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Montabella Elementary

Q: Is Montabella Elementary a good school?

Montabella Elementary ranks 1028 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1028^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Montabella Elementary is a public elementary school located in Blanchard, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 380 students. The school is part of the Montabella Community Schools district, which is ranked 459 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Montabella Elementary consistently underperforms, with test scores below the state average across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 27.5% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 38.9%. The school's performance also lags behind nearby schools, such as Weidman Elementary School, which had 57.6% of 3rd-graders proficient or better in the same subject. Additionally, Montabella Elementary has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 18.4% to 30.8% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average and nearby schools.

One potential contributing factor to Montabella Elementary's challenges is the high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 71.35% to 74.21% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch over the past few years. This is much higher than the rates of nearby schools, such as Fancher School (46.04%) and Beal City Elementary School (43.51%). The school's consistent underperformance and high chronic absenteeism rates suggest a need for targeted interventions and the adoption of successful strategies from higher-performing nearby schools to address these challenges.

389

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,916

Per pupil spending ?

68.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1456 E North County Line Rd
Blanchard, MI 49310

(989) 427-5414

District: Montabella Community Schools

Students who attend Montabella Elementary usually attend:

High:

Montabella JuniorSenior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.1%

Hispanic:

8.5%

Two or more races:

4.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Montabella Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 25th percentile in 2015 → 31st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (27% vs 39% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts scores 16 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg27%

Michigan avg39%

1,028^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 25% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

459^th of 613Montabella 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
2025	28.9	1028 of 1488	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.9	835 of 1486	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.0	894 of 1470	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.6	950 of 1344	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	949 of 1153	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.2	1034 of 1408	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	980 of 1448	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	29.2	1032 of 1466	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.2	1147 of 1548	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.3	1188 of 1580	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	24.0	1240 of 1533	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.7	1206 of 1563	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	27.5	1247 of 1566	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	39.7	1178 of 1552	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	47.8	1107 of 1552	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	48.7	1079 of 1589	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.4	1275 of 1577	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.5	1334 of 1565	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	37.0	1219 of 1545	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	929 of 1338	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	913 of 1342	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.1	856 of 1321	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.8	917 of 1106	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	707 of 902	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.3	923 of 1171	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	930 of 1443	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	31.9	933 of 1346	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.1	999 of 1381	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.2	731 of 1350	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.5	821 of 1099	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	636 of 749	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.9	892 of 1397	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	1022 of 1366	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.7	775 of 1347	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.6	852 of 1334	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.7	743 of 1139	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.6	739 of 915	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.9	948 of 1196	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.1	1001 of 1446	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	28.3	157 of 195	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	1035 of 1206	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	922 of 1204	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	968 of 1198	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	981 of 1102	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	923 of 1005	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.3	1000 of 1128	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.9	983 of 1253	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)31st percentile~ school

Female (2025)31st percentile~ school

Male (2025)25th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2023)19th percentile-20 vs school

White (2025)14th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Math32%-6 vs state

Science31%-9 vs state

English Language Arts26%-16 vs state

Social Studies16%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Montabella Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)			M-Step Math (2025)			M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Montabella Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1456 E North County Line Rd	Blanchard	49310	Montcalm County	Montabella Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 427-5414	389	27	14.4	68.1%	335 (86.1%)	4 (1.0%)	33 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	28.9	1028^th of 1488 public elementary schools	30.9%		40.9	835^th of 1486 public elementary schools	43.8%	193	27.5	22.2	27.1	33.3	24.1	37.1	31.0	15.5	$14,916	$2,672	$12,244
Vestaburg Community Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7100 Avenue B	Vestaburg	48891	Montcalm County	Vestaburg Community Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 268-5284	247	22	11.4	47.8%	228 (92.3%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	46	775^th of 1488 public elementary schools	47.9%		36.7	910^th of 1486 public elementary schools	38.8%	135	34.7	32.4	37.1	40.8	29.4	40.0	54.3	25.7	$13,391	$1,029	$12,362
Winn Elementary School	Public	K-5	380 E Blanchard Rd	Shepherd	48883	Isabella County	Shepherd Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 866-2250	224	15	14.7	38.8%	207 (92.4%)	5 (2.2%)	7 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	73.2	365^th of 1488 public elementary schools	75.5%		71	392^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	73.6%	27	46.2	50.0	67.9	53.8	32.6	75.0	67.9	57.1	$15,162	$1,334	$13,828
Lakeview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	9497 Paden Rd	Lakeview	48850	Montcalm County	Lakeview Community Schools (Montcalm)	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 352-8021	306	22	13.9	66.0%	281 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)								(n/a)	63.7			62.0					$15,938	$3,402	$12,536
Central Montcalm Upper Elementary School	Public	3-5	1488 S Sheridan Rd	Stanton	48888	Montcalm County	Central Montcalm Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 831-2300	284	15	18.5	70.4%	261 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.9%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.2%)	28	1038^th of 1488 public elementary schools	30.2%		21.7	1149^th of 1486 public elementary schools	22.7%	111	26.7	23.1	37.8	36.2	22.0	25.6	31.7	14.6	$14,780	$2,296	$12,483
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%)	58.4	589^th of 1488 public elementary schools	60.4%		71.2	387^th of 1486 public elementary schools	74.0%	202	45.3	51.9		39.7	42.3				$13,322	$2,881	$10,441
Weidman Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-4	3311 N School Rd	Weidman	48893	Isabella County	Chippewa Hills School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 644-3430	258	16	16.4	73.3%	228 (88.4%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.0%)	90.5	115^th of 1488 public elementary schools	92.3%		94.7	53^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	96.4%	62	57.6	69.4		74.6	66.0				$16,633	$3,435	$13,197
Vowles School	Public	PK, KG-2	1560 Watson Rd	Mount Pleasant	48858	Isabella County	Mt. Pleasant City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 775-2280	235	17	14.0	50.2%	166 (70.6%)	19 (8.1%)	27 (11.5%)	7 (3.0%)	6 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.8%)								(n/a)									$16,205	$2,833	$13,371
Beal City Elementary School	Public	K-5	3117 Elias Rd	Mount Pleasant	48858	Isabella County	Beal City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 644-2740	265	17	15.2	39.6%	244 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	48.4	747^th of 1488 public elementary schools	49.8%		55.6	626^th of 1486 public elementary schools	57.9%	121	25.6	27.3	48.8	44.2	31.8	36.6	48.8	39.0	$15,368	$1,518	$13,849
Ganiard School	Public	PK, KG-2	101 S Adams St	Mount Pleasant	48858	Isabella County	Mt. Pleasant City School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 775-2240	220	17	12.6	46.4%	176 (80.0%)	11 (5.0%)	8 (3.6%)	6 (2.7%)	14 (6.4%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.8%)								(n/a)									$19,187	$2,924	$16,263

Frequently Asked Questions about Montabella Elementary

What schools do graduates of Montabella Elementary attend?

Students who attend Montabella Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Montabella JuniorSenior High

Is Montabella Elementary a good school?

Montabella Elementary ranks 1028^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Montabella Elementary in?

Montabella Community Schools

How many students attend Montabella Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 389 students attended Montabella Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Montabella Elementary?

Students at Montabella Elementary are 86% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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Schools in Blanchard, MI

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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.