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South Meadows Elementary School

Q: Is South Meadows Elementary School a good school?

South Meadows Elementary School ranks 326 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

326^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

South Meadows Elementary School in Chelsea, MI, is a well-regarded public school serving 476 students in grades 3-5 as part of the highly-rated Chelsea School District, which ranks in the top 7% of Michigan districts.

South Meadows consistently delivers strong academic results, outperforming state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. In recent testing, its 4th-grade math proficiency rate of 62.7% was notably higher than nearby Navigator Upper Elementary School (38.8%) and George Long Elementary School (37.8%). The school also stands out for student engagement, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 12.8%—far below the state average of 27.9% and even lower than its own district's rate of 16.7%. This suggests a positive, supportive climate where kids want to be. Additionally, South Meadows achieves these results efficiently, spending $16,462 per student, which is less than comparable schools like Riverside Intermediate School ($29,966 per student) and Dexter Early Elementary Complex ($20,024).

South Meadows pairs with North Creek Elementary School (grades PK-2) to form a seamless educational pathway, with both schools serving similar student populations and maintaining nearly identical attendance rates. When compared to high-achieving Wylie Elementary School in Dexter, South Meadows performs admirably while serving a student body with a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (15.55% vs. 8.85% eligible for free/reduced lunch). One area needing attention is support for special education students, where effectiveness ratings have declined in recent years. Overall, South Meadows offers a strong, engaging, and cost-effective education, making it a solid choice for families in the Chelsea area.

476

Students ?

18.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,462

Per pupil spending ?

15.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

335 Pierce St
Chelsea, MI 48118-1234

(734) 433-2205

District: Chelsea School District

Students who attend South Meadows Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Beach Middle School
High:	Chelsea High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.3%

Two or more races:

5.0%

Hispanic:

3.2%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare South Meadows Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 90th percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (52% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Michigan elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg52%

Michigan avg38%

326^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From top 10% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

42^nd of 625Chelsea School District 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	75.9	326 of 1492	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	81.3	257 of 1488	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	84.1	204 of 1486	86.3%	★★★★☆
2023	85.0	179 of 1470	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	78.7	234 of 1344	82.6%	★★★★☆
2021	55.4	447 of 1153	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.7	281 of 1408	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	86.7	154 of 1448	89.4%	★★★★☆
2017	81.8	191 of 1466	87.0%	★★★★☆
2016	86.1	148 of 1548	90.4%	★★★★★
2015	82.5	220 of 1580	86.1%	★★★★☆
2014	84.3	161 of 1533	89.5%	★★★★☆
2013	86.1	144 of 1563	90.8%	★★★★★
2012	79.9	259 of 1566	83.5%	★★★★☆
2011	65.8	598 of 1552	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	78.0	216 of 1552	86.1%	★★★★☆
2009	76.9	299 of 1589	81.2%	★★★★☆
2008	75.0	340 of 1577	78.4%	★★★★☆
2007	81.1	172 of 1565	89.0%	★★★★☆
2006	77.1	240 of 1545	84.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	71.7	304 of 1343	77.4%	★★★★☆
2025	80.5	213 of 1338	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	81.3	192 of 1342	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	76.7	233 of 1321	82.4%	★★★★☆
2022	70.8	253 of 1106	77.1%	★★★★☆
2021	47.3	443 of 902	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	73.6	234 of 1171	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	86.6	133 of 1443	90.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	95.7	5 of 222	97.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	56.1	513 of 1352	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.0	581 of 1346	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.2	323 of 1381	76.6%	★★★★☆
2023	67.9	314 of 1350	76.7%	★★★★☆
2022	79.2	119 of 1099	89.2%	★★★★☆
2021	69.0	168 of 749	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	53.2	484 of 1134	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.7	355 of 1397	74.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	70.3	359 of 1372	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	76.3	289 of 1366	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	201 of 1347	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	86.3	124 of 1334	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	76.4	222 of 1139	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	49.4	429 of 915	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.7	288 of 1196	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	82.8	211 of 1446	85.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	60.6	31 of 104	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	63.0	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.1	159 of 246	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	161 of 252	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	56.8	79 of 225	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	84 of 195	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.1	50 of 403	87.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	369 of 1199	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.2	285 of 1206	76.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.2	243 of 1204	79.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	198 of 1198	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.7	282 of 1102	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	49.1	480 of 1005	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.4	323 of 1128	71.4%	★★★★☆
2018	78.5	217 of 1253	82.7%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2010	80.7	100 of 851	88.2%	★★★★☆
2009	76.7	162 of 847	80.9%	★★★★☆
2008	77.2	161 of 839	80.8%	★★★★☆
2007	86.3	35 of 823	95.7%	★★★★★
2006	78.9	132 of 806	83.6%	★★★★☆

