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Best Elementary Schools in Big Rapids, MI

At a glance

Schools

994

Students

Districts

5-star school

Top rankedRiverview Elementary School56^th of 1,488 Michigan elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Brookside Elementary School up 147 spots statewide this year

Compare Michigan cities →See the top-ranked Michigan schools →

Summary:

The city of Big Rapids, Michigan is home to 4 elementary schools serving students from kindergarten through 5th grade. These schools are operated by two different districts - Big Rapids Public Schools and Crossroads Charter Academy. The data reveals significant performance differences between the schools, with Riverview Elementary School standing out as the top-performing school in the group.

Riverview Elementary has consistently ranked among the top 5% of Michigan elementary schools over the past 3 years, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its test scores are significantly higher than the district and state averages, with over 70% of 3rd and 4th graders proficient or better in both English Language Arts and Math. In contrast, Crossroads Charter Academy K5 appears to be the weakest performer, ranking in the bottom 30% of Michigan elementary schools with only around 20% of students proficient in 3rd and 5th grade Math and ELA.

All 4 schools in Big Rapids have high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 29.5%, which is significantly higher than the state average. The schools also serve student populations with varying levels of economic disadvantage, with Crossroads Charter Academy K5 having the highest free/reduced lunch rate at 73.97% and Riverview Elementary the lowest at 51.4%. Spending per student ranges from $12,624 at Eastwood Elementary to $16,373 at Brookside Elementary, with the district average at $15,509 per student. The student-teacher ratios are relatively low, ranging from 16.7 at Crossroads Charter Academy K5 to 18.0 at Brookside Elementary.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)			M-Step Math (2025)			M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Crossroads Charter Academy K5	Public, Charter	K-5	215 N State St	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Crossroads Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 796-6589	103	8	13.7	73.8%	74 (71.8%)	6 (5.8%)	6 (5.8%)	3 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	13 (12.6%)	26.5	1061^st of 1488 public elementary schools	28.7%		32.7	977^th of 1486 public elementary schools	34.3%	84	17.9		31.6	17.9		21.1	42.1	26.3	$15,493	$2,799	$12,694
Brookside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	210 Escott St	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Big Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 796-8323	336	19	17.6	61.9%	274 (81.5%)	16 (4.8%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.5%)	48.1	749^th of 1488 public elementary schools	49.7%		37.4	896^th of 1486 public elementary schools	39.7%	147	31.3	39.2		45.8	43.0				$16,288	$1,731	$14,558
Riverview Elementary School	Public	K-4	509 Willow Ave	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Big Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 796-2550	346	19	18.2	48.3%	309 (89.3%)	7 (2.0%)	9 (2.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.2%)	94.8	56^th of 1488 public elementary schools	96.2%		95.4	44^th of 1486 public elementary schools	97.0%	12	72.1	69.4		75.6	72.9				$14,787	$1,497	$13,290
Eastwood Elementary	Public	PK-K	410 N 3rd Ave	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Big Rapids Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(231) 598-9700	209	13	16.0	59.3%	172 (82.3%)	9 (4.3%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.1%)								(n/a)									$16,503	$889	$15,615

Cities Near Big Rapids

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Morley	11.12 mi	3	444^th
Reed City	11.85 mi	4	254^th
Paris	12.04 mi	1
Hersey	12.82 mi	1
Mecosta	12.88 mi	1	210^th

See the top MI Michigan cities

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.