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Fair Plain East Elementary

Q: Is Fair Plain East Elementary a good school?

Fair Plain East Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.7% of Michigan elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Fair Plain East Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 150 students attended Fair Plain East Elementary.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Fair Plain East Elementary?

Students at Fair Plain East Elementary are 88% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% White.

Q: What schools do graduates of Fair Plain East Elementary attend?

Students who attend Fair Plain East Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Fair Plain Middle School High : Benton Harbor High School

Public Grades 4-5

1433^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 4% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Fair Plain East Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades 4-5 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, with 166 students. The school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fair Plain East Elementary has extremely low academic achievement compared to the state and even the local Benton Harbor Area Schools district. In 2024-2025, only 12.7% of 4th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 42.4% statewide, and just 7% were proficient in math, versus 39.4% statewide. The school also has alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 74.6% in recent years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 95.86% to 98%, indicating a very high-poverty student population.

When comparing Fair Plain East to other nearby schools, the performance gap is stark. For example, Hollywood Elementary in the Lakeshore School District, just 4.59 miles away, had 62.3% of 4th graders proficient in English Language Arts and 62.3% proficient in Math in 2024-2025 - far exceeding Fair Plain East's results. Despite high per-student spending and the school's long history of low performance, there is no evidence of meaningful improvement in academic outcomes over the past decade, suggesting a need for more targeted, evidence-based interventions to address the root causes of the school's challenges.

150

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,031

Per pupil spending ?

95.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1995 Union Ave
Benton Harbor, MI 49022-6265

(269) 605-2400

District: Benton Harbor Area Schools

Students who attend Fair Plain East Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fair Plain Middle School
High:	Benton Harbor High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.0%

Hispanic:

4.7%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Fair Plain East Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2011 → 4th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (10% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school10%

District avg10%

Michigan avg39%

1,433^rd of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 4%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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
2025	6.7	1433 of 1488	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.8	1483 of 1486	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.2	1470 of 1470	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.4	1447 of 1448	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	2.2	1548 of 1548	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	5.8	1563 of 1580	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	2.7	1533 of 1533	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	3.1	1559 of 1563	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.2	1566 of 1566	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	1.2	1545 of 1552	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.7	1549 of 1552	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.9	1584 of 1589	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	2.9	1562 of 1577	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	8.3	1509 of 1565	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	0.9	1543 of 1545	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.0	324 of 369	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	343 of 348	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.9	321 of 321	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.1	469 of 475	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	5.0	1433 of 1443	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	8.9	1287 of 1346	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.8	1376 of 1381	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.9	1350 of 1350	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.6	1394 of 1397	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	5.9	1328 of 1366	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.0	1346 of 1347	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.4	1444 of 1446	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)12th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)4th percentile~ school

Male (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Female (2018)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts13%-30 vs state

Science11%-29 vs state

Math7%-32 vs state

Social Studies7%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Fair Plain East Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)				M-Step Math (2025)			M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 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 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th 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
Fair Plain East Elementary	Public	4-5	1995 Union Ave	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Benton Harbor Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 605-2400	150	13	11.5	95.3%	5 (3.3%)	132 (88.0%)	7 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.0%)	6.7	1433^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	3.7%		3.8	1483^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	0.2%	50			12.7	13.8			7.0		11.4	6.8	$27,031	$17,284	$9,747
Martin Luther King Junior Elementary	Public	1-3	750 E Britain Ave	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Benton Harbor Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 605-1500	229	22	10.4	89.1%	8 (3.5%)	197 (86.0%)	15 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.5%)								(n/a)		9.4				4.8					$25,845	$16,053	$9,793
Discovery Enrichment Center	Public	PK-K	465 S Mccord St	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Benton Harbor Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 605-1600	80	11	7.2	88.8%	0 (0.0%)	79 (98.8%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)											$27,138	$13,461	$13,677
Lincoln School	Public	PK, KG-5	1102 Orchard Ave	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	St. Joseph Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 926-3700	423	23	18.3	22.9%	308 (72.8%)	43 (10.2%)	36 (8.5%)	8 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (6.1%)	80.9	259^th of 1488 public elementary schools	82.6%		78.7	271^st of 1486 public elementary schools	81.8%	12		56.0	60.0	64.5		55.4	45.7	44.7	69.7	53.9	$12,033	$913	$11,120
Mildred C Wells Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	248 9th St	Benton Harbor	49022	Berrien County	Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(269) 926-2885	227	14	16.3	100.0%	1 (0.4%)	221 (97.4%)	5 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	36.4	13.8			21.1	24.1					$14,747	$4,525	$10,222
Clarke School	Public	K-5	515 E Glenlord Rd	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	St. Joseph Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 926-3600	462	22	21.3	20.1%	340 (73.6%)	19 (4.1%)	32 (6.9%)	42 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	83.5	225^th of 1488 public elementary schools	84.9%		78.8	267^th of 1486 public elementary schools	82.0%	42		52.0	72.4	51.9		58.7	65.8	58.4	59.7	46.8	$11,523	$570	$10,953
Brown School	Public	PK, KG-5	2027 Brown School Rd	Saint Joseph	49085	Berrien County	St. Joseph Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 926-3500	410	19	21.2	22.9%	295 (72.0%)	33 (8.0%)	23 (5.6%)	30 (7.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (6.3%)	83.7	223^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	85.0%		87.3	160^th of 1486 public elementary schools	89.2%	63		73.1	72.6	59.3		78.8	65.8	46.9	51.9	40.7	$12,087	$543	$11,543
River School	Public	K-8	4439 River Rd	Sodus	49126	Berrien County	Sodus Township S/D #5	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 925-6757	70	4	17.5	82.9%	34 (48.6%)	15 (21.4%)	13 (18.6%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (8.6%)								(n/a)											$16,714	$2,370	$14,344
Hollywood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	143 E John Beers Rd	Stevensville	49127	Berrien County	Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 428-1414	377	25	15.2	37.4%	312 (82.8%)	16 (4.2%)	31 (8.2%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.7%)	82.6	236^th of 1488 public elementary schools	84.1%		78.6	272^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	81.7%	36		47.3	62.3	64.3		53.6	62.3	64.3	60.7	44.6	$15,824	$1,647	$14,177
Stewart Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2750 Orchard Ln	Stevensville	49127	Berrien County	Lakeshore School District (Berrien)	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 428-1418	391	26	15.2	31.5%	295 (75.4%)	24 (6.1%)	18 (4.6%)	36 (9.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)	76.8	310^th of 1488 public elementary schools	79.2%		75.4	322^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	78.3%	12		43.4	56.9	65.1		60.5	65.5	50.8	52.4	36.5	$13,899	$1,710	$12,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Fair Plain East Elementary

Is Fair Plain East Elementary a good school?

Fair Plain East Elementary ranks in the bottom 3.7% of Michigan elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Fair Plain East Elementary?

Students at Fair Plain East Elementary are 88% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% White.

What district is Fair Plain East Elementary in?

Benton Harbor Area Schools

What schools do graduates of Fair Plain East Elementary attend?

Students who attend Fair Plain East Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fair Plain Middle School
High : Benton Harbor High School

How many students attend Fair Plain East Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 150 students attended Fair Plain East Elementary.

Rate Fair Plain East Elementary!

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Schools in Benton Harbor, 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.