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John R Lewis Elementary

Public Grades K-5

1393^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

John R Lewis Elementary is a small K-5 school in Jackson, MI, serving 140 students as part of the Jackson Public Schools district, where 95% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school is facing significant academic challenges. Its state ranking has fallen sharply from the 22nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 7th percentile in 2025-2026, placing it among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Michigan. Test scores are below both district and state averages across all subjects. A particularly concerning trend is in 3rd-grade math, where proficiency dropped from 25% in 2023-2024 to just 9% in 2025-2026—a foundational skill that is critical for future learning. This decline stands in stark contrast to nearby Sharp Park Academy, which ranks in the 69th percentile, and even Dibble Elementary at the 38th percentile. The school does spend significantly more per student ($20,894) than Sharp Park ($15,677), yet achieves far weaker results, suggesting that factors like instructional quality and school climate may play a larger role than funding alone.

There is one bright spot worth noting: chronic absenteeism has been cut nearly in half, from a staggering 65.6% in 2021-2022 down to 36.6% in 2024-2025. This improvement is more dramatic than at other district schools like Cascades Elementary (49.0%) or Northeast Elementary (40.7%). However, this progress has not yet translated into better test scores, which hit their lowest point on record in 2025-2026. Additionally, 5th-grade social studies showed a relative strength in 2023-2024, with proficiency more than triple the district average—a potential area to build upon. For parents, this school is working hard on getting kids to class, but academic recovery remains a work in progress.

140

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,894

Per pupil spending ?

95%

Free/discounted lunch ?

154 W Clark St
Jackson, MI 49203-5031

(517) 841-2600

District: Jackson Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

48.6%

White:

36.4%

Two or more races:

12.9%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 22nd percentile in 2024 → 7th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (13% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (37% vs 28% Michigan)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school13%

District avg21%

Michigan avg38%

1,393^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 16 pts since 2024

From bottom 22% (2024) to bottom 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Jackson Public Schools

515^th of 625Jackson 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	8.9	1393 of 1492	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.5	1367 of 1488	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.1	1155 of 1486	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	12.7	1248 of 1352	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	987 of 1381	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)8th percentile~ school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts20%-21 vs state

Math10%-29 vs state

★

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Schools Near John R Lewis 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
John R Lewis Elementary	Public	K-5	154 W Clark St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-2600	140	10	13.5	95.0%	51 (36.4%)	68 (48.6%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.9%)	8.9	1393^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	6.6%		9.5	1367^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.1%	26			1264.0	20.5	1455.4			9.1	10.3	1450.0			1462.2		1457.0		$20,894	$2,357	$18,537
Sharp Park Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	766 Park Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-2860	337	19	17.5	60.2%	158 (46.9%)	95 (28.2%)	23 (6.8%)	16 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (13.1%)	66.5	463^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	69.0%		71.7	388^th of 1488 public elementary schools	73.9%	75			51.0	63.6	45.5			49.0	56.8	38.6			47.7		22.7		$15,677	$1,723	$13,955
Local Based Special Education Early Childhood Programs	Public	PK-K	1226 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 768-5205	0	10	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Cascades Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1200 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-3900	398	28	14.0	91.0%	117 (29.4%)	164 (41.2%)	29 (7.3%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (19.6%)	14.5	1288^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.7%		11.4	1332^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	10.5%	44			10.2	29.1	7.3			14.3	29.1	1456.1			7.3		1467.3		$19,265	$2,993	$16,272
Townsend Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1005 Floyd Ave	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Vandercook Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 782-9044	316	17	18.4	82.6%	231 (73.1%)	19 (6.0%)	21 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (13.9%)	17.2	1233^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	17.4%		17.4	1211^th of 1488 public elementary schools	18.6%	22			21.9	10.5	10.9			40.6	7.9	1461.9			28.3		13.0		$18,960	$1,832	$17,127
Dibble Elementary School	Public	K-5	3450 Kibby Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3970	282	17	17.0	70.2%	133 (47.2%)	74 (26.2%)	18 (6.4%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (19.1%)	35.6	923^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	38.1%		40.1	861^st of 1488 public elementary schools	42.1%	62			30.4	35.2	45.5			42.2	25.9	25.0			29.5		13.6		$17,082	$1,992	$15,090
JPS Montessori Center	Public	K-6	820 Bennett St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3870	146	9	16.9	78.1%	59 (40.4%)	38 (26.0%)	6 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (28.8%)	29.9	1004^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.7%		24	1094^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.5%	90			20.8	47.8	21.7			20.8	30.4	26.1			30.4		1472.2		$18,262	$1,903	$16,359
Arnold Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	4064 Page Ave	Michigan Center	49254	Jackson County	Michigan Center School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 764-5700	321	19	17.0	60.7%	272 (84.7%)	5 (1.6%)	14 (4.4%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (7.8%)								(n/a)																	$14,078	$993	$13,085
Northeast Elementary School	Public	K-5	1024 Fleming Ave	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-2501	396	28	14.1	98.0%	129 (32.6%)	126 (31.8%)	49 (12.4%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (21.5%)	7.6	1420^th of 1492 public elementary schools	4.8%		8	1399^th of 1488 public elementary schools	6.0%	21			1262.2	12.0	15.7			1259.4	16.0	1458.0			5.9		1463.3		$19,801	$2,570	$17,231
Paragon Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3750 McCain Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Paragon Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 750-9500	627	35	17.8	63.8%	263 (41.9%)	138 (22.0%)	78 (12.4%)	50 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	96 (15.3%)	65.2	490^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.2%		56.6	617^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.5%	127	82.4	56.9	41.7	54.5	52.2	46.3	56.5	46.5	54.5	52.2	42.6	54.3	37.7	54.9	21.7	64.7	$12,738	$1,007	$11,731

Frequently Asked Questions about John R Lewis Elementary

How many students attend John R Lewis Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 140 students attended John R Lewis Elementary.

What district is John R Lewis Elementary in?

Jackson Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of John R Lewis Elementary?

Students at John R Lewis Elementary are 49% African American, 36% White, 13% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Is John R Lewis Elementary a good school?

John R Lewis Elementary ranks in the bottom 6.6% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate John R Lewis Elementary!

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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.