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Washington School

Public Grades K-6
957th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools
Better than 36% of Michigan elementary schools
Summary

Washington School is an elementary school located in Bessemer, Michigan, serving 178 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Bessemer Area School District, which is ranked 297 out of 613 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past several years, Washington School has seen fluctuating performance rankings, ranging from 441 out of 1,466 Michigan elementary schools in 2016-2017 (4-star rating) to 957 out of 1,488 in 2024-2025 (2-star rating). The school's performance has generally been below the state average, with the exception of a few years where it performed slightly better. Female students have consistently outperformed male students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds have performed below the state average.

Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern at Washington School, with rates ranging from 29.5% to 36.9% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state average. The school's academic performance, as measured by M-Step test scores, is generally below the state and district averages across various grade levels and subject areas, with the exception of 3rd-grade English Language Arts and Math. The school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 74.23% to 83.71%, indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

179
Students ?
11.5
Student/teacher ratio ?
$21,424
Per pupil spending ?
72.6%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 301 E Sellar St
       Bessemer, MI  49911-1522

(906) 663-4515

District: Bessemer Area School District


Students who attend Washington School usually attend:

High:    AD Johnston JrSr High School
Racial breakdown:

White:
87.2%
Two or more races:
8.4%
Hispanic:
2.2%
more
 See top rated Michigan elementary schools

 Compare Washington School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2015 → 36th in 2025
Strengths
✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Michigan average (29% vs 39% meeting standards)
!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2015
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school29%
District avg29%
Michigan avg39%
957th of 1,488
Michigan public elementary schools ?
Bottom 36%▼ down 20 pts since 2015
From top 45% (2015) to bottom 36% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
297th of 613Bessemer Area School District among Michigan districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202533.8957 of 148835.7%★★☆☆☆
202445.7757 of 148649.1%★★☆☆☆
202341.0837 of 147043.1%★★☆☆☆
202251.5601 of 134455.3%★★★☆☆
202141.2649 of 115343.7%★★☆☆☆
201956.0577 of 140859.0%★★★☆☆
201860.5606 of 144858.1%★★★☆☆
201763.6441 of 146669.9%★★★★☆
201660.6595 of 154861.6%★★★☆☆
201555.2706 of 158055.3%★★★☆☆
201462.9580 of 153362.2%★★★☆☆
201365.7522 of 156366.6%★★★☆☆
201266.1506 of 156667.7%★★★☆☆
201166.7567 of 155263.5%★★★☆☆
201071.0484 of 155268.8%★★★☆☆
200970.3502 of 158968.4%★★★☆☆
200868.4544 of 157765.5%★★★☆☆
200774.9308 of 156580.3%★★★★☆
200681.5144 of 154590.7%★★★★★

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202544.0709 of 133847.0%★★☆☆☆
202449.4627 of 134253.3%★★★☆☆
202348.4631 of 132152.2%★★★☆☆
202261.8357 of 110667.7%★★★☆☆
201856.7638 of 144355.8%★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202553.4573 of 134657.4%★★★☆☆
202459.3485 of 138164.9%★★★☆☆
202352.2582 of 135056.9%★★★☆☆
202273.8179 of 109983.7%★★★★☆
201980.9107 of 113490.6%★★★★★
201858.8546 of 139760.9%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202526.8985 of 136627.9%★☆☆☆☆
202334.0863 of 133435.3%★★☆☆☆
202251.1534 of 113953.1%★★★☆☆
201961.3418 of 119665.1%★★★☆☆
201860.6559 of 144661.3%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202521.9990 of 120617.9%★☆☆☆☆
202430.3854 of 120429.1%★☆☆☆☆
202332.9823 of 119831.3%★★☆☆☆
202249.0557 of 110249.5%★★☆☆☆
202149.0481 of 100552.1%★★★☆☆
201947.8585 of 112848.1%★★☆☆☆
201848.1670 of 125346.5%★★☆☆☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)57th percentile+22 vs school
Female (2025)47th percentile+11 vs school
Male (2025)28th percentile-8 vs school
White (2025)18th percentile-18 vs school
By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts35%-6 vs state
Social Studies29%~ state avg
Math23%-14 vs state
Science19%-21 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Washington School

Washington School ranks 957th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Washington School are 87% White, 8% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

In the 2024-25 school year, 179 students attended Washington School.

Students who attend Washington School usually go on to attend:

High : AD Johnston JrSr High School


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MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Bessemer, MI

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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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