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Northwest Elementary School

Q: Is Northwest Elementary School a good school?

Northwest Elementary School ranks 574 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

574^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 62% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Northwest Elementary School in Howell, MI, serves 418 students in grades K-5 within the Howell Public Schools district, earning a 3-star rating and ranking in the 62nd percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year.

One of the most striking strengths at Northwest is its exceptional 3rd-grade math program. In the most recent school year, 65.8% of 3rd graders were proficient in math—a remarkable 21 points above the district average and nearly 23 points above the state average. This performance far outpaces nearby schools like Three Fires Elementary (31.1%) and even Challenger Elementary (51.3%). The school also stands out for better attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 31.7%—notably lower than neighbors like Voyager Elementary (43.2%) and Southwest Elementary (44.4%). Additionally, Northwest invests more per student ($19,237) than any comparable school in the area, including the highly-rated Hornung Elementary in Brighton Area Schools, which spends over $5,800 less per student.

However, parents should be aware of some patterns. Northwest shows a consistent "valley" in 4th-grade performance—both ELA and math scores dip significantly in 4th grade before rebounding in 5th. The school also shows mixed results for different student groups, with some subgroups performing below state averages for their peers. While Northwest outperforms its direct Howell neighbors, it still lags behind Hornung Elementary, which achieves 5-star ratings with proficiency rates often 20-30 points higher. The school's overall ranking improved from the 54th to 62nd percentile recently, driven largely by a surge in 3rd-grade scores, suggesting recent instructional changes may be taking effect.

418

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,237

Per pupil spending ?

18.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

1233 Bower St
Howell, MI 48843-1105

(517) 548-6297

District: Howell Public Schools

Students who attend Northwest Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Highlander Way Middle School
High:	Howell High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.3%

Hispanic:

3.8%

Two or more races:

1.7%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Northwest Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2016 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg43%

Michigan avg38%

574^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From top 26% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Howell Public Schools

216^th of 625Howell 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	59.0	574 of 1492	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.2	683 of 1488	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.7	502 of 1486	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.6	578 of 1470	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.8	484 of 1344	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.5	252 of 1153	78.1%	★★★★☆
2019	71.3	349 of 1408	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	448 of 1448	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	71.0	336 of 1466	77.1%	★★★★☆
2016	71.2	401 of 1548	74.1%	★★★★☆
2015	61.3	605 of 1580	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	77.9	298 of 1533	80.6%	★★★★☆
2013	71.9	407 of 1563	74.0%	★★★★☆
2012	71.0	423 of 1566	73.0%	★★★★☆
2011	76.6	300 of 1552	80.7%	★★★★☆
2010	73.5	386 of 1552	75.1%	★★★★☆
2009	75.0	344 of 1589	78.4%	★★★★☆
2008	76.7	299 of 1577	81.0%	★★★★☆
2007	69.6	461 of 1565	70.5%	★★★★☆
2006	64.5	597 of 1545	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	46.2	662 of 1343	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.9	701 of 1338	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	57.8	502 of 1342	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.9	768 of 1321	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.9	467 of 1106	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.0	316 of 902	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.6	200 of 1171	82.9%	★★★★☆
2018	72.0	386 of 1443	73.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	45.3	686 of 1352	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.5	834 of 1346	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	64.0	382 of 1381	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	62.9	404 of 1350	70.1%	★★★★☆
2022	58.2	398 of 1099	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.6	287 of 749	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.3	338 of 1397	75.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	59.4	510 of 1372	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.7	659 of 1366	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	518 of 1347	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	460 of 1334	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.8	309 of 1139	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	76.1	165 of 915	82.0%	★★★★☆
2019	61.9	406 of 1196	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.4	512 of 1446	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.4	157 of 246	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.0	109 of 252	56.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	673 of 1199	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.4	781 of 1206	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.8	581 of 1204	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.0	687 of 1198	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.1	531 of 1102	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.5	255 of 1005	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	63.1	381 of 1128	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.5	503 of 1253	59.9%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)51st percentile-11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)44th percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2026)36th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Math48%+10 vs state

