Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Summary:

Bernice McDowell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Taylor, Michigan, serving 239 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Taylor School District, which is ranked 545 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bernice McDowell faces significant challenges, including a student population that is 44.35% African American, significantly higher than the surrounding schools, which range from 13.67% to 52.37% African American students. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.8% to 71.8% over the past few years, much higher than nearby schools. Academically, Bernice McDowell's performance, as measured by M-Step proficiency rates, is consistently lower than the Taylor School District and the state of Michigan averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 11.6%, compared to the district's 17.9% and the state's 39.6%. The school's student subgroups, such as female students, male students, African American students, and students with special education needs, all perform significantly worse than their peers in the state, ranking in the bottom 25% of Michigan elementary schools.

While Bernice McDowell is part of the Taylor School District, the nearby schools in the district, such as Clarence Randall Elementary School, Eureka Heights Elementary School, Holland Elementary School, and Blair Moody Elementary School, generally perform better academically and have lower chronic absenteeism rates, suggesting that Bernice McDowell may be an outlier within the district. Additionally, the school's high per-student spending of around $20,000 does not seem to translate into improved academic outcomes, and its performance has remained consistently low over the past several years, with little to no improvement in its statewide ranking or academic proficiency rates.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 22929 Brest
       Taylor, MI  48180-4176


(734) 374-1240

District: Taylor School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1358th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,308 Help


Students who attend Bernice McDowell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Robert J West Middle School
High:    Taylor High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.6 Help
Number of students:  239

Racial breakdown:

African American:
44.4%
White:
35.6%
Hispanic:
8.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  87% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Bernice McDowell Elementary School ranks worse than 91.4% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 7th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Taylor School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.16. (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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (44.4%), White (35.6%), Hispanic (8.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 87% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bernice McDowell Elementary School is 17.6, which is the 4th best among 8 elementary schools in the Taylor School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Bernice McDowell Elementary School employs 13.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bernice McDowell Elementary School is $20,308, which is the 2nd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Taylor School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bernice McDowell Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Bernice McDowell Elementary School 1358th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Bernice McDowell Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:


Taylor School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Taylor School District 545th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Bernice McDowell Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 34.66 1253rd 1545 18.9%
2007 44.39 1107th 1565 29.3%
2008 23.88 1383rd 1577 12.3%
2009 27.92 1352nd 1589 14.9%
2010 35.52 1263rd 1552 18.6%
2011 31.22 1281st 1552 17.5%
2012 47.17 903rd 1566 42.3%
2013 35.41 1100th 1563 29.6%
2014 31.44 1139th 1533 25.7%
2015 21.27 1273rd 1580 19.4%
2016 13.07 1346th 1548 13.0%
2017 11.47 1306th 1466 10.9%
2018 11.36 1338th 1448 7.6%
2019 8.72 1303rd 1408 7.5%
2022 15.65 1143rd 1344 15.0%
2023 16.51 1215th 1470 17.3%
2024 9.16 1358th 1486 8.6%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.17 373rd 403 7.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.99 1287th 1397 7.9%
2019 14.81 1024th 1134 9.7%
2022 29.21 806th 1099 26.7%
2023 25.85 1028th 1350 23.9%
2024 14.11 1244th 1381 9.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.69 1293rd 1443 10.4%
2019 9.52 1108th 1171 5.4%
2022 17.14 960th 1106 13.2%
2023 23.79 1007th 1321 23.8%
2024 9.49 1249th 1342 6.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.16 1310th 1446 9.4%
2023 7.88 1263rd 1334 5.3%
2024 6.92 1293rd 1347 4.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.65 437th 475 8.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.36 1215th 1253 3.0%
2023 11.61 1110th 1198 7.3%
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.

Bernice McDowell Elementary School 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 Bernice McDowell Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 374 30 6 8 4 n/a n/a 0 422
1989 396 18 12 11 2 n/a n/a 0 439
1990 389 21 8 10 0 n/a n/a 0 428
1991 407 21 5 4 3 n/a n/a 11 451
1992 421 31 4 10 5 n/a n/a 0 471
1993 404 35 4 10 6 n/a n/a 0 459
1994 405 26 7 6 5 n/a n/a 0 449
1995 396 37 6 4 3 n/a n/a 0 446
1996 396 37 6 4 3 n/a n/a 0 446
1997 404 48 6 7 1 n/a n/a 0 466
1998 404 49 6 8 1 n/a n/a 0 468
1999 414 62 2 7 2 n/a n/a 0 487
2000 404 80 2 9 3 n/a n/a 0 498
2001 368 88 6 9 1 n/a n/a 0 472
2002 312 86 4 22 2 n/a n/a 0 426
2003 312 86 4 22 2 n/a n/a 0 426
2004 315 107 6 17 2 n/a n/a 0 447
2005 339 109 6 21 2 n/a n/a 0 477
2006 339 107 5 19 4 n/a n/a 0 474
2007 279 105 6 28 2 n/a n/a 0 420
2008 265 119 9 32 7 n/a n/a 0 432
2009 238 120 11 33 3 n/a n/a 0 405
2010 201 123 17 23 3 n/a n/a 0 367
2011 164 133 20 21 1 0 11 0 350
2012 164 120 16 19 0 0 13 0 332
2013 160 124 17 21 0 0 13 0 335
2014 136 99 15 27 1 0 17 0 295
2015 140 103 14 32 1 0 31 0 321
2016 142 138 17 27 0 0 26 0 350
2017 135 135 16 27 1 0 16 0 330
2018 111 127 15 23 0 0 22 0 298
2019 102 125 11 25 1 0 20 0 284
2020 98 107 16 19 1 0 20 0 261
2021 90 109 12 14 1 0 21 0 247
2022 85 104 9 17 1 0 20 0 236
2023 85 106 13 21 1 0 13 0 239

