	204	1	0	163	1	0	12	0	381
2018	213	1	0	164	0	0	10	0	388
2019	197	2	1	160	0	0	7	0	367
2020	185	5	2	174	1	0	6	0	373
2021	167	4	1	161	1	0	6	0	340
2022	164	3	0	146	0	0	11	0	324
2023	158	4	0	138	2	0	12	0	314

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 Thomas Read Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	408	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	389	n/a	n/a	30.3
1990	388	21.0	18.4	32.7
1991	403	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	418	n/a	n/a	52.9
1993	387	n/a	0.0	53
1994	385	20.2	19.1	36.6
1995	411	19.1	21.5	40.1
1996	411	19.1	21.5	40.1
1997	400	19.0	21.1	43.5
1998	390	22.0	17.7	49
1999	380	26.0	14.6	44.7
2000	384	22.3	17.2	59.9
2001	390	21.9	17.8	59.2
2002	523	25.9	20.2	54.3
2003	523	25.9	20.2	54.3
2004	541	24.9	21.7	56.6
2005	522	25.9	20.2	55
2006	419	25.4	16.5	70.4
2007	460	21.7	21.2	62.8
2008	483	25.7	18.8	78.1
2009	324	20.8	15.6	80.2
2010	336	20.5	16.3	88.5
2011	324	17.6	18.3	75
2012	331	16.7	19.7	76.1
2013	418	21.1	19.7	77.3
2014	415	20.9	19.7	61.7
2015	402	20.0	20.1	78.1
2016	387	21.0	18.4	84
2017	381	20.0	19.0	81.1
2018	388	21.5	17.9	83.2
2019	367	21.9	16.7	73.6
2020	373	21.0	17.7	78
2021	340	20.9	16.2	80.9
2022	324	21.0	15.4	79.3
2023	314	21.5	14.6	84.4

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 Thomas Read Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	408	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	389	n/a	n/a	30.3
1990	388	21.0	18.4	32.7
1991	403	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	418	n/a	n/a	52.9
1993	387	n/a	0.0	53
1994	385	20.2	19.1	36.6
1995	411	19.1	21.5	40.1
1996	411	19.1	21.5	40.1
1997	400	19.0	21.1	43.5
1998	390	22.0	17.7	49
1999	380	26.0	14.6	44.7
2000	384	22.3	17.2	59.9
2001	390	21.9	17.8	59.2
2002	523	25.9	20.2	54.3
2003	523	25.9	20.2	54.3
2004	541	24.9	21.7	56.6
2005	522	25.9	20.2	55
2006	419	25.4	16.5	70.4
2007	460	21.7	21.2	62.8
2008	483	25.7	18.8	78.1
2009	324	20.8	15.6	80.2
2010	336	20.5	16.3	88.5
2011	324	17.6	18.3	75
2012	331	16.7	19.7	76.1
2013	418	21.1	19.7	77.3
2014	415	20.9	19.7	61.7
2015	402	20.0	20.1	78.1
2016	387	21.0	18.4	84
2017	381	20.0	19.0	81.1
2018	388	21.5	17.9	83.2
2019	367	21.9	16.7	73.6
2020	373	21.0	17.7	78
2021	340	20.9	16.2	80.9
2022	324	21.0	15.4	79.3
2023	314	21.5	14.6	84.4

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 Thomas Read Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,247 (18.5%)	$9,892 (81.5%)	$12,138
2020	$2,446 (20.6%)	$9,443 (79.4%)	$11,890
2021	$4,176 (29.4%)	$10,032 (70.6%)	$14,208
2022	$3,937 (24.6%)	$12,045 (75.4%)	$15,982
2023	$4,977 (28.8%)	$12,279 (71.2%)	$17,256

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Read 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Thomas Read Elementary School)	36.3	21.6	14.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shelby Public Schools)	36.3	21.6	14.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Thomas Read Elementary School)	39.1	14.9	24.2%
3rd Grade Math (Shelby Public Schools)	39.1	14.9	24.2%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	367	314	14.4%
African American	2	4	100%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	160	138	13.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	197	158	19.8%
Two or More Races	7	12	71.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.6%	84.4%	10.8%