English Language Arts43%~ state avg

Science38%~ state avg

Social Studies32%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Northwest 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 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/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	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
Northwest Elementary School	Public	K-5	1233 Bower St	Howell	48843	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 548-6297	418	29	14.4	18.4%	394 (94.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	59	574^th of 1492 public elementary schools	61.5%		52.2	683^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	54.1%	109			49.3	34.8	45.3			65.8	43.5	32.8			37.5		31.7		$19,237	$545	$18,692
Voyager Elementary School	Public	K-5	1450 Byron Rd	Howell	48843	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 552-7500	517	29	17.7	24.4%	488 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	66.5	465^th of 1492 public elementary schools	68.8%		62.4	532^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	64.2%	67			36.1	50.6	48.2			44.6	62.9	44.6			50.6		33.7		$13,070	$545	$12,525
Challenger Elementary School	Public	K-5	1066 W Grand River Ave	Howell	48843	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 548-6375	465	33	14.3	29.0%	432 (92.9%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.4%)	70	405^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.9%		63.5	517^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.3%	112			27.6	50.6	63.9			51.3	54.4	52.8			47.2		41.7		$15,997	$821	$15,176
Southwest Elementary School	Public	K-5	915 Gay St	Howell	48843	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 548-6288	526	33	15.8	38.2%	424 (80.6%)	2 (0.4%)	61 (11.6%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	13 (2.5%)	19 (3.6%)	53.2	656^th of 1492 public elementary schools	56.0%		71.4	397^th of 1488 public elementary schools	73.3%	259			28.4	51.7	39.1			45.3	52.8	39.1			34.5		27.6		$16,803	$918	$15,885
Ruahmah J Hutchings Elementary	Public	K-5	3503 Bigelow Rd	Howell	48855	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 234-6074	416	29	14.5	16.6%	377 (90.6%)	3 (0.7%)	13 (3.1%)	11 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	63.1	511^th of 1492 public elementary schools	65.8%		73.1	368^th of 1488 public elementary schools	75.3%	143			53.7	50.0	49.3			43.3	51.3	40.8			45.1		22.5		$17,114	$545	$16,569
Parker Middle School	Public	K-8	400 Wright Rd	Howell	48843	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 552-4600	1,011	46	21.9	21.4%	916 (90.6%)	4 (0.4%)	55 (5.4%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	29 (2.9%)	58.1	583^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	60.9%					(n/a)	71.1	35.6	40.6	45.8	70.0	37.9	30.6	31.3	50.0	65.0	32.6	37.1	55.0	38.7	40.0	44.0	$14,314	$545	$13,769
Three Fires Elementary	Public	K-5	4125 Crooked Lake Rd	Howell	48843	Livingston County	Howell Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 548-6387	753	46	16.4	33.6%	672 (89.2%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.4%)	45.2	773^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	48.2%		54.9	648^th of 1488 public elementary schools	56.5%	125			31.1	43.7	38.5			31.8	42.1	30.3			33.0		33.9		$15,410	$901	$14,509
Natalie Kreeger Elementary School	Public	3-5	430 N Hibbard St	Fowlerville	48836	Livingston County	Fowlerville Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 223-6006	539	31	17.2	33.8%	510 (94.6%)	3 (0.6%)	17 (3.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	61.3	535^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.1%		56	631^st of 1488 public elementary schools	57.6%	96			48.7	42.5	48.0			56.5	39.9	32.6			41.1		38.3		$15,211	$1,057	$14,154
Fowlerville Elementary School	Public	K-2	420 N Hibbard St	Fowlerville	48836	Livingston County	Fowlerville Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 223-6005	494	30	16.3	37.4%	453 (91.7%)	5 (1.0%)	28 (5.7%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)								(n/a)																	$14,634	$1,135	$13,499
Hornung Elementary School	Public	K-4	4680 Bauer Rd	Brighton	48116	Livingston County	Brighton Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(810) 299-4450	558	31	18.0	9.1%	525 (94.1%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.7%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.6%)	93.2	80^th of 1492 public elementary schools	94.6%		94.5	60^th of 1488 public elementary schools	96.0%	20			61.2	74.3				67.0	79.6								$13,402	$572	$12,830

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Elementary School?

Students at Northwest Elementary School are 94% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Northwest Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 418 students attended Northwest Elementary School.

Is Northwest Elementary School a good school?

Northwest Elementary School ranks 574^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Northwest Elementary School in?

Howell Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Northwest Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Highlander Way Middle School
High : Howell High School

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

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

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.