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Brandywine Elementary School

Public Grades 3-6

1290^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Brandywine Elementary School in Niles, MI, serves 379 students in grades 3 through 6 and is part of the Brandywine Community Schools district. The school has seen a steady decline in academic performance over the past five years, dropping from the 41st percentile statewide in 2021-2022 to its current ranking in the 14th percentile, placing it in the bottom tier of Michigan elementary schools.

Academic proficiency rates at Brandywine are dramatically lower than those at nearby schools, even when compared to institutions with similar levels of economic need. For example, in 3rd-grade English Language Arts, only 14.3% of Brandywine students are proficient, compared to 54.1% at Moccasin Elementary School and 51.6% at Eagle Lake Elementary School. The gap is even wider in 5th-grade math, where Brandywine's proficiency rate is just 8.7%, while Moccasin and Edwardsburg Intermediate School achieve 47.8% and 46.1%, respectively. Nearby districts like Edwardsburg Public Schools (91st percentile) and Buchanan Community Schools (81st percentile) far outrank Brandywine's district, which sits in the 33rd percentile.

Despite these challenges, there are notable bright spots. Brandywine's Special Education students ranked in the 82nd percentile statewide in 2023-2024, earning a 4-star rating—a clear strength that suggests effective interventions exist for this population. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 14.5% is significantly better than the state average of 27.9%, indicating that students are consistently showing up to class. With per-student spending of $13,876 on par with higher-performing neighbors, the issue appears to lie in instructional strategies rather than resources. For parents, this data suggests that while the school faces significant academic hurdles, there are proven approaches within the building that could be expanded to benefit all students.

379

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,876

Per pupil spending ?

68.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

2428 S 13th St
Niles, MI 49120-4507

(269) 684-8574

District: Brandywine Community Schools

Students who attend Brandywine Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Brandywine Middle School
High:	Brandywine Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.8%

Two or more races:

7.1%

Hispanic:

5.0%

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Compare Brandywine Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 42nd percentile in 2016 → 14th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (17% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg17%

Michigan avg37%

1,290^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 28 pts since 2016

From bottom 42% (2016) to bottom 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

419^th of 625Brandywine Community 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	14.4	1290 of 1492	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.9	1159 of 1488	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	1069 of 1486	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.6	925 of 1470	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.8	798 of 1344	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.0	857 of 1153	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.5	978 of 1408	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.0	1011 of 1448	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.9	965 of 1466	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.3	904 of 1548	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.9	903 of 1580	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.8	822 of 1533	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.2	970 of 1563	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.9	979 of 1566	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.6	815 of 1552	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	60.6	835 of 1552	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	51.1	1035 of 1589	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.8	1088 of 1577	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	46.2	1078 of 1565	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.4	1011 of 1545	34.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.2	1264 of 1343	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	1172 of 1338	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	1074 of 1342	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	957 of 1321	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	852 of 1106	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.3	750 of 902	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	894 of 1171	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.2	1002 of 1443	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	15.9	1205 of 1352	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.6	1044 of 1346	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.3	962 of 1381	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.7	705 of 1350	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.6	531 of 1099	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.3	388 of 749	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.9	858 of 1134	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	1015 of 1397	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	13.4	1226 of 1372	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.1	1095 of 1366	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.6	996 of 1347	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.8	883 of 1334	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.6	691 of 1139	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.1	689 of 915	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.9	932 of 1196	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.8	971 of 1446	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	72.5	41 of 225	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	47.0	193 of 403	52.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	7.4	1164 of 1199	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.1	1128 of 1206	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.4	1065 of 1204	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	967 of 1198	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.3	751 of 1102	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.1	849 of 1005	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.3	945 of 1128	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.0	1034 of 1253	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2024)82nd percentile+54 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)11th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)11th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)6th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)3rd percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science20%-20 vs state

