Elementary Schools in Vandercook Lake Public Schools

Townsend Elementary School is the sole elementary school in the Vandercook Lake Public Schools district, serving 316 students in grades Pre-K through 5 in Jackson, Michigan, where 82.6% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Because Townsend is the only elementary school in the district, its performance directly defines the district's elementary results. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom fifth of Michigan elementary schools (16th–19th percentile) over the past three years, earning a 1-star rating each year. Academic proficiency rates are generally well below state averages, with notable weaknesses in fourth grade: only 10.5% of fourth graders were proficient in English Language Arts and just 7.89% in math in 2025-2026—both more than 30 percentage points below state benchmarks. However, there are bright spots. Third-grade math proficiency jumped dramatically from 15% to 40.6% in one year, nearly matching the state average, and third-grade ELA also improved. Fifth-grade science proficiency (28.3%) came closest to the state average among all subjects tested. Chronic absenteeism is a relative strength at 20.1%, notably better than both the district (27.0%) and state (27.9%) averages, which is encouraging given the high poverty rate.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Townsend shows significant year-to-year volatility in test scores, suggesting that outcomes may depend heavily on the specific cohort of students rather than consistent school-wide trends. The school spends a substantial $18,960 per student with a moderate student-teacher ratio of 18.4:1, yet academic results remain persistently low—a sign that financial resources alone haven't overcome the challenges of serving a predominantly economically disadvantaged population. The concerning fourth-grade performance in 2025-2026 warrants attention, but the positive momentum in third-grade math and science offers hope that younger students may be building stronger foundations. Parents should consider the school's attendance strengths and early-grade improvements while being aware that upper-grade proficiency, particularly in fourth grade, lags significantly behind state averages.