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El Sol Elementary

Q: Is El Sol Elementary a good school?

El Sol Elementary ranks 853 rd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades K-5

853^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

El Sol Elementary is a K-5 public school in Kalamazoo, MI, serving 368 students as part of the Kalamazoo Public Schools district. The school has earned a 2-star rating and sits in the 40th percentile statewide—a solid improvement from its 1-star rating a few years ago, though it hasn't yet returned to its pre-pandemic peak. In a district where nearby schools tend to be either high-flyers or struggling, El Sol is a true "middle of the pack" option. For example, Winchell Elementary School and KingWestwood Elementary School rank in the 80th-90th percentiles, while Lincoln International Studies School ranks near the bottom. El Sol offers a balanced alternative in an area of extremes.

One of the most interesting things about El Sol is its strength in subjects that often get overlooked. In the most recent school year, 5th graders scored above both the district and state averages in Science (46.8% proficiency) and Social Studies (34% proficiency). That's a stark contrast to its performance in Math and English, where scores generally fall below state averages. Another notable pattern is the gender gap: female students rank in the 54th percentile (3 stars), while male students rank in the 24th percentile (1 star)—a 30-point difference that suggests the school may need to rethink how it engages boys. There's also a bright spot in 4th-grade math, where proficiency jumped to 33.3%, well above the district average, hinting that a particular teacher or program in that grade is worth studying.

El Sol spends a hefty $18,255 per student—more than higher-performing peers like Winchell ($14,819) and KingWestwood ($15,600)—yet the extra investment hasn't translated into top-tier results. The school does serve a higher-needs population, with 57% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and it's worth noting that its performance with low-income students has slipped in recent years. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from 29% to 17.4%, far better than the district average of 39.1%. Compared to its closest neighbor, Woodward Elementary—which faces far greater socioeconomic challenges—El Sol is clearly doing a better job supporting its students.

368

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,255

Per pupil spending ?

57.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

94%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 3% (any vaccine)

604 W Vine St
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-1153

(269) 337-0230

District: Kalamazoo Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.8%

Hispanic:

35.1%

Two or more races:

12.0%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare El Sol Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 35th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (32% vs 38% meeting standards)

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

!Math scores 16 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Michigan avg38%

853^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 15Elementary Schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools

407^th of 625Kalamazoo 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	40.5	853 of 1492	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	888 of 1488	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.5	856 of 1486	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.7	1008 of 1470	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.7	1081 of 1344	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.0	578 of 1408	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.9	824 of 1448	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.8	918 of 1466	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.7	878 of 1548	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.2	1029 of 1580	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	22.7	1250 of 1533	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	22.0	1292 of 1563	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	20.0	1361 of 1566	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.6	1399 of 1552	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2024	19.5	156 of 184	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.0	241 of 270	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	49.0	617 of 1343	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.0	808 of 1338	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.3	984 of 1342	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.1	1114 of 1321	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.6	1055 of 1106	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	56.5	477 of 1171	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.1	663 of 1443	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	32.4	150 of 225	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.9	149 of 209	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.9	148 of 201	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	162 of 188	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.1	68 of 86	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	53.9	33 of 86	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.3	128 of 222	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	1144 of 1352	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.2	988 of 1346	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.4	891 of 1381	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.0	1099 of 1350	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.9	972 of 1099	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.3	653 of 1134	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.3	937 of 1397	32.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	23.3	1043 of 1372	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.8	951 of 1366	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	725 of 1347	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.6	707 of 1334	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	787 of 1139	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.4	647 of 1196	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.0	950 of 1446	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	720 of 1199	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	72.5	293 of 1206	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	85.2	130 of 1204	89.2%	★★★★☆
2023	76.4	238 of 1198	80.1%	★★★★☆
2018	88.4	87 of 1253	93.1%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2026)54th percentile+11 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)33rd percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)24th percentile-19 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile-27 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)15th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science47%+7 vs state

English Language Arts37%-4 vs state

Social Studies34%+6 vs state

Math22%-16 vs state

4.8

4 ratings · 4 written reviews

5★3

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, April 30, 2018

Even if this school performs below average, half of the day my son is completely immersed in the Spanish language. By grade 5 he will speak the language fluently with a true understanding of the language and culture of the fastest growing demographic in America. I see nothing but benefits from being bilingual in such a thorough manner. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, May 26, 2017

Great school with lots of cultural, ethnic, racial, and economic diversity. Considering the high rates of ESL students, the test scores are actually pretty impressive. But more importantly, the children are offered something no other elementary school - public or private - can offer a dual language immersion program with half of the student body as native speakers. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, June 4, 2015

El sol elementary is a great bilingual school. It teaches students great life lessons, in both spanish and english.