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

Hispanic (2018)98th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)77th percentile~ school

Male (2026)74th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)70th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)69th percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile-16 vs school

Special Education (2026)35th percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science56%+16 vs state

Math55%+17 vs state

English Language Arts54%+12 vs state

Social Studies33%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near South Meadows 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/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
South Meadows Elementary School	Public	3-5	335 Pierce St	Chelsea	48118	Washtenaw County	Chelsea School District	No	No	No	No	(734) 433-2205	476	26	18.6	15.5%	425 (89.3%)	9 (1.9%)	15 (3.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.0%)	75.9	326^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.2%		81.3	257^th of 1488 public elementary schools	82.7%	69			44.4	60.2	54.8			53.5	62.7	48.7			55.8		32.7		$16,462	$947	$15,515
North Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	699 McKinley St	Chelsea	48118	Washtenaw County	Chelsea School District	No	No	No	No	(734) 433-2203	485	30	16.2	16.3%	418 (86.2%)	7 (1.4%)	26 (5.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.4%)								(n/a)																	$16,591	$1,042	$15,548
Wylie Elementary School	Public	3-4	3060 Kensington St	Dexter	48130	Washtenaw County	Dexter Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 424-4140	486	29	16.5	8.8%	432 (88.9%)	7 (1.4%)	25 (5.1%)	18 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	82.4	236^th of 1492 public elementary schools	84.2%		88.6	145^th of 1488 public elementary schools	90.3%	91			50.9	63.6				57.6	61.4								$15,609	$163	$15,446
Dexter Early Elementary Complex	Public	PK, KG-2	7480 Dan Hoey Rd	Dexter	48130	Washtenaw County	Dexter Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 424-4130	734	50	14.7	9.8%	652 (88.8%)	8 (1.1%)	35 (4.8%)	9 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	27 (3.7%)								(n/a)																	$20,024	$850	$19,174
George Long Elementary School	Public	K-5	829 S Union St	Grass Lake	49240	Jackson County	Grass Lake Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 867-5590	650	37	17.5	27.5%	602 (92.6%)	3 (0.5%)	21 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.4%)	65.9	475^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.2%		65.8	481^st of 1488 public elementary schools	67.7%	6			47.9	36.7	54.7			42.7	37.8	44.4			63.2		36.8		$13,307	$1,136	$12,171
Riverside Intermediate School	Public	3-6	710 E Main St	Manchester	48158	Washtenaw County	Manchester Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(734) 428-9711	188	10	18.5	23.9%	174 (92.6%)	2 (1.1%)	3 (1.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	59.1	572^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	61.7%		66.4	475^th of 1488 public elementary schools	68.1%	97			41.7	49.0	45.5	53.3		40.0	54.9	27.3	42.2		40.9		22.7		$29,966	$706	$29,260
Luther C Klager Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-2	405 Ann Arbor St	Manchester	48158	Washtenaw County	Manchester Community Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(734) 428-8321	163	17	9.8	30.1%	144 (88.3%)	2 (1.2%)	10 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)								(n/a)																	$32,865	$1,461	$31,405
Light of the World Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	550 E Hamburg St	Pinckney	48169	Livingston County	Light of the World Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(248) 254-3445	222	16	13.8	30.6%	211 (95.0%)	7 (3.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	45.4	768^th of 1492 public elementary schools	48.5%		49.7	719^th of 1488 public elementary schools	51.7%	49	457.5	50.0	33.3	35.7	46.2	38.5	61.1	11.1	28.6	34.6	23.1	50.0	65.4	81.3	26.9	75.0	$11,615	$126	$11,489
Navigator Upper Elementary School	Public	3-5	2150 E M 36	Pinckney	48169	Livingston County	Pinckney Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(810) 225-5300	491	29	17.2	21.2%	442 (90.0%)	7 (1.4%)	24 (4.9%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	55.5	621^st of 1492 public elementary schools	58.4%		59.8	562^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	62.2%	59			47.9	45.9	47.7			42.9	38.8	35.4			46.0		21.1		$13,323	$752	$12,571
Washtenaw Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program	Public	PK, KG-8	1735 S Wagner Rd	Ann Arbor	48103	Washtenaw County	Washtenaw Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(734) 994-8100	4	5	.8		2 (50.0%)	2 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about South Meadows Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of South Meadows Elementary School?

Students at South Meadows Elementary School are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of South Meadows Elementary School attend?

Students who attend South Meadows Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Beach Middle School
High : Chelsea High School

How many students attend South Meadows Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 476 students attended South Meadows Elementary School.

What district is South Meadows Elementary School in?

Chelsea School District

Is South Meadows Elementary School a good school?

South Meadows Elementary School ranks 326^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate South Meadows 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.