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Buchanan Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1366^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 8% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Buchanan Elementary is a PK-5 public school in Grand Rapids, MI, serving 379 students within the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, where over 84% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Buchanan faces significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 10% of elementary schools statewide. However, there are some encouraging signs for parents to consider. The school shows a notable strength in 3rd-grade math, where 25% of students are proficient—actually higher than the district average of 23.5%. This suggests early math instruction is working, though proficiency drops sharply by 4th grade (to about 9%), which may indicate a transition issue worth asking the school about. Another positive trend is for English Language Learner students, whose performance has improved consistently over the past three years, moving from the bottom percentile to the 10th percentile statewide. Chronic absenteeism affects 26.3% of students—a real concern—but this is dramatically better than the GRPS district average of 41.3%, suggesting relatively stronger attendance and engagement than many nearby schools.

When comparing Buchanan to nearby options, the picture is mixed. Buchanan actually ranks higher than two neighboring GRPS schools: Cesar E Chavez Elementary (4th percentile) and Burton Elementary (7th percentile). However, Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue, just 1.25 miles away, serves a similar student population yet achieves significantly higher proficiency rates—for example, 27.7% of its 4th graders are proficient in ELA versus Buchanan's 17.9%. Similarly, Gerald R Ford Academic Center (1.26 miles away) posts 5th-grade ELA proficiency of 50%, nearly triple Buchanan's rate. These comparisons show that higher achievement is possible within the same district and community, making it worthwhile for parents to ask Buchanan's leadership what strategies from these peer schools might be adopted. Buchanan spends over $20,000 per student—higher than most nearby schools—so resources are available; the question is how effectively they're being used.

379

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,069

Per pupil spending ?

84.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1775 Buchanan Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49507-1642

(616) 819-2252

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Students who attend Buchanan Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Blandford School
	Burton Middle School
	Center for Economicology
	John Ball Park Zoo School
High:	City High Middle School
	Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
	Innovation Central High
	Union High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

83.6%

African American:

12.9%

White:

2.1%

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Compare Buchanan Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 8th percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (14% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Science scores 30 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg20%

Michigan avg38%

1,366^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 13% (2016) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 20Elementary Schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools

480^th of 625Grand 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	10.2	1366 of 1492	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.7	1378 of 1488	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	1452 of 1486	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.3	1391 of 1470	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.8	1310 of 1344	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.5	1308 of 1408	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.3	1339 of 1448	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	9.5	1332 of 1466	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	13.0	1347 of 1548	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.2	1450 of 1580	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.8	1420 of 1533	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	12.9	1411 of 1563	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	8.2	1505 of 1566	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.4	1453 of 1552	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	18.9	1411 of 1552	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	20.2	1414 of 1589	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	13.3	1472 of 1577	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	14.5	1458 of 1565	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	7.1	1495 of 1545	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	14.7	170 of 188	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.9	165 of 173	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.0	184 of 184	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.4	174 of 180	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	109 of 117	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	260 of 270	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	7.6	1296 of 1343	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.6	1234 of 1338	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.6	1299 of 1342	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.5	1239 of 1321	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.0	1140 of 1171	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	1270 of 1443	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	12.5	213 of 225	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.9	204 of 209	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.7	199 of 201	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.7	187 of 188	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.7	83 of 86	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	79 of 86	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.9	203 of 222	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	15.3	1215 of 1352	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	12.0	1241 of 1346	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.2	1345 of 1381	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.9	1288 of 1350	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.2	1063 of 1099	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.3	1041 of 1134	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	17.7	1222 of 1397	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	9.8	1282 of 1372	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.2	1347 of 1366	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.4	1335 of 1347	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.8	1303 of 1334	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.7	1160 of 1196	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.3	1326 of 1446	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)10th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)10th percentile~ school

Male (2026)7th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)5th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2026)3rd percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts16%-25 vs state

Math15%-24 vs state

Science10%-30 vs state

Social Studies7%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buchanan Elementary

