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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 1.6% 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

1468^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 2% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Fair Plain East Elementary in Benton Harbor, MI, is a small school serving 150 students in grades 4-5 within the Benton Harbor Area Schools district, where 95% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Fair Plain East faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates that are dramatically lower than state averages and nearby schools. For example, only 6.1% of 4th graders are proficient in math, compared to 39.4% statewide. Just a few miles away, Brown School in the St. Joseph Public Schools district achieves a 79.2% math proficiency rate—roughly 13 times higher. Similarly, Hollywood Elementary in the Lakeshore School District (Berrien) posts a 5th grade ELA proficiency of 69.6% versus Fair Plain East's 9.3%. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 2% of Michigan elementary schools for over a decade.

There are some positive developments worth noting. Chronic absenteeism has dropped from 60.4% in 2021-2022 to 36.5% in 2024-2025, and the student-teacher ratio has improved to a favorable 11.5:1. The school also spends $30,379 per student—more than double what nearby high-performing schools spend—yet academic results remain critically low, suggesting challenges that go beyond resources. While 5th grade science scores (14.7% proficient) are relatively stronger than other subjects, overall performance remains far below the state average of 40%. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that while the school is investing heavily in improvement efforts, the academic outcomes remain a serious concern compared to neighboring districts.

150

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,379

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 2012 → 2nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (8% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school8%

District avg8%

Michigan avg37%

1,468^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 2%▲ up 2 pts since 2016

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
2026	5.7	1468 of 1492	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	14.7	368 of 388	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	3.6	1342 of 1343	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.0	1433 of 1443	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	7.2	1336 of 1352	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	4.4	1365 of 1372	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
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 (2026)5th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)1st percentile~ school

Female (2026)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science15%-25 vs state

English Language Arts9%-34 vs state

Math6%-30 vs state

Social Studies4%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Fair Plain East Elementary

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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)				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)		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	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	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%)	5.7	1468^th of 1492 public elementary schools	1.6%		6.7	1433^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	3.7%	35				8.2	9.3				6.1	1461.5			14.7		4.0		$30,379	$12,297	$18,083
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)			8.2					6.8									$27,150	$10,410	$16,740
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)																	$31,369	$9,074	$22,295
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%)	83.8	222^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	85.1%		80.9	259^th of 1488 public elementary schools	82.6%	37			69.2	69.1	59.7			75.0	61.7	31.9			63.9		44.4		$12,331	$632	$11,699
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%)	10	1369^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.2%					(n/a)	42.1	352.6	14.3	1367.4	12.0	1571.6	1671.5	20.7	13.8	1456.6	1560.8	1659.8	1467.0	1779.5	1459.0	15.8	$00	$00	$00
Clarke School	Public	PK, KG-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%)	84.5	211^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.9%		83.5	225^th of 1488 public elementary schools	84.9%	14			47.3	64.9	60.8			52.7	62.3	50.6			72.2		54.4		$11,847	$555	$11,292
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%)	87.9	166^th of 1492 public elementary schools	88.9%		83.7	223^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	85.0%	57			58.7	71.7	64.8			61.3	79.2	46.5			66.2		46.5		$12,338	$519	$11,819
River School	Public	PK, KG-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)																	$13,414	$1,529	$11,885
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%)	85.6	188^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.4%		82.6	236^th of 1488 public elementary schools	84.1%	48			51.5	58.5	69.6			59.1	52.8	65.2			68.1		44.9		$16,319	$2,109	$14,210
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%)	67.7	437^th of 1492 public elementary schools	70.7%		76.8	310^th of 1488 public elementary schools	79.2%	127			50.0	48.1	61.1			55.0	39.0	27.3			55.6		44.4		$13,646	$1,599	$12,047

Frequently Asked Questions about Fair Plain East Elementary

Is Fair Plain East Elementary a good school?

Fair Plain East Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.6% of Michigan elementary schools.

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

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.

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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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.