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Burton Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1414^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 5% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Burton Elementary is a public elementary school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 380 students. The school is part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, which is ranked 462 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Burton Elementary has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Michigan over the past decade, consistently ranking in the bottom 10% of schools statewide. The school has received a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years, indicating very poor academic performance. Only 6.2% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 38.9% statewide and 19.6% in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district. Similar gaps are seen in math and other subject areas. Additionally, Burton Elementary has extremely high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 26.2% to 42.0% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When comparing Burton Elementary to other nearby schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district, it becomes clear that Burton is an outlier in terms of poor academic performance. For example, Gerald R. Ford Academic Center and Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue have significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math. Despite the high per-student spending and the school's efforts, Burton Elementary has not shown any meaningful improvement in its academic performance over the past decade.

365

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,790

Per pupil spending ?

81.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2133 Buchanan Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49507-2967

(616) 819-2262

District: Grand Rapids Public Schools

Students who attend Burton 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:

11.2%

White:

3.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Burton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 2nd percentile in 2014 → 5th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (11% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 29 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

District avg19%

Michigan avg39%

1,414^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Grand Rapids Public Schools

462^nd 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.5	1414 of 1488	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.9	1443 of 1486	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.0	1424 of 1470	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.1	1321 of 1344	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.5	1292 of 1408	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.7	1369 of 1448	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	4.0	1445 of 1466	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.8	1502 of 1548	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.5	1464 of 1580	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	5.2	1495 of 1533	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	6.5	1513 of 1563	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.5	1515 of 1566	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	4.6	1522 of 1552	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	26.7	1347 of 1552	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	12.0	1494 of 1589	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	12.7	1476 of 1577	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	21.7	1401 of 1565	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	19.4	1402 of 1545	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	28.0	360 of 475	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	12.3	159 of 173	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.2	175 of 184	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.0	177 of 180	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.8	101 of 117	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.4	254 of 270	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.4	1295 of 1338	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.3	1316 of 1342	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.1	1278 of 1321	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.5	1084 of 1106	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.3	1138 of 1171	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.9	1291 of 1443	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	9.9	203 of 209	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.6	198 of 201	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.8	186 of 188	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.6	84 of 86	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.7	75 of 86	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	204 of 222	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	9.7	1275 of 1346	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.5	1342 of 1381	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	1304 of 1350	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.4	1082 of 1099	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.2	1010 of 1134	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	1273 of 1397	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	8.6	1286 of 1366	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.1	1308 of 1347	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.0	1327 of 1334	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.2	1131 of 1196	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.0	1376 of 1446	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2018)24th percentile+19 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)8th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)6th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)3rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts13%-29 vs state

Math11%-27 vs state

Science11%-29 vs state

Social Studies6%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Burton Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	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	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 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
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%)	7.5	1414^th of 1488 public elementary schools	5.0%		5.9	1443^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	2.9%	29			6.2	16.1	15.9			13.8	12.1	7.9		11.1		6.3		$18,790	$6,110	$12,681
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%)	8.7	1378^th of 1488 public elementary schools	7.4%		5.5	1452^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	2.3%	74			9.4	12.7	16.4			23.1	7.9	7.3		9.1		10.9		$18,057	$5,434	$12,623
Brookside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2505 Madison Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	Grand Rapids Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 819-2242	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%)	10	1359^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.7%		10.6	1328^th of 1486 public elementary schools	10.6%	31				19.5				11.4	14.3							$19,307	$6,617	$12,691
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)						14.3										$20,224	$5,910	$14,314
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)																$16,814	$2,084	$14,730
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%)	11.2	1335^th of 1488 public elementary schools	10.3%		10.3	1339^th of 1486 public elementary schools	9.9%	4			17.5	15.5	20.2			25.8	8.9	6.7		13.6		12.7		$14,914	$1,922	$12,992
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%)	5.8	1448^th of 1488 public elementary schools	2.7%		6	1439^th of 1486 public elementary schools	3.2%	9			8.1	7.5	9.6			5.4	5.0	11.0		8.2		9.6		$17,758	$5,563	$12,195
North Godwin Elementary School	Public	2-5	161 34th St SW	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Godwin Heights Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 252-2010	400	24	16.5	90.5%	45 (11.3%)	89 (22.3%)	233 (58.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.3%)	17.5	1210^th of 1488 public elementary schools	18.7%		22.9	1128^th of 1486 public elementary schools	24.1%	82			21.6	27.5	21.4			33.6	27.5	13.8		10.9		5.1		$18,920	$3,089	$15,830
River City Scholars Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	944 Evergreen St SE	Grand Rapids	49507	Kent County	River City Scholars Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 248-3390	286	25	11.4	95.8%	12 (4.2%)	209 (73.1%)	21 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (14.3%)	21.4	1135^th of 1488 public elementary schools	23.7%		15	1249^th of 1486 public elementary schools	15.9%	114	34.6		18.8	15.2	41.4	22.9	15.8	25.0	9.1	17.2	20.0	27.6	14.3	17.2	22.2	$22,373	$4,111	$18,262
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%)	19.8	1164^th of 1488 public elementary schools	21.8%		27	1068^th of 1486 public elementary schools	28.1%	96	44.0	16.0	25.0	29.0	16.0	21.7		21.9	29.0			16.0	24.0		48.0	$18,840	$5,567	$13,272

Frequently Asked Questions about Burton Elementary

What district is Burton Elementary in?

Grand Rapids Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Burton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Burton 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 is the racial makeup of Burton Elementary?

Students at Burton Elementary are 84% Hispanic, 11% African American, 4% White.

How many students attend Burton Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 365 students attended Burton Elementary.

Is Burton Elementary a good school?

Burton Elementary ranks in the bottom 5.0% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Burton 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.