English Language Arts20%-21 vs state

Math15%-22 vs state

Social Studies12%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Brandywine 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)				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/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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Brandywine Elementary School	Public	3-6	2428 S 13th St	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Brandywine Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 684-8574	379	23	16.5	68.6%	310 (81.8%)	16 (4.2%)	19 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	27 (7.1%)	14.4	1290^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.5%		19.9	1159^th of 1488 public elementary schools	22.1%	131			14.3	25.6	21.7	16.3		22.0	16.7	8.7	12.8		19.6		12.0		$13,876	$1,223	$12,653
Merritt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1620 Lasalle Ave	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Brandywine Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 684-6511	304	22	14.0	73.0%	235 (77.3%)	9 (3.0%)	25 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (9.9%)								(n/a)																	$14,262	$1,684	$12,577
Ballard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1601 W Chicago Rd	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 683-5900	516	28	18.4	77.7%	311 (60.3%)	62 (12.0%)	77 (14.9%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	59 (11.4%)	44.7	782^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	47.6%		46.8	768^th of 1488 public elementary schools	48.4%	14			37.0	39.0	45.6			41.1	35.4	32.5			39.2		12.8		$14,047	$2,046	$12,000
Eastside Connections School	Public, Magnet	K-8	1 Tyler St	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 682-2585	403	22	18.5	51.1%	257 (63.8%)	57 (14.1%)	42 (10.4%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.9%)	69	423^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	71.6%		76.1	321^st of 1488 public elementary schools	78.4%	102	74.1	35.2	34.1	68.5	65.5	80.4	64.1	43.2	70.4	34.5	27.7	43.6	43.1	48.1	32.8	55.6	$13,710	$1,038	$12,672
Northside Child Development Center	Public	PK-K	2020 N 5th St	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 683-1982	13	3	4.4	23.1%	11 (84.6%)	1 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.7%)								(n/a)																	$27,161	$10,353	$16,808
HowardEllis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2788 Mannix St	Niles	49120	Berrien County	Niles Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 683-4633	529	27	19.4	66.4%	336 (63.5%)	85 (16.1%)	48 (9.1%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (10.0%)	49.2	708^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.5%		57.3	601^st of 1488 public elementary schools	59.6%	107			35.3	36.4	51.3			50.6	37.5	29.2			40.2		21.6		$13,892	$1,466	$12,426
Moccasin Elementary School	Public	2-4	410 Moccasin St	Buchanan	49107	Berrien County	Buchanan Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 695-8408	354	19	18.8	57.1%	287 (81.1%)	15 (4.2%)	19 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.3%)	73.8	359^th of 1492 public elementary schools	75.9%		67.5	449^th of 1488 public elementary schools	69.8%	90			54.1	50.4				61.3	46.1								$11,519	$417	$11,102
Ottawa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	109 Ottawa St	Buchanan	49107	Berrien County	Buchanan Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 695-8409	230	15	15.1	62.2%	195 (84.8%)	5 (2.2%)	10 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.5%)								(n/a)																	$15,527	$893	$14,634
Edwardsburg Intermediate School	Public	4-5	27157 Us Highway 12	Edwardsburg	49112	Cass County	Edwardsburg Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 663-1063	361	20	18.2	37.7%	336 (93.1%)	7 (1.9%)	9 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	75.8	327^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.1%		77.6	296^th of 1488 public elementary schools	80.1%	31				55.7	57.5				52.7	47.8			53.8		34.4		$13,919	$1,087	$12,832
Edwardsburg Primary School	Public	K-1	69100 Section St	Edwardsburg	49112	Cass County	Edwardsburg Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 663-1037	342	20	17.2	34.8%	304 (88.9%)	4 (1.2%)	23 (6.7%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)								(n/a)																	$13,173	$1,055	$12,118

Frequently Asked Questions about Brandywine Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Brandywine Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Brandywine Middle School
High : Brandywine Senior High School

What district is Brandywine Elementary School in?

Brandywine Community Schools

How many students attend Brandywine Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 379 students attended Brandywine Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Brandywine Elementary School?

Students at Brandywine Elementary School are 82% White, 7% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic, 4% African American, 1% American Indian.

Is Brandywine Elementary School a good school?

Brandywine Elementary School ranks in the bottom 13.5% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Brandywine 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.