Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Black River Public School Elementary

Q: Is Black River Public School Elementary a good school?

Black River Public School Elementary ranks 383 rd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-5

383^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Black River Public School Elementary is a K-5 public charter school in Holland, MI, serving 395 students as part of the highly rated Black River Public School district, which holds a 5-star district ranking and sits in the 91st percentile statewide.

What truly sets Black River apart is its remarkable efficiency. The school achieves strong academic results while spending just $4,400 per student—less than a third of what nearby schools like Waukazoo Elementary School ($15,529) or Holland Heights ($27,246) spend. This efficiency extends to class sizes, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 19.2, higher than all neighboring schools. Despite these constraints, Black River posts competitive scores in reading and math, and truly shines in 5th-grade science (57.6% proficiency) and social studies (51.5% proficiency)—far exceeding state averages of 40% and 27.5%, respectively. Perhaps most impressive is the school's chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.2%, dramatically lower than the state average of 27.9% and a fraction of the rates at nearby schools like Jefferson (38.2%) or Woodside Elementary School (31.7%). This suggests a highly engaged student body and strong family-school connections.

While Black River's overall performance is solid, the data reveals some areas worth watching. The school shows a growing gender gap, ranking in the 78th percentile for male students but only the 65th percentile for female students—a disparity that has widened over recent years. Performance for students from low-income backgrounds has also been inconsistent, swinging from the 42nd percentile to the 83rd percentile in just one year. Compared to other charter schools in the area, such as Eagle Crest Charter Academy or Vanderbilt Charter Academy, Black River serves a more affluent population (20% free/reduced lunch) and achieves far better attendance outcomes. For parents seeking a school that delivers strong results with a culture of engagement and accountability, Black River presents a compelling option—especially for families who value science education and consistent attendance.

395

Students ?

19.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$4,400

Per pupil spending ?

20.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

513 Columbia Ave
Holland, MI 49423-4809

(616) 355-0055

District: Black River Public School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.8%

Hispanic:

21.3%

Two or more races:

8.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Black River Public School Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 69th percentile in 2018 → 74th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (49% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2018

✓Above the Michigan median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg49%

Michigan avg38%

383^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▲ up 5 pts since 2018

From top 31% (2018) to top 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

55^th of 625Black River Public School 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	71.6	383 of 1492	74.3%	★★★★☆
2025	65.2	491 of 1488	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.9	500 of 1486	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.0	424 of 1470	71.2%	★★★★☆
2022	62.5	450 of 1344	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.4	325 of 1153	71.8%	★★★★☆
2019	61.8	488 of 1408	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.6	445 of 1448	69.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	474 of 1343	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.3	609 of 1338	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	583 of 1342	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.7	567 of 1321	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.0	549 of 1106	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.5	322 of 902	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.2	562 of 1171	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.8	513 of 1443	64.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	41.4	123 of 225	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.9	92 of 209	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	83 of 201	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.2	77 of 188	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	77.1	11 of 86	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	36.2	150 of 222	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	75.2	230 of 1352	83.0%	★★★★☆
2025	41.0	780 of 1346	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.3	712 of 1381	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.0	531 of 1350	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.8	278 of 1134	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	70.3	313 of 1397	77.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	74.6	299 of 1372	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	71.7	350 of 1366	74.4%	★★★★☆
2024	66.0	412 of 1347	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.3	275 of 1334	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	75.9	228 of 1139	80.0%	★★★★☆
2021	74.9	178 of 915	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	64.9	371 of 1196	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.3	402 of 1446	72.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	93.5	10 of 403	97.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	66.4	362 of 1199	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.8	442 of 1206	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.6	474 of 1204	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.3	426 of 1198	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.8	404 of 1102	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.1	301 of 1005	70.0%	★★★★☆
2019	63.8	374 of 1128	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.7	348 of 1253	72.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2018)98th percentile+28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)83rd percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)78th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)65th percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science58%+18 vs state