Schools Near Thomas Read Elementary School

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
Thomas Read Elementary School	Public	K-3	155 E 6th St	Shelby	49455	Oceana County	Shelby Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 861-5541	314	22	14.6	84.4%	158 (50.3%)	4 (1.3%)	138 (43.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	13.8	1266^th of 1486 public elementary schools	14.8%					(n/a)	15.3	19.1	25.4	15.3	12.9	11.1	31.7	6.3	$17,256	$4,977	$12,279
New Era Elementary School	Public	4-5	2752 Hillcrest Dr	New Era	49446	Oceana County	Shelby Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 861-2662	160	12	13.4	75.0%	87 (54.4%)	2 (1.3%)	70 (43.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)								(n/a)									$16,886	$3,733	$13,153
Spitler Elementary School	Public	K-4	302 Johnson St W	Hart	49420	Oceana County	Hart Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 873-6340	425	35	12.2	68.2%	253 (59.5%)	0 (0.0%)	160 (37.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.8%)	17.3	1217^th of 1486 public elementary schools	18.1%		18	1193^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	18.8%	24	20.8	23.4		24.7	22.4				$15,653	$3,503	$12,149
Montague Area Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	9151 Dicey St	Montague	49437	Muskegon County	Montague Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 894-9018	116	9	12.8	63.8%	105 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)								(n/a)									$18,305	$2,833	$15,472
Oehrli Elementary School	Public	1-5	4859 Knudsen St	Montague	49437	Muskegon County	Montague Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 894-9018	465	30	15.4	51.6%	413 (88.8%)	3 (0.6%)	35 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)	63.4	508^th of 1486 public elementary schools	65.8%		69.4	404^th of 1470 public elementary schools	72.5%	104	48.3	48.4	46.3	46.1	51.6	41.5	61.0	18.3	$14,779	$2,818	$11,961
Walkerville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	170 E North St	Walkerville	49459	Oceana County	Walkerville Public Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(231) 873-4850	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Whitehall Ealy Elementary School	Public	3-5	425 E Sophia St	Whitehall	49461	Muskegon County	Whitehall District Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 893-1040	401	29	14.0	56.4%	346 (86.3%)	5 (1.2%)	28 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.0%)	63	512^th of 1486 public elementary schools	65.5%		63.1	505^th of 1470 public elementary schools	65.6%	7	65.1	56.7	48.1	58.2	52.2	28.9	40.7	15.6	$15,028	$2,198	$12,830
Shoreline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	205 E Market St	Whitehall	49461	Muskegon County	Whitehall District Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 893-1050	446	28	15.9	55.6%	394 (88.3%)	3 (0.7%)	26 (5.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.3%)								(n/a)									$14,239	$2,138	$12,100
Patricia St Clair Elementary School	Public	K-5	96 S Division St	Hesperia	49421	Oceana County	Hesperia Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 854-6615	383	23	16.5	80.7%	355 (92.7%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	13.9	1263^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	15.0%		18.4	1187^th of 1470 public elementary schools	19.3%	76	14.1	27.7	21.3	15.5	8.7	6.7	27.9	11.5	$18,781	$3,596	$15,185
Holton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6245 Syers Rd	Holton	49425	Muskegon County	Holton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 821-1825	361	27	13.4	76.5%	329 (91.1%)	2 (0.6%)	11 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.3%)	38.5	876^th of 1486 public elementary schools	41.0%		30.1	988^th of 1470 public elementary schools	32.8%	112	45.2	25.0	27.9	46.8	23.2	34.9	30.2		$15,940	$3,436	$12,504

Thomas Read Elementary School

Thomas Read Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Shelby Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Thomas Read Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Thomas Read Elementary School

Enrollment information for Thomas Read Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Thomas Read Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Thomas Read Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Thomas Read Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Thomas Read Elementary School

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Thomas Read Elementary School