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Brookside Elementary School

Q: Is Brookside Elementary School a good school?

Brookside Elementary School ranks 722 nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

722^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Brookside Elementary School in Big Rapids, MI, serves 336 students from Pre-K through 4th grade and is part of the highly-rated Big Rapids Public Schools district, which holds a 4-star rating statewide.

Brookside is a school making meaningful progress, though it still faces real challenges. The most encouraging news is attendance: chronic absenteeism has plummeted from a staggering 59.3% in 2021-2022 to just 22.1% in 2024-2025—now better than the state average of 27.9%. That improvement matters because showing up is the first step to learning. Academically, math is a clear bright spot. In the most recent testing year, 4th graders hit 48.5% proficiency in math, beating the state average of 39.4%, and 3rd graders matched the state average at 43.0%. Reading scores, however, lag behind—3rd and 4th grade ELA proficiency rates (31.2% and 35.6%) sit well below state averages. The school has also shown notable gains with specific groups: its effectiveness ranking for male students jumped from the 30th to 56th percentile, and for low-income students it improved from the 38th to 50th percentile. That said, results for white students have declined, dropping from the 18th to 34th percentile over the same period.

Perhaps the most striking comparison is with Riverview Elementary School, Brookside's in-district peer located just a mile away. Riverview ranks in the 95th-97th percentile statewide, while Brookside sits near the 50th percentile. In 4th grade reading, for example, 82.6% of Riverview students were proficient versus 35.6% at Brookside. Interestingly, Brookside actually spends more per student ($16,288 vs. $14,787) yet achieves lower outcomes. About 62% of Brookside students qualify for free/reduced lunch, compared to 48% at Riverview. Compared to other nearby schools, Brookside outperforms Evart Elementary and Morley Stanwood Elementary but trails Mecosta Elementary. For parents, Brookside offers a solid foundation in math, improving attendance, and a district known for quality—but reading proficiency and closing the gap with Riverview remain key areas to watch.

336

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,288

Per pupil spending ?

61.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

210 Escott St
Big Rapids, MI 49307-1710

(231) 796-8323

District: Big Rapids Public Schools

Students who attend Brookside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Big Rapids Middle School
High:	Big Rapids High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.5%

Two or more races:

9.5%

African American:

4.8%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Brookside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 38th percentile in 2021 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 52nd (2026) from a 38th-percentile low (2021)

✓Above the Michigan median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg54%

Michigan avg40%

722^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Big Rapids Public Schools

159^th of 625Big Rapids 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	722 of 1492	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.1	749 of 1488	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	896 of 1486	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.5	878 of 1470	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.5	672 of 1344	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.5	713 of 1153	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.8	648 of 1408	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	487 of 1448	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.4	501 of 1466	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.1	673 of 1548	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.0	735 of 1580	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	72.4	381 of 1533	75.1%	★★★★☆
2013	66.6	508 of 1563	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.3	746 of 1566	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.2	894 of 1552	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	64.2	716 of 1552	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	53.6	960 of 1589	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.4	893 of 1577	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.9	961 of 1565	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.9	787 of 1545	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.3	765 of 1343	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.5	779 of 1338	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.1	818 of 1342	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.1	921 of 1321	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.1	629 of 1106	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.4	723 of 902	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.5	767 of 1171	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	77.4	283 of 1443	80.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.1	674 of 1352	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.5	536 of 1346	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.6	856 of 1381	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.2	872 of 1350	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.2	467 of 1099	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.2	415 of 749	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	667 of 1134	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	70.9	306 of 1397	78.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	53.1	603 of 1372	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.7	690 of 1366	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	948 of 1347	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.8	801 of 1334	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.0	659 of 1139	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.6	584 of 915	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.3	504 of 1196	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.7	693 of 1446	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	49.6	49 of 104	52.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	52.4	108 of 252	57.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	35.1	791 of 1199	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.8	810 of 1206	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.0	993 of 1204	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.1	937 of 1198	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.6	621 of 1102	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.8	671 of 1005	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	38.5	712 of 1128	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.7	548 of 1253	56.3%	★★★☆☆