English Language Arts54%+13 vs state

Social Studies52%+24 vs state

Math41%+3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Black River Public School Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Black River Public School Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Black River Public School Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Black River Public School Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	513 Columbia Ave	Holland	49423	Ottawa County	Black River Public School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 355-0055	395	21	19.2	20.3%	256 (64.8%)	7 (1.8%)	84 (21.3%)	15 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.1%)	71.6	383^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	74.3%		65.2	491^st of 1488 public elementary schools	67.0%	108			45.0	50.8	65.2			51.7	33.8	39.4			57.6		51.5				$4,400	$00	$4,400
Holland Language Academy at Van Raalte	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	461 Van Raalte Ave	Holland	49423	Ottawa County	Holland City School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(616) 494-2601	307	21	14.4	47.9%	99 (32.2%)	2 (0.7%)	194 (63.2%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	37.9	891^st of 1492 public elementary schools	40.3%		38.3	889^th of 1488 public elementary schools	40.3%	2			29.2	46.8	30.9			36.9	48.9	21.8			32.7		14.5		93.5%	4.3%	$23,252	$1,122	$22,130
Vanderbilt Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	301 W 16th St	Holland	49423	Ottawa County	Vanderbilt Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 820-5050	401	31	12.9	81.0%	106 (26.4%)	21 (5.2%)	229 (57.1%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.5%)	65.1	491^st of 1492 public elementary schools	67.1%		63.7	512^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.6%	21	80.0	52.0	55.1	46.0	58.3	50.0	41.0	55.1	46.0	31.3	29.4	33.3	42.6	32.0	31.9	36.0	90%	10%	$15,833	$1,532	$14,301
Jefferson	Public	PK, KG-5	282 W 30th St	Holland	49423	Ottawa County	Holland City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 494-5081	254	26	9.9	79.5%	63 (24.8%)	41 (16.1%)	129 (50.8%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.3%)	36.3	909^th of 1492 public elementary schools	39.1%		25.4	1075^th of 1488 public elementary schools	27.8%	166			28.9	44.0	56.0			15.8	20.0	36.0			36.0		12.0		95.7%	0%	$32,660	$2,860	$29,800
Holland Heights	Public	PK, KG-5	45 E 25th St	Holland	49423	Ottawa County	Holland City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 494-2701	247	21	11.9	66.8%	68 (27.5%)	28 (11.3%)	116 (47.0%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.7%)	47.7	737^th of 1492 public elementary schools	50.6%		38.7	884^th of 1488 public elementary schools	40.6%	147			41.9	36.8	45.5			51.2	36.8	20.5			39.5		22.7		98.2%	1.8%	$27,246	$2,485	$24,761
West	Public	PK, KG-5	500 W 24th St	Holland	49423	Ottawa County	Holland City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 494-5080	413	44	9.4	66.1%	171 (41.4%)	35 (8.5%)	161 (39.0%)	21 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	23 (5.6%)	47.9	732^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	50.9%		56.5	618^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.5%	114			44.6	31.5	43.8			44.6	26.4	37.0			37.0		30.1		100%	0%	$35,805	$1,932	$33,872
Riley Farms Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2630 120th Ave	Holland	49424	Ottawa County	West Ottawa Public School District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(616) 786-3799	0			—															(n/a)			21.4	36.2	23.9			20.0	34.5	16.4			20.9		13.4		96.3%	3.7%
Woodside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2591 N Division Ave	Holland	49424	Ottawa County	West Ottawa Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 786-1900	431	38	11.4	72.6%	87 (20.2%)	19 (4.4%)	287 (66.6%)	14 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.3%)	34.3	936^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.3%		30	1013^th of 1488 public elementary schools	31.9%	77			28.1	39.7	31.1			35.9	42.9	15.6			36.7		16.7		98%	2%	$18,915	$1,444	$17,472
Eagle Crest Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	11950 Riley St	Holland	49424	Ottawa County	Eagle Crest Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 786-2400	561	40	14.0	65.4%	145 (25.8%)	10 (1.8%)	259 (46.2%)	82 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (11.6%)	48.2	724^th of 1492 public elementary schools	51.5%		64.5	500^th of 1488 public elementary schools	66.4%	224	81.1	51.4	41.4	31.0	37.7	48.0	44.6	32.2	39.0	27.9	50.0	44.6	39.3	54.1	21.3	67.6	92.3%	1.9%	$13,886	$1,201	$12,684
New Groningen School	Public	K-5	10542 Chicago Dr	Zeeland	49464	Ottawa County	Zeeland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 748-3375	512	34	15.1	23.8%	363 (70.9%)	4 (0.8%)	99 (19.3%)	19 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	24 (4.7%)	84.6	206^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.2%		89	137^th of 1488 public elementary schools	90.8%	69			59.3	50.6	64.2			67.1	42.0	70.4			65.4		58.0		91.4%	8.6%	$15,224	$337	$14,887

Frequently Asked Questions about Black River Public School Elementary

How many students attend Black River Public School Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 395 students attended Black River Public School Elementary.

Is Black River Public School Elementary a good school?

Black River Public School Elementary ranks 383^rd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Black River Public School Elementary in?

Black River Public School

What is the racial makeup of Black River Public School Elementary?

Students at Black River Public School Elementary are 65% White, 21% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

Rate Black River Public School Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Holland, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Black River Public School Elementary!

Latest Michigan data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

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.