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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Michigan rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Ella M White Elementary

Q: Is Ella M White Elementary a good school?

Ella M White Elementary ranks 792 nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

792^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 47% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Ella M White Elementary is a K-5 public school in Alpena, MI, serving 440 students within the Alpena Public Schools district.

One of the most notable strengths at Ella M White is its effectiveness with students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In the most recent school year, this group performed at the 52nd percentile, which is actually higher than the school's overall ranking. This suggests that the school's support systems are particularly well-suited to help these students succeed. Another interesting pattern is the academic growth seen between 3rd and 5th grade. While only about 24% of 3rd graders were proficient in English Language Arts, that number jumped to nearly 46% by 4th grade and stayed strong at 40% in 5th grade. This indicates that the school has effective interventions in the upper elementary grades that help close learning gaps. Science is also a clear bright spot, with 5th-grade proficiency at 48.6%—well above the state average of 40%.

However, there are areas of concern. The school's overall performance has been stable but modest, earning a 2-star rating and ranking in the 40th-47th percentile statewide. Chronic absenteeism affects about 25% of students, which is lower than the district average of 44% but still higher than nearby Wilson Elementary (10.6%) and Sanborn Elementary (13.9%). When compared to other schools in the district, Hinks Elementary stands out as the top performer with 3-star ratings, while Lincoln Elementary struggles with a 1-star rating. Ella M White sits in the middle alongside Besser Elementary School. A comparison with Posen Elementary School in the nearby Posen Consolidated School District No. 9 shows a significant achievement gap—Posen's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency was 64.3% compared to Ella M White's 23.9%—suggesting there may be instructional strategies worth studying at that higher-performing school.

440

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,889

Per pupil spending ?

68.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

201 N Ripley Blvd
Alpena, MI 49707-3403

(989) 358-5950

District: Alpena Public Schools

Students who attend Ella M White Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Thunder Bay Junior High School
High:	Alpena High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.0%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Ella M White Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 35th percentile in 2016 → 47th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school35%

District avg33%

Michigan avg38%

792^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 47%▲ up 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6Elementary Schools in the Alpena Public Schools

360^th of 625Alpena Public Schools 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	44.2	792 of 1492	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.0	880 of 1488	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.8	821 of 1486	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.1	818 of 1470	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.6	803 of 1344	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.1	760 of 1153	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.5	977 of 1408	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.0	930 of 1448	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.4	923 of 1466	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.6	1008 of 1548	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	54.8	720 of 1580	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	53.5	770 of 1533	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	61.1	614 of 1563	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	49.5	847 of 1566	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.6	768 of 1552	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.9	1062 of 1552	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	46.0	1128 of 1589	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	54.8	912 of 1577	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2007	58.3	785 of 1565	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	70.2	432 of 1545	72.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	744 of 1343	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.4	928 of 1338	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	846 of 1342	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.3	901 of 1321	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.1	735 of 1106	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.1	546 of 902	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.1	835 of 1171	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.8	962 of 1443	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	47.4	652 of 1352	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.2	761 of 1346	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.0	738 of 1381	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.9	607 of 1350	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.1	543 of 1099	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.3	472 of 749	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.6	679 of 1134	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.0	841 of 1397	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	797 of 1372	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.8	827 of 1366	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	786 of 1347	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.0	733 of 1334	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.6	744 of 1139	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.5	458 of 915	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.2	798 of 1196	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.3	865 of 1446	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.2	871 of 1199	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.4	947 of 1206	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.9	913 of 1204	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	898 of 1198	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.2	802 of 1102	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.9	771 of 1005	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.6	966 of 1128	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.4	1000 of 1253	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2010	41.4	638 of 851	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	47.3	589 of 847	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	71.9	239 of 839	71.5%	★★★★☆
2007	73.0	215 of 823	73.9%	★★★★☆
2006	80.6	113 of 806	86.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)52nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)45th percentile~ school

Male (2026)42nd percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)27th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science49%+9 vs state

English Language Arts37%-4 vs state

Math31%-7 vs state

Social Studies27%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Ella M White Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Ella M White 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 Ella M White 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (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 English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th 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
Ella M White Elementary	Public	K-5	201 N Ripley Blvd	Alpena	49707	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 358-5950	440	25	17.7	68.6%	396 (90.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.8%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.6%)	44.2	792^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	46.9%		39	880^th of 1488 public elementary schools	40.9%	88	23.9	45.8	40.5		40.0	31.9	21.6		48.6	27.0	$12,889	$1,501	$11,388
Lincoln Elementary	Public	K-5	309 W Lake St	Alpena	49707	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 358-5900	146	10	14.5	78.8%	131 (89.7%)	2 (1.4%)	3 (2.1%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.2%)	37.4	894^th of 1492 public elementary schools	40.1%		19.7	1167^th of 1488 public elementary schools	21.6%	273	1270.8	38.1	35.3		1269.0	1374.1	1468.1		29.4	1473.3	$16,275	$1,860	$14,415
Besser Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	375 Wilson St	Alpena	49707	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 358-5100	470	26	18.3	59.4%	416 (88.5%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.2%)	40.9	843^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	43.5%		59.4	568^th of 1488 public elementary schools	61.8%	275	20.2	26.0	53.8		23.8	19.5	30.8		59.0	29.5	$12,601	$1,240	$11,361
Hinks Elementary	Public	K-5	7667 Us Highway 23 N	Alpena	49707	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 358-5560	132	8	16.3	56.1%	125 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)	57.5	588^th of 1492 public elementary schools	60.6%		55.4	641^st of 1488 public elementary schools	56.9%	53	30.8	55.0	58.8		30.8	50.0	35.3		52.9	1487.0	$15,921	$2,064	$13,856
Wilson Elementary	Public	K-5	4999 S Herron Rd	Herron	49744	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 358-5700	220	15	14.7	55.0%	196 (89.1%)	2 (0.9%)	12 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.5%)	41.4	834^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.1%		53.6	668^th of 1488 public elementary schools	55.1%	166	45.0	37.2	16.7		65.0	30.2	22.2		30.6	19.4	$13,934	$1,279	$12,655
Sanborn Elementary	Public	K-5	12170 Us Highway 23 S	Ossineke	49766	Alpena County	Alpena Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 358-5800	201	10	20.2	55.7%	182 (90.5%)	1 (0.5%)	11 (5.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	40.8	844^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		41.7	836^th of 1488 public elementary schools	43.8%	8	30.6	29.0	46.2		41.7	22.6	28.2		41.0	23.1	$12,143	$1,497	$10,647
Posen Elementary School	Public	K-6	10575 Michigan Ave	Posen	49776	Presque Isle County	Posen Consolidated School District No. 9	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 248-6500	118	7	16.4	48.3%	114 (96.6%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	71.6	384^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.3%		76.4	317^th of 1488 public elementary schools	78.7%	67	64.3	40.9	58.3	58.3	50.0	45.5	1485.2	58.3	50.0	33.3	$14,602	$1,169	$13,433

Frequently Asked Questions about Ella M White Elementary

What district is Ella M White Elementary in?

Alpena Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Ella M White Elementary attend?

Students who attend Ella M White Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thunder Bay Junior High School
High : Alpena High School

What is the racial makeup of Ella M White Elementary?

Students at Ella M White Elementary are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Ella M White Elementary a good school?

Ella M White Elementary ranks 792^nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ella M White Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 440 students attended Ella M White Elementary.

Rate Ella M White Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Alpena, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ella M White Elementary!

Latest Michigan data All new data »

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

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 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.