Shepherd Elementary School

Summary:

Shepherd Elementary School is a public magnet elementary school serving 658 students in grades PK-5 in Shepherd, Michigan, which is part of the Shepherd Public Schools district. While the school has a higher percentage of white and Native American students compared to the state average, it faces several challenges, including a high rate of chronic absenteeism, consistently lower test scores across all grade levels and subjects, and a large proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Shepherd Elementary's performance has declined over the years, dropping from a statewide ranking of 834 out of 1,448 Michigan elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 769 out of 1,486 in 2023-2024, with a consistent 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's test scores are generally below the state and district averages, with only 26.2% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA, compared to the state average of 39.6%. Additionally, Shepherd Elementary's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with white students and special education students performing particularly poorly.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Luce Road Elementary, Eugene M Nikkari Elementary, and schools in the Mt. Pleasant City School District, Shepherd Elementary's performance is generally lower, with higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and better overall performance metrics. The high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, the increasing chronic absenteeism, and the relatively flat spending per student may be contributing factors to Shepherd Elementary's declining performance.


Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

 301 S 4th St
       Shepherd, MI  48883-9099


(989) 828-6601

District: Shepherd Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
769th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools


Students who attend Shepherd Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Shepherd Middle School
High:    Shepherd High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.3 Help
Number of students:  658

Racial breakdown:

White:
84.0%
American Indian:
6.4%
Hispanic:
5.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  59.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Shepherd Elementary School ranks worse than 51.7% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.73. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (84%), American Indian (6.4%), Hispanic (5.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 59.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Shepherd Elementary School is 17.3. (See more...)
Help
Compare Shepherd Elementary School employs 38 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Shepherd Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Shepherd Elementary School 769th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Shepherd Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Shepherd Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Shepherd Public Schools 202nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Shepherd Elementary School?

Rank History for Shepherd Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Shepherd Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 62.82 647th 1545 58.1%
2007 66.69 548th 1565 65.0%
2008 61.83 710th 1577 55.0%
2009 66.39 628th 1589 60.5%
2010 66.62 643rd 1552 58.6%
2011 55.39 889th 1552 42.7%
2012 36.79 1107th 1566 29.3%
2013 40.29 1020th 1563 34.7%
2014 37.15 1061st 1533 30.8%
2015 45.28 914th 1580 42.2%
2016 43.75 897th 1548 42.1%
2017 36.26 927th 1466 36.8%
2018 46.82 834th 1448 42.4%
2019 35.06 908th 1408 35.5%
2021 24.14 896th 1153 22.3%
2022 40.64 750th 1344 44.2%
2023 44.28 776th 1470 47.2%
2024 44.73 769th 1486 48.3%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Shepherd Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.63 234th 403 41.9%
2023 40.65 124th 195 36.4%
2024 19.23 198th 225 12.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Shepherd Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.19 765th 1397 45.2%
2019 38.71 726th 1134 36.0%
2021 25.82 614th 749 18.0%
2022 42.08 619th 1099 43.7%
2023 43.20 751st 1350 44.4%
2024 44.15 734th 1381 46.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Shepherd Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.01 863rd 1443 40.2%
2019 25.89 897th 1171 23.4%
2021 17.82 806th 902 10.6%
2022 24.77 875th 1106 20.9%
2023 33.04 869th 1321 34.2%
2024 30.81 931st 1342 30.6%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Shepherd Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.01 792nd 1446 45.2%
2019 32.64 810th 1196 32.3%
2021 26.32 709th 915 22.5%
2022 43.95 613th 1139 46.2%
2023 46.23 684th 1334 48.7%
2024 48.10 661st 1347 50.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Shepherd Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.30 879th 1253 29.8%
2019 21.58 942nd 1128 16.5%
2021 18.03 882nd 1005 12.2%
2022 28.36 813th 1102 26.2%
2023 31.76 839th 1198 30.0%
2024 29.02 869th 1204 27.8%
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.

Shepherd Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Open Quote Shepherd has many resources to help children learn and grow Close Quote



Enrollment information for Shepherd Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 664 4 3 8 3 n/a n/a 0 682
1989 674 4 7 10 7 n/a n/a 0 702
1990 492 2 1 4 3 n/a n/a 0 502
1991 525 3 2 5 3 n/a n/a 0 538
1992 516 1 4 14 1 n/a n/a 0 536
1993 574 4 5 10 3 n/a n/a 0 596
1994 412 1 6 6 7 n/a n/a 0 432
1995 683 8 6 8 19 n/a n/a 0 724
1996 683 8 6 8 19 n/a n/a 0 724
1997 383 3 0 7 6 n/a n/a 0 399
1998 496 13 1 7 10 n/a n/a 0 527
1999 573 14 3 13 36 n/a n/a 0 639
2000 579 14 2 4 30 n/a n/a 0 629
2001 553 11 1 10 25 n/a n/a 0 600
2002 550 5 3 7 27 n/a n/a 0 592
2003 550 5 3 7 27 n/a n/a 0 592
2004 534 5 3 6 26 n/a n/a 0 574
2005 560 6 7 5 32 n/a n/a 0 610
2006 553 5 5 4 30 n/a n/a 0 597
2007 543 4 4 7 41 n/a n/a 0 599
2008 540 11 4 7 47 n/a n/a 0 609
2009 554 7 1 7 33 n/a n/a 0 602
2010 584 9 1 6 40 n/a n/a 0 640
2011 600 9 1 12 41 1 2 0 666
2012 598 9 1 15 35 2 0 0 660
2013 604 10 1 14 27 2 0 0 658
2014 601 7 0 17 41 3 2 0 671
2015 629 5 0 24 33 1 7 0 699
2016 620 4 0 32 38 1 5 0 700
2017 600 4 0 34 34 7 7 0 686
2018 558 8 2 38 41 5 8 0 660
2019 559 14 2 50 45 5 9 0 684
2020 551 15 2 47 36 3 12 0 666
2021 523 18 3 38 29 5 8 0 624
2022 515 16 3 37 40 5 6 0 622
2023 553 16 3 38 42 2 4 0 658