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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
Buchanan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1775 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2252	379	23	16.5	84.4%	8 (2.1%)	49 (12.9%)	317 (83.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	10.2	1366^th of 1492 public elementary schools	8.4%		8.7	1378^th of 1488 public elementary schools	7.4%	12			10.9	17.9	20.3			25.0	8.9	8.6			10.2		6.8		$20,069	$3,021	$17,048
Grove Montessori A Wildflower Public School	Public, Charter	K-6	1545 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grove Montessori: A Wildflower Public School	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(989) 400-0058	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Burton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2133 Buchanan Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2262	365	23	15.5	81.9%	13 (3.6%)	41 (11.2%)	305 (83.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	9.3	1385^th of 1492 public elementary schools	7.2%		7.5	1414^th of 1488 public elementary schools	5.0%	29			8.8	10.2	22.8			21.1	8.5	8.8			15.8		5.3		$18,062	$3,218	$14,844
Cesar E Chavez Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1205 Grandville Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2560	437	26	16.9	85.1%	7 (1.6%)	78 (17.8%)	343 (78.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	7.1	1435^th of 1492 public elementary schools	3.8%		5.8	1448^th of 1488 public elementary schools	2.7%	13			1260.7	14.8	6.2			7.9	20.0	4.6			7.7		1461.5		$16,787	$2,459	$14,328
Dickinson Academy	Public	PK, KG-8	448 Dickinson St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2505	224	19	11.9	84.4%	5 (2.2%)	87 (38.8%)	114 (50.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.7%)								(n/a)	30.8	367.7	1263.3	1363.1	1469.6	1573.4	25.0	9.4	1350.9	1455.6	1573.0	1667.1	1473.6	1775.9	1463.1	1783.5	$26,027	$3,674	$22,353
GodfreyLee Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-2	961 Joosten St SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 452-8703	355	25	14.0	94.4%	18 (5.1%)	46 (13.0%)	268 (75.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.5%)								(n/a)																	$21,581	$2,337	$19,244
Godfrey Elementary School	Public	3-5	1920 Godfrey Ave SW	Wyoming	49509	Kent County	Godfrey-Lee Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 243-0533	325	20	16.4	94.8%	24 (7.4%)	27 (8.3%)	263 (80.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.4%)	11.3	1344^th of 1492 public elementary schools	9.9%		11.2	1335^th of 1488 public elementary schools	10.3%	9			13.7	17.8	22.6			15.8	11.1	10.4			16.2		12.3		$18,613	$2,126	$16,487
Brookside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2505 Madison Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2927	254	15	16.6	74.8%	54 (21.3%)	101 (39.8%)	72 (28.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.2%)	17.5	1226^th of 1492 public elementary schools	17.8%		10	1359^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.7%	133			26.0	16.1	25.6			23.5	12.9	11.6			22.0		17.1		$17,266	$2,769	$14,497
Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue	Public	PK, KG-6	801 Oakland Ave SW	Grand Rapids	49503	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2947	661	31	21.1	68.1%	47 (7.1%)	39 (5.9%)	558 (84.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.4%)	18.9	1199^th of 1492 public elementary schools	19.6%		17.4	1212^th of 1488 public elementary schools	18.5%	13			13.6	27.7	25.3	17.6		17.5	22.6	19.3	10.3		27.7		19.3		$15,394	$2,103	$13,291
Gerald R Ford Academic Center	Public	PK, KG-8	851 Madison Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2640	213	13	16.1	85.4%	2 (0.9%)	109 (51.2%)	95 (44.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	21.1	1158^th of 1492 public elementary schools	22.4%		19.8	1164^th of 1488 public elementary schools	21.8%	6	17.7	331.8	15.0	30.3	50.0	1572.3	20.0	20.0	9.1	14.3	1563.3	1674.0	14.3	1765.9	10.7	1778.8	$19,106	$2,985	$16,121

Frequently Asked Questions about Buchanan Elementary

What schools do graduates of Buchanan Elementary attend?

Students who attend Buchanan Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Blandford School
Middle : Burton Middle School
Middle : Center for Economicology
Middle : John Ball Park Zoo School
High : City High Middle School
High : Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy
High : Innovation Central High
High : Union High School

What district is Buchanan Elementary in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

Is Buchanan Elementary a good school?

Buchanan Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.4% of Michigan elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Buchanan Elementary?

Students at Buchanan Elementary are 84% Hispanic, 13% African American, 2% White, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Buchanan Elementary?

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

Rate Buchanan Elementary!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresNewSep 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.