Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Bursley School

Q: Is Bursley School a good school?

Bursley School ranks 262 nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

262^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Bursley School is an elementary school in Jenison, MI, serving 404 students in grades PK through 6 as part of the highly-rated Jenison Public Schools district, which holds a 5-star rating and ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide.

Bursley stands out for its significant investment in students. With a very low student-teacher ratio of 11.5:1 and per-student spending of $18,983—among the highest in the district, well above Rosewood School ($14,740) and Pinewood School ($17,227)—the school appears designed to offer smaller classes and more individualized attention. This investment seems to pay off particularly well for students from lower-income backgrounds: in the 2023-2024 school year, Bursley ranked in the 97th percentile statewide for academic performance with its low-income students, earning a 5-star rating. That's a strong sign the school is effective at closing achievement gaps and supporting all learners, not just those with advantages.

However, Bursley faces some distinct challenges compared to its immediate district peers. Its chronic absenteeism rate of 14.6% for 2024-2025 is the highest among Jenison's standard elementary schools (compared to 6.2% at Rosewood and 9.2% at Pinewood), though still well below the state average of 27.9%. Academically, the school has seen some fluctuation. While the 2024-2025 school year showed exceptional strength—particularly in 4th-grade math and ELA, where proficiency exceeded district averages by 10 points—the 2025-2026 data shows a dip, with 3rd-grade proficiency falling below district averages (47.9% vs. 60.5% in ELA). This recent decline has placed Bursley as the lowest-ranked among Jenison's main elementary schools for that year, though its 82nd percentile ranking remains solid. When compared to nearby Grandville Public Schools, Bursley still outperforms schools like Grandville West Elementary School and Grandville Oakestown Intermediate School. The high spending and low class sizes suggest the district is investing heavily in Bursley, but the attendance issues and recent test score volatility point to areas where that support may need to be more targeted to ensure consistent, high-level achievement for every student.

404

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,983

Per pupil spending ?

35.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

95.2%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 3.2% (any vaccine)

1195 Port Sheldon St
Jenison, MI 49428-9341

(616) 457-2200

District: Jenison Public Schools

Students who attend Bursley School usually attend:

Middle:	Jenison Junior High School
High:	Jenison High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.8%

Hispanic:

14.6%

Two or more races:

10.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Bursley School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (53% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Michigan elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg60%

Michigan avg37%

262^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 7Elementary Schools in the Jenison Public Schools

52^nd of 625Jenison 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	79.9	262 of 1492	82.4%	★★★★☆
2025	85.1	204 of 1488	86.3%	★★★★☆
2024	86.0	173 of 1486	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	285 of 1470	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	71.8	317 of 1344	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	55.9	440 of 1153	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.4	492 of 1408	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.2	288 of 1448	80.1%	★★★★☆
2017	81.4	199 of 1466	86.4%	★★★★☆
2016	77.9	286 of 1548	81.5%	★★★★☆
2015	78.7	296 of 1580	81.3%	★★★★☆
2014	81.4	217 of 1533	85.8%	★★★★☆
2013	81.9	217 of 1563	86.1%	★★★★☆
2012	82.5	215 of 1566	86.3%	★★★★☆
2011	78.8	229 of 1552	85.2%	★★★★☆
2010	83.4	41 of 1552	97.4%	★★★★★
2009	74.5	357 of 1589	77.5%	★★★★☆
2008	68.5	540 of 1577	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	67.8	520 of 1565	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.2	608 of 1545	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	71.2	309 of 1343	77.0%	★★★★☆
2025	78.2	236 of 1338	82.4%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	339 of 1342	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	60.5	451 of 1321	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	490 of 1106	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.2	218 of 902	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	49.7	567 of 1171	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.2	360 of 1443	75.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	80.5	20 of 188	89.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.6	54 of 222	75.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	73.0	254 of 1352	81.2%	★★★★☆
2025	78.0	190 of 1346	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	91.4	43 of 1381	96.9%	★★★★★
2023	82.8	128 of 1350	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	76.9	144 of 1099	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	88.5	29 of 749	96.1%	★★★★★
2019	75.2	169 of 1134	85.1%	★★★★☆
2018	68.6	333 of 1397	76.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	78.7	248 of 1372	81.9%	★★★★☆
2025	81.3	217 of 1366	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	88.9	103 of 1347	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	79.5	222 of 1334	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	74.0	252 of 1139	77.9%	★★★★☆
2021	60.2	320 of 915	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	380 of 1196	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.8	239 of 1446	83.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	80.5	9 of 78	88.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	68.5	50 of 225	77.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	71.3	304 of 1199	74.6%	★★★★☆
2025	88.1	103 of 1206	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	83.4	149 of 1204	87.6%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	210 of 1198	82.5%	★★★★☆
2022	64.7	350 of 1102	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.4	442 of 1005	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	518 of 1128	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.4	295 of 1253	76.5%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2023)89th percentile+9 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)88th percentile~ school

Male (2026)82nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile~ school

Special Education (2024)78th percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)77th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)75th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts56%+16 vs state

Math54%+17 vs state

Science49%+9 vs state

Social Studies45%+17 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Bursley School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, April 16, 2010

Bursley Elementary is a fantastic school. The staff and teachers are amazing. My kids love to go to school everyday. I have a 17 year old who went to Bursley as well as a nine year old, seven year old and a five year old who all attend Bursley. Their teachers show they care for them by giving of their time and expertise to go above and beyond for our kids. My son's third grade teacher even came out on a Saturday to cheer for him at one of his swim meets this winter. The principal works closely with staff and parents to make the school the best that it can be. We are blessed to have our children at such a wonderful elementary school. Close Quote