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 Bernice McDowell Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 422 n/a n/a n/a
1989 439 n/a n/a 21.6
1990 428 26.0 16.4 19.9
1991 451 n/a n/a n/a
1992 471 n/a n/a 35.2
1993 459 n/a 0.0 34.6
1994 449 20.0 22.4 29.8
1995 446 21.5 20.7 24.4
1996 446 21.5 20.7 24.4
1997 466 22.0 21.2 30.7
1998 468 21.0 22.3 30.8
1999 487 22.0 22.1 36.3
2000 498 22.9 21.7 44.4
2001 472 23.1 20.4 46.6
2002 426 20.1 21.2 45.5
2003 426 20.1 21.2 45.5
2004 447 28.7 15.6 44.7
2005 477 28.7 16.6 46.8
2006 474 31.8 14.9 53
2007 420 24.8 16.9 52.9
2008 432 27.9 15.5 61.3
2009 405 19.8 20.5 66.2
2010 367 17.7 20.7 74.4
2011 350 18.4 18.9 82.6
2012 332 22.0 15.0 84
2013 335 21.5 15.5 83
2014 295 20.9 14.1 85.4
2015 321 18.0 17.8 85
2016 350 18.0 19.4 86.9
2017 330 18.8 17.5 65.5
2018 298 17.6 16.9 76.5
2019 284 16.0 17.7 67.6
2020 261 15.0 17.4 79.3
2021 247 13.0 19.0 82.6
2022 236 14.2 16.6 80.5
2023 239 13.5 17.6 87

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 Bernice McDowell Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 422 n/a n/a n/a
1989 439 n/a n/a 21.6
1990 428 26.0 16.4 19.9
1991 451 n/a n/a n/a
1992 471 n/a n/a 35.2
1993 459 n/a 0.0 34.6
1994 449 20.0 22.4 29.8
1995 446 21.5 20.7 24.4
1996 446 21.5 20.7 24.4
1997 466 22.0 21.2 30.7
1998 468 21.0 22.3 30.8
1999 487 22.0 22.1 36.3
2000 498 22.9 21.7 44.4
2001 472 23.1 20.4 46.6
2002 426 20.1 21.2 45.5
2003 426 20.1 21.2 45.5
2004 447 28.7 15.6 44.7
2005 477 28.7 16.6 46.8
2006 474 31.8 14.9 53
2007 420 24.8 16.9 52.9
2008 432 27.9 15.5 61.3
2009 405 19.8 20.5 66.2
2010 367 17.7 20.7 74.4
2011 350 18.4 18.9 82.6
2012 332 22.0 15.0 84
2013 335 21.5 15.5 83
2014 295 20.9 14.1 85.4
2015 321 18.0 17.8 85
2016 350 18.0 19.4 86.9
2017 330 18.8 17.5 65.5
2018 298 17.6 16.9 76.5
2019 284 16.0 17.7 67.6
2020 261 15.0 17.4 79.3
2021 247 13.0 19.0 82.6
2022 236 14.2 16.6 80.5
2023 239 13.5 17.6 87

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 Bernice McDowell Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,753 (12.4%) $12,395 (87.6%) $14,148
2020 $1,972 (13.6%) $12,577 (86.4%) $14,549
2021 $2,530 (17.5%) $11,964 (82.6%) $14,493
2022 $2,919 (18.2%) $13,111 (81.8%) $16,030
2023 $5,285 (26.0%) $15,023 (74.0%) $20,308

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Bernice McDowell 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 1303rd of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 1215th of 1470 Elementary schools
 9.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bernice McDowell Elementary School)10.922
 11.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Taylor School District)21.719.9
 1.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Bernice McDowell Elementary School)15.219.5
 4.3%
   3rd Grade Math (Taylor School District)23.317.2
 6.1%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bernice McDowell Elementary School)30.826.8
 4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Taylor School District)26.921.7
 5.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bernice McDowell Elementary School)1226.7
 14.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Taylor School District)27.421.3
 6.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students284239
 15.8%
African American125106
 15.2%
American Indian11
Asian1113
 18.2%
Hispanic2521
 16%
Pacific Islander00
White10285
 16.7%
Two or More Races2013
 35%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients67.6%87%
 19.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Bernice McDowell Elementary School

Bernice McDowell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.6% of Michigan elementary schools.

Students who attend Bernice McDowell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Robert J West Middle School
High : Taylor High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 239 students attended Bernice McDowell Elementary School.

Students at Bernice McDowell Elementary School are 44% African American, 36% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 5% Two or more races.


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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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