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 Shepherd Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 682 n/a n/a n/a
1989 702 n/a n/a 23.2
1990 502 41.0 12.2 38
1991 538 n/a n/a n/a
1992 536 n/a n/a 41.6
1993 596 n/a 0.0 49.8
1994 432 23.5 18.4 53.7
1995 724 37.5 19.3 28.3
1996 724 37.5 19.3 28.3
1997 399 0.0 0.0 55.6
1998 527 35.0 15.1 26.4
1999 639 34.0 18.8 22.1
2000 629 34.0 18.5 21.9
2001 600 36.5 16.4 17.3
2002 592 41.1 14.4 16.4
2003 592 41.1 14.4 16.4
2004 574 39.5 14.5 18.1
2005 610 37.5 16.3 24.3
2006 597 37.1 16.1 33.8
2007 599 34.4 17.4 41.1
2008 609 35.3 17.3 44.5
2009 602 36.5 16.5 36.4
2010 640 35.1 18.2 45.2
2011 666 37.1 17.9 37.1
2012 660 39.2 16.8 54.4
2013 658 37.7 17.4 51.4
2014 671 37.0 18.1 56.9
2015 699 38.0 18.3 54.1
2016 700 40.0 17.5 50.6
2017 686 38.5 17.8 49.7
2018 660 38.0 17.3 53.5
2019 684 37.0 18.4 55.4
2020 666 38.0 17.5 52.6
2021 624 36.0 17.3 54.5
2022 622 38.0 16.3 58.7
2023 658 38.0 17.3 59.9

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 Shepherd Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 682 n/a n/a n/a
1989 702 n/a n/a 23.2
1990 502 41.0 12.2 38
1991 538 n/a n/a n/a
1992 536 n/a n/a 41.6
1993 596 n/a 0.0 49.8
1994 432 23.5 18.4 53.7
1995 724 37.5 19.3 28.3
1996 724 37.5 19.3 28.3
1997 399 0.0 0.0 55.6
1998 527 35.0 15.1 26.4
1999 639 34.0 18.8 22.1
2000 629 34.0 18.5 21.9
2001 600 36.5 16.4 17.3
2002 592 41.1 14.4 16.4
2003 592 41.1 14.4 16.4
2004 574 39.5 14.5 18.1
2005 610 37.5 16.3 24.3
2006 597 37.1 16.1 33.8
2007 599 34.4 17.4 41.1
2008 609 35.3 17.3 44.5
2009 602 36.5 16.5 36.4
2010 640 35.1 18.2 45.2
2011 666 37.1 17.9 37.1
2012 660 39.2 16.8 54.4
2013 658 37.7 17.4 51.4
2014 671 37.0 18.1 56.9
2015 699 38.0 18.3 54.1
2016 700 40.0 17.5 50.6
2017 686 38.5 17.8 49.7
2018 660 38.0 17.3 53.5
2019 684 37.0 18.4 55.4
2020 666 38.0 17.5 52.6
2021 624 36.0 17.3 54.5
2022 622 38.0 16.3 58.7
2023 658 38.0 17.3 59.9

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 Shepherd Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $763 (8.1%) $8,602 (91.9%) $9,365
2020 $875 (8.8%) $9,038 (91.2%) $9,913
2021 $1,161 (11.0%) $9,354 (89.0%) $10,514
2022 $1,368 (12.2%) $9,852 (87.8%) $11,220
2023 $00 (NaN) $00 (NaN) $00

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Shepherd 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 908th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 776th of 1470 Elementary schools
 11.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shepherd Elementary School)39.343.4
 4.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Shepherd Public Schools)44.146.1
 2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Shepherd Elementary School)3737.4
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Shepherd Public Schools)42.644.3
 1.7%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Shepherd Elementary School)4338.7
 4.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Shepherd Public Schools)46.343
 3.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Shepherd Elementary School)30.732.8
 2.1%
   4th Grade Math (Shepherd Public Schools)34.338.5
 4.2%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Shepherd Elementary School)4050
 10%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Shepherd Public Schools)46.254.9
 8.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (Shepherd Elementary School)3030.1
 0.1%
   5th Grade Math (Shepherd Public Schools)37.137.4
 0.3%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Shepherd Elementary School)2017.4
 2.6%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Shepherd Public Schools)23.116.7
 6.4%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)17.418.6
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students684658
 3.8%
African American1416
 14.3%
American Indian4542
 6.7%
Asian23
 50%
Hispanic5038
 24%
Pacific Islander52
 60%
White559553
 1.1%
Two or More Races94
 55.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.4%59.9%
 4.5%


Schools Near Shepherd Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Shepherd Elementary School

Students who attend Shepherd Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Shepherd Middle School
High : Shepherd High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 658 students attended Shepherd Elementary School.

Students at Shepherd Elementary School are 84% White, 6% American Indian, 6% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Shepherd Elementary School ranks 769th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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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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