Schools Near Bursley School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				M-Step English Language Arts (2026)				M-Step Math (2026)				M-Step Science (2026)	M-Step Social Studies (2026)	Vaccination (2025-26)		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	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 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 Social Studies 5th Grade	Vaccination: Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bursley School	Public	PK, KG-6	1195 Port Sheldon St	Jenison	49428	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 457-2200	404	35	11.5	35.4%	282 (69.8%)	12 (3.0%)	59 (14.6%)	8 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (10.6%)	79.9	262^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	82.4%		85.1	204^th of 1488 public elementary schools	86.3%	58	47.9	62.0	55.3	59.1	56.3	64.0	34.7	57.6	48.9	44.7	95.2%	3.2%	$18,983	$641	$18,342
JIA Elementary	Public, Virtual	K-5	800 Connie St	Jenison	49428	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(616) 457-8477	83	5	17.4	20.5%	62 (74.7%)	3 (3.6%)	10 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.6%)	69.8	414^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.3%		82.1	241^st of 1488 public elementary schools	83.8%	173	60.0	42.9	53.3		46.7	35.7	60.0		40.0	53.3	63.6%	36.4%	$11,729	$479	$11,250
Sandy Hill School	Public	PK, KG-6	1990 Baldwin St	Jenison	49428	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 457-1404	402	34	11.9	38.6%	297 (73.9%)	8 (2.0%)	57 (14.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.7%)	77.8	291^st of 1492 public elementary schools	80.5%		81.5	255^th of 1488 public elementary schools	82.9%	36	44.1	60.0	68.5	61.4	52.5	53.8	37.0	45.7	53.4	42.5	95.2%	4.8%	$17,968	$635	$17,333
Rosewood School	Public	K-6	2370 Tyler St	Jenison	49428	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 669-0011	481	30	16.2	21.0%	421 (87.5%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.7%)	92.6	93^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	93.8%		86.9	177^th of 1488 public elementary schools	88.1%	84	71.8	68.7	60.8	67.6	78.9	67.2	60.8	60.8	58.1	54.1	96.1%	3.9%	$14,740	$504	$14,236
Grandville West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3777 Aaron Ave SW	Grandville	49418	Kent County	Grandville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 254-6250	191	15	12.5	39.3%	115 (60.2%)	21 (11.0%)	30 (15.7%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (11.5%)	71.1	389^th of 1492 public elementary schools	73.9%		62.2	533^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	64.2%	144	45.2	53.3			52.4	53.3					94.9%	2.6%	$19,514	$1,201	$18,313
Pinewood School	Public	K-6	2405 Chippewa St	Jenison	49428	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 457-1407	320	25	12.8	19.4%	268 (83.8%)	4 (1.3%)	28 (8.8%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)	91	117^th of 1492 public elementary schools	92.2%		84.3	214^th of 1488 public elementary schools	85.6%	97	67.3	63.8	60.0	68.1	71.2	63.8	54.5	55.3	60.0	76.4	96.4%	3.6%	$17,227	$516	$16,711
Bauerwood School	Public	K-6	1443 Bauer Rd	Jenison	49428	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 457-1408	480	30	15.7	22.1%	379 (79.0%)	10 (2.1%)	44 (9.2%)	14 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (6.7%)	93.7	71^st of 1492 public elementary schools	95.2%		90.7	110^th of 1488 public elementary schools	92.6%	39	67.6	59.0	74.7	58.3	78.9	65.4	60.0	77.8	69.3	70.7	93.2%	4.5%	$18,383	$898	$17,485
Grandville Oakestown Intermediate School	Public	3-6	3535 Wilson Ave SW	Grandville	49418	Kent County	Grandville Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 254-6750	852	44	19.4	29.2%	593 (69.6%)	44 (5.2%)	124 (14.6%)	22 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (8.1%)	72.8	370^th of 1492 public elementary schools	75.2%					(n/a)			52.5	47.0			41.6	48.9	49.4	35.6			$12,968	$586	$12,382
Grandville Century Park Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-6	5710 Kenowa Ave SW	Wyoming	49418	Kent County	Grandville Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 254-6822	411	22	18.9	25.3%	293 (71.3%)	16 (3.9%)	49 (11.9%)	21 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.5%)	81.4	245^th of 1492 public elementary schools	83.6%		79.8	274^th of 1488 public elementary schools	81.6%	29	47.5	54.5			70.0	63.6					95.7%	4.3%	$15,266	$367	$14,898
Jenison Public Schools Early Childhood Center	Public	PK, KG-6	2950 Baldwin St	Hudsonville	49426	Ottawa County	Jenison Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 777-6534	189	23	8.0	27.0%	146 (77.2%)	5 (2.6%)	27 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.8%)								(n/a)											93.8%	4.9%	$18,939	$666	$18,273

Frequently Asked Questions about Bursley School

Is Bursley School a good school?

Bursley School ranks 262^nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Bursley School?

Students at Bursley School are 70% White, 15% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 3% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Bursley School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 404 students attended Bursley School.

What schools do graduates of Bursley School attend?

Students who attend Bursley School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jenison Junior High School
High : Jenison High School

What district is Bursley School in?

Jenison Public Schools

Rate Bursley School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Jenison, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Bursley School!

Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

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.