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Elementary Schools in Big Rapids Public Schools

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At a glance

DistrictBig Rapids Public Schools159^th of 625 Michigan districtsFull district overview →

Schools

891

Students

5-star school

Top rankedRiverview Elementary School77^th of 1,492 Michigan elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Brookside Elementary School up 27 spots statewide this year

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

Summary:

The Big Rapids Public Schools district in Michigan includes three elementary schools—Riverview Elementary School (grades K-4), Brookside Elementary School (grades PK-4), and Eastwood Elementary (grades PK-K)—serving roughly 891 students combined in a district ranked 159th out of 625 in Michigan.

Riverview Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the top 5% of all Michigan elementary schools for three consecutive years (95th-97th percentile, 5 stars). Its academic performance is exceptional: 4th grade ELA proficiency is 82.6% versus the state average of 41.3%, and 4th grade math proficiency is 73.3% versus 39.4% statewide. This success occurs despite 48.27% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. In contrast, Brookside Elementary School ranks in the 52nd percentile (3 stars) and trails dramatically—its 4th grade ELA proficiency is just 35.6%, a 47-point gap behind Riverview. Brookside is improving slowly (from the 40th percentile in 2023-2024), but at current rates it would take roughly seven years to reach Riverview's level. Notably, Brookside spends $1,501 more per student than Riverview yet achieves far lower results, suggesting factors beyond funding drive the gap.

Eastwood Elementary serves only PK-K students and has no test data, but its chronic absenteeism rate of 34.3% is a red flag—exceeding the state average by 6.4 points and the district average by 12 points. Early attendance patterns strongly predict future reading success, so this may foreshadow challenges as these students advance. Riverview's chronic absenteeism is just 16.8%, while Brookside's is 22.1%. The district's overall 4-star reputation rests heavily on Riverview's performance; without it, the other schools would rank in the bottom half statewide. For parents, the key takeaway is that Riverview offers exceptional academics despite economic challenges, while Brookside shows promise but lags significantly, and Eastwood's attendance issues warrant attention for the district's youngest learners.

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)		M-Step Math (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	48.5	722^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	51.6%		48.1	749^th of 1488 public elementary schools	49.7%	27	31.2	35.6	43.0	48.5	$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%)	93.5	77^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.8%		94.8	56^th of 1488 public elementary schools	96.2%	21	64.1	82.6	65.4	73.3	$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

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Crossroads Charter Academy	1.69 mi	1
Mecosta-Osceola Independent School District (Isd)	2.61 mi	7
Big Jackson School District	10.17 mi	1
Morley Stanwood Community Schools	10.76 mi	3	410^th
Reed City Area Public Schools	12.51 mi	4	299^th

See the top MI Michigan districts

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.