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 (2025)57th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)53rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile~ school

Female (2026)43rd percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Math46%+5 vs state

English Language Arts33%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Brookside Elementary School

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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)				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 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
Brookside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	210 Escott St	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Big Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 796-8323	336	19	17.6	61.9%	274 (81.5%)	16 (4.8%)	9 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.5%)	48.5	722^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	51.6%		48.1	749^th of 1488 public elementary schools	49.7%	27	31.2	35.6		43.0	48.5				$16,288	$1,731	$14,558
Eastwood Elementary	Public	PK-K	410 N 3rd Ave	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Big Rapids Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(231) 598-9700	209	13	16.0	59.3%	172 (82.3%)	9 (4.3%)	9 (4.3%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (8.1%)								(n/a)									$16,503	$889	$15,615
Riverview Elementary School	Public	K-4	509 Willow Ave	Big Rapids	49307	Mecosta County	Big Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 796-2550	346	19	18.2	48.3%	309 (89.3%)	7 (2.0%)	9 (2.6%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.2%)	93.5	77^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.8%		94.8	56^th of 1488 public elementary schools	96.2%	21	64.1	82.6		65.4	73.3				$14,787	$1,497	$13,290
Big Jackson Public School	Public	K-5	4020 E 13 Mile Rd	Paris	49338	Mecosta County	Big Jackson School District	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 796-8947	1	0	10.0		1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Morley Stanwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4808 Northland Dr	Morley	49336	Mecosta County	Morley Stanwood Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 856-7684	437	28	15.7	65.2%	388 (88.8%)	3 (0.7%)	16 (3.7%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (4.8%)	32.1	971^st of 1492 public elementary schools	34.9%		32.8	971^st of 1488 public elementary schools	34.7%		27.4	24.3	45.2	36.1	21.4	24.2	33.9	19.4	$17,229	$2,410	$14,819
Great Start Readiness Program	Public	PK, KG-4	338 W Lincoln Ave	Reed City	49677	Osceola County	Reed City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 832-2201	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
GT Norman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	338 W Lincoln Ave	Reed City	49677	Osceola County	Reed City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 832-5548	540	35	15.4	59.1%	478 (88.5%)	6 (1.1%)	22 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (6.1%)	36.2	911^th of 1492 public elementary schools	38.9%		40.1	862^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	42.1%	49	27.7	35.6		34.8	35.6				$14,954	$1,847	$13,106
Mecosta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	555 W Main St	Mecosta	49332	Mecosta County	Chippewa Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 972-7477	256	14	18.7	59.8%	231 (90.2%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.7%)	60.8	545^th of 1492 public elementary schools	63.5%		58.4	589^th of 1488 public elementary schools	60.4%	44	54.2	46.2		41.7	41.5				$13,566	$1,790	$11,775
Barryton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	19701 30th Ave	Barryton	49305	Mecosta County	Chippewa Hills School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 382-5311	204	12	17.4	70.6%	180 (88.2%)	5 (2.5%)	11 (5.4%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.5%)	46.5	753^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	49.5%		46.5	770^th of 1488 public elementary schools	48.3%	17	35.0	45.0		27.5	45.0				$14,834	$2,196	$12,638
White Cloud Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	585 East Pine Hill St	White Cloud	49349	Newaygo County	White Cloud Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 689-2301	423	26	16.2	83.9%	353 (83.5%)	16 (3.8%)	16 (3.8%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (7.6%)	40.9	842^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	43.6%		47.6	757^th of 1488 public elementary schools	49.1%	85	26.0	48.6	37.3	32.5	40.0	23.9	40.3	20.9	$15,529	$1,795	$13,734

Frequently Asked Questions about Brookside Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Brookside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Brookside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Big Rapids Middle School
High : Big Rapids High School

What is the racial makeup of Brookside Elementary School?

Students at Brookside Elementary School are 82% White, 10% Two or more races, 5% African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

What district is Brookside Elementary School in?

Big Rapids Public Schools

How many students attend Brookside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 336 students attended Brookside Elementary School.

Is Brookside Elementary School a good school?

Brookside Elementary School ranks 722^nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Brookside Elementary School!

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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.