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Cesar E Chavez Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5
1448th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools
Better than 3% of Michigan elementary schools
Summary

Cesar E Chavez Elementary is a public elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving 397 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, which is ranked 462 out of 613 districts in the state.

Cesar E Chavez Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Michigan, with academic performance significantly below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 8.1% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38.9% statewide and 19.6% in the Grand Rapids district. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 5-11% of students proficient or better across grades 3-5, compared to the state average of 32.9-42.7%. Additionally, Cesar E Chavez Elementary has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 29.5% to 42.0% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state and district averages.

While Cesar E Chavez Elementary has relatively high per-student spending and a reasonable student-teacher ratio, these resources do not appear to be translating into improved academic outcomes. The school's performance is significantly worse than most of the nearby schools, including Dickinson Academy, Martin Luther King Leadership Academy, Sibley School, and Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue, which all have higher academic performance, lower chronic absenteeism, and better socioeconomic profiles. Addressing the root causes of the school's challenges, such as chronic absenteeism and the high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, will be crucial for improving the educational experience and outcomes for the students at Cesar E Chavez Elementary.

437
Students ?
16.9
Student/teacher ratio ?
$17,758
Per pupil spending ?
85.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1205 Grandville Ave SW
       Grand Rapids, MI  49503-8034

(616) 819-2560

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools


Students who attend Cesar E Chavez 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:
78.5%
African American:
17.8%
Two or more races:
1.8%
more
 See top rated Michigan elementary schools

 Compare Cesar E Chavez Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2014 → 3rd in 2025
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Michigan average (8% vs 39% meeting standards)
!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)
!High chronic absenteeism (41% vs 28% Michigan)
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school8%
District avg19%
Michigan avg39%
1,448th of 1,488
Michigan public elementary schools ?
Bottom 3%▼ down 7 pts since 2015
From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
19th of 21Elementary Schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools
462nd of 613Grand 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
20255.81448 of 14882.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20246.01439 of 14863.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20236.31415 of 14703.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20224.41318 of 13441.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20193.71388 of 14081.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.11380 of 14484.7%☆☆☆☆☆
20176.21403 of 14664.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201612.61354 of 154812.5%★☆☆☆☆
201510.71434 of 15809.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20148.51445 of 15335.7%☆☆☆☆☆
201310.51447 of 15637.4%☆☆☆☆☆
201214.91420 of 15669.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201124.31339 of 155213.7%★☆☆☆☆
201014.51449 of 15526.6%☆☆☆☆☆
20099.61515 of 15894.7%☆☆☆☆☆
200812.01482 of 15776.0%☆☆☆☆☆
200711.41484 of 15655.2%☆☆☆☆☆
20065.01513 of 15452.1%☆☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
201816.4463 of 4752.5%☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
20259.4167 of 1733.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202412.3172 of 1846.5%☆☆☆☆☆
202318.9153 of 18015.0%★☆☆☆☆
201817.7258 of 2704.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
20244.41327 of 13421.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20233.41317 of 13210.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20189.31353 of 14436.2%☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
20255.8209 of 2090.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20249.0197 of 2012.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20239.1184 of 1882.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20228.286 of 860.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20197.586 of 860.0%☆☆☆☆☆
201816.9210 of 2225.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
20257.41314 of 13462.4%☆☆☆☆☆
20247.51341 of 13812.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20239.31283 of 13505.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20225.91078 of 10991.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20195.11116 of 11341.6%☆☆☆☆☆
201812.91288 of 13977.8%☆☆☆☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
20257.21311 of 13664.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20244.41334 of 13471.0%☆☆☆☆☆
20237.51268 of 13344.9%☆☆☆☆☆
20224.11124 of 11391.3%☆☆☆☆☆
20194.21181 of 11961.3%☆☆☆☆☆
201811.41307 of 14469.6%☆☆☆☆☆
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)
Male (2025)4th percentile~ school
English Language Learner (2025)3rd percentile~ school
African American (2018)3rd percentile~ school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school
Female (2024)1st percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)<1st percentile-3 vs school
By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?
Social Studies10%-20 vs state
English Language Arts8%-34 vs state
Science8%-32 vs state
Math7%-31 vs state

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Frequently Asked Questions about Cesar E Chavez Elementary

Students at Cesar E Chavez Elementary are 78% Hispanic, 18% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

Cesar E Chavez Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.7% of Michigan elementary schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 437 students attended Cesar E Chavez Elementary.


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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.





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