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Kincheloe Elementary School

Q: Is Kincheloe Elementary School a good school?

Kincheloe Elementary School ranks 528 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

528^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 65% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Kincheloe Elementary School in Dowagiac, MI, is a K-5 school serving 214 students as part of the Dowagiac Union School District. This school has become a standout success story in the area, showing remarkable academic improvement over the past few years.

Kincheloe has transformed itself from a historically low-performing school into one of the top elementary schools in the region. In the most recent school year, it ranked in the 65th percentile statewide—a dramatic jump from just a few years prior when it sat in the bottom quartile. This places it well ahead of its district peers: Patrick Hamilton Elementary ranks in the 19th percentile, Sister Lakes Elementary in the 44th, and Justus Gage Elementary School in the 56th. What makes this even more impressive is that Kincheloe achieves these results without being the highest-funded school in its district, suggesting effective teaching strategies and resource use are driving the success.

One of Kincheloe's greatest strengths is its work with students from low-income families. With over 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school ranks in the 75th percentile statewide for supporting these students—a 4-star rating. Reading skills in the upper grades are particularly strong, with 4th and 5th-grade English Language Arts proficiency rates (67.5% and 61.1%) far exceeding state averages (41.3% and 43.8%). While math scores in some grades still trail state averages, and chronic absenteeism has ticked up recently to 20.7% (still better than district and state rates), the overall trajectory is highly positive. For parents seeking a school that is clearly on the rise and dedicated to helping every child succeed, Kincheloe is a compelling choice.

214

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,806

Per pupil spending ?

60.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

82.8%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 17.2% (any vaccine)

25121 Gage St
Dowagiac, MI 49047-9624

(269) 782-4464

District: Dowagiac Union School District

Students who attend Kincheloe Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Dowagiac Middle School
High:	Union High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.8%

Hispanic:

15.0%

Two or more races:

8.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Kincheloe Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 65th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (45% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 42 percentile points since 2016

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Dowagiac Union School District

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school45%

District avg35%

Michigan avg38%

528^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 35%▲ up 41 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to top 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Elementary Schools in the Dowagiac Union School District

375^th of 625Dowagiac Union 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	61.7	528 of 1492	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.9	850 of 1488	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.0	954 of 1486	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.4	974 of 1470	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.7	898 of 1344	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.6	809 of 1153	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.0	1208 of 1408	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	1123 of 1448	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.5	1059 of 1466	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	24.3	1187 of 1548	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	38.1	1033 of 1580	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	43.0	964 of 1533	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.2	838 of 1563	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.6	869 of 1566	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	72.7	414 of 1552	73.3%	★★★★☆
2010	60.7	832 of 1552	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	59.2	815 of 1589	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	46.8	1089 of 1577	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	45.0	1097 of 1565	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	64.9	578 of 1545	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	61.1	461 of 1343	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.4	831 of 1338	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.3	937 of 1342	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.3	954 of 1321	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.8	776 of 1106	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.3	635 of 902	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.9	1035 of 1171	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	1113 of 1443	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	10.5	220 of 222	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	337 of 1352	75.1%	★★★★☆
2025	48.9	651 of 1346	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.7	853 of 1381	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.8	565 of 1350	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.9	770 of 1099	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.7	376 of 749	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.2	1012 of 1134	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.2	1024 of 1397	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	64.0	446 of 1372	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.9	670 of 1366	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.8	904 of 1347	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.2	905 of 1334	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.9	842 of 1139	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.1	1051 of 1446	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	56.0	502 of 1199	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.5	803 of 1206	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.3	863 of 1204	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.5	831 of 1198	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.3	766 of 1102	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.9	650 of 1005	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.4	1084 of 1128	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	1086 of 1253	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)75th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)67th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)66th percentile~ school

White (2026)58th percentile-6 vs school

Hispanic (2018)1st percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science58%+18 vs state

English Language Arts57%+16 vs state

Math36%~ state avg

Social Studies22%-5 vs state

5.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, May 19, 2011

Great teachers and principal. Close Quote

Schools Near Kincheloe 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 Vaccination 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)	Vaccination (2025-26)		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	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kincheloe Elementary School	Public	K-5	25121 Gage St	Dowagiac	49047	Cass County	Dowagiac Union School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 782-4464	214	15	14.4	60.3%	160 (74.8%)	1 (0.5%)	32 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.9%)	61.7	528^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.6%		40.9	850^th of 1488 public elementary schools	42.9%	322	40.6	67.5	61.1	37.5	42.5	27.8	58.3	22.2	82.8%	17.2%	$14,806	$1,935	$12,870
Justus Gage Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Oak St	Dowagiac	49047	Cass County	Dowagiac Union School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 782-4460	262	17	15.1	74.8%	174 (66.4%)	17 (6.5%)	42 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.0%)	53.4	653^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	56.2%		49	734^th of 1488 public elementary schools	50.7%	81	29.8	22.6	50.0	48.9	32.1	44.4	57.4	29.6	95.5%	4.5%	$13,948	$1,928	$12,019
Patrick Hamilton Elementary	Public	K-5	614 Spruce St	Dowagiac	49047	Cass County	Dowagiac Union School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 782-4450	224	15	15.4	83.0%	117 (52.2%)	40 (17.9%)	37 (16.5%)	2 (0.9%)	9 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.5%)	18.4	1206^th of 1492 public elementary schools	19.2%		16.6	1231^st of 1488 public elementary schools	17.3%	25	27.6	25.6	22.5	23.3	25.6	14.6	20.0	10.0			$14,122	$2,059	$12,063
Davis Elementary School	Public	K-5	409 N Phelps St	Decatur	49045	Van Buren County	Decatur Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 423-6950	356	22	16.0	64.0%	236 (66.3%)	1 (0.3%)	96 (27.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.2%)	34.9	928^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.8%		57.2	603^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	59.5%	325	19.6	38.0	33.3	25.0	39.4	27.1	33.3	22.9	89.7%	7.7%	$19,130	$1,767	$17,363
Sam Adams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	114 Depot St	Cassopolis	49031	Cass County	Cassopolis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 445-0530	368	23	16.2	69.0%	229 (62.2%)	32 (8.7%)	28 (7.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (20.7%)	29.3	1013^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.1%		31.7	983^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	33.9%	30	13.8	28.8	42.9	27.6	11.5	12.9	45.7	18.6	94.6%	3.6%	$15,250	$1,785	$13,465
Sister Lakes Elementary School	Public	K-5	68079 M 152	Benton Harbor	49047	Van Buren County	Dowagiac Union School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 782-4468	166	12	13.8	66.9%	94 (56.6%)	1 (0.6%)	55 (33.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)	2 (1.2%)	12 (7.2%)	41.3	835^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.0%		38.1	891^st of 1488 public elementary schools	40.1%	56	34.8	25.8	48.3	34.8	35.5	34.5	34.5	20.7	93.8%	6.3%	$16,995	$2,448	$14,547
Marcellus Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Arbor St E	Marcellus	49067	Cass County	Marcellus Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 646-9209	264	14	19.4	62.1%	239 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.1%)	63.1	512^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.7%		63.8	508^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.9%	4	45.0	37.9	34.9	59.0	50.0	44.2	53.5	34.9	85.4%	12.5%	$14,280	$1,888	$12,392
HowardEllis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2788 Mannix St	Niles	49120	Cass 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	86.6%	11%	$13,892	$1,466	$12,426
Lybrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6238 W Main St	Eau Claire	49111	Berrien County	Eau Claire Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 461-6191	233	18	12.7	91.0%	74 (31.8%)	75 (32.2%)	81 (34.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	15.1	1273^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	14.7%		19.9	1158^th of 1488 public elementary schools	22.2%	115	15.2	27.8	23.1	12.1	25.0	12.8	15.4	1471.5	94.7%	2.6%	$18,284	$2,268	$16,016
Redwood Elementary	Public	K-5	395 Woodside Dr	Hartford	49057	Van Buren County	Hartford Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 621-7300	516	33	15.6	89.0%	177 (34.3%)	2 (0.4%)	333 (64.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	25.5	1076^th of 1492 public elementary schools	27.9%		23	1112^th of 1488 public elementary schools	25.3%	36	19.2	29.0	32.6	20.8	28.0	28.6	27.5	13.2	94.6%	4.1%	$14,680	$1,984	$12,695

Frequently Asked Questions about Kincheloe Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Kincheloe Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Dowagiac Middle School
High : Union High School

Is Kincheloe Elementary School a good school?

Kincheloe Elementary School ranks 528^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Kincheloe Elementary School in?

Dowagiac Union School District

How many students attend Kincheloe Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 214 students attended Kincheloe Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kincheloe Elementary School?

Students at Kincheloe Elementary School are 75% White, 15% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

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.