Written by a former student of theirs. G.D Close Quote

by a teacher
Thursday, March 22, 2012

El Sol is a dual-language immersion school (English and Spanish). Our MEAP scores rank above many other Kalamazoo schools. Come visit us and see the wonderful staff and students. Close Quote

Schools Near El Sol 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 Vaccination 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)		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	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	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
El Sol Elementary	Public, Magnet	K-5	604 W Vine St	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0230	368	22	17.0	57.1%	161 (43.8%)	22 (6.0%)	129 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.0%)	40.5	853^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	42.8%		38.4	888^th of 1488 public elementary schools	40.3%	35			30.5	42.6	40.4			16.9	33.3	17.0			46.8		34.0		94%	3%	$18,255	$2,318	$15,937
Woodward Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	606 Stuart Ave	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0810	242	19	12.4	92.6%	30 (12.4%)	151 (62.4%)	11 (4.5%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (19.4%)	14.6	1285^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.9%		9.1	1372^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	7.8%	87			21.2	21.1	20.5			25.0	21.1	7.7			17.9		7.7				$21,518	$2,998	$18,520
Edison Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	831 Lake St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0550	376	28	13.4	96.3%	59 (15.7%)	233 (62.0%)	21 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.4%)	2 (0.5%)	52 (13.8%)	16.4	1249^th of 1492 public elementary schools	16.3%		16.5	1237^th of 1488 public elementary schools	16.9%	12			32.0	17.0	14.8			35.3	20.8	4.8			11.3		1465.8		84.7%	4.2%	$18,695	$2,537	$16,158
Lincoln International Studies School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	912 N Burdick St	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0640	306	25	12.0	81.0%	71 (23.2%)	162 (52.9%)	14 (4.6%)	14 (4.6%)	12 (3.9%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.5%)	7.2	1431^st of 1492 public elementary schools	4.1%		7.1	1422^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	4.4%	9			7.0	14.0	8.8			7.0	19.2	10.3			6.9		1465.3		88.5%	3.8%	$21,545	$2,678	$18,867
ParkwoodUpjohn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2321 S Park St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0720	427	27	15.7	50.1%	228 (53.4%)	109 (25.5%)	22 (5.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (15.0%)	72.6	374^th of 1492 public elementary schools	74.9%		58	595^th of 1488 public elementary schools	60.0%	221			51.9	47.7	64.8			53.7	37.2	39.4			57.7		52.1		88.9%	6.9%	$18,225	$2,164	$16,061
Washington Writers Academy	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1919 Portage St	Kalamazoo	49001	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0770	260	18	14.7	94.2%	37 (14.2%)	159 (61.2%)	18 (6.9%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (15.8%)	9	1392^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	6.7%		9.5	1366^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.2%	26			10.2	7.7	25.0			8.2	1359.3	13.6			11.4		6.8		90%	2.5%	$17,836	$2,741	$15,095
Winchell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2316 Winchell Ave	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0780	465	25	18.6	42.4%	257 (55.3%)	90 (19.4%)	23 (4.9%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	84 (18.1%)	74.4	346^th of 1492 public elementary schools	76.8%		86.9	175^th of 1488 public elementary schools	88.2%	171			48.2	66.3	62.2			48.2	54.7	35.4			54.9		37.8		95.8%	2.8%	$14,819	$1,822	$12,997
Northglade Montessori School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1914 Cobb Ave	Kalamazoo	49007	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0700	271	14	19.2	46.1%	139 (51.3%)	77 (28.4%)	7 (2.6%)	9 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (14.4%)	86.1	183^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	87.7%		82.1	243^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	83.7%	60			63.8	69.0	67.6			53.2	59.5	48.6			56.8		56.8		88.5%	0%	$18,432	$2,494	$15,939
Paramount Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3624 S Westnedge Ave	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Paramount Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(269) 553-6400	373	25	15.1	95.2%	65 (17.4%)	182 (48.8%)	35 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (24.4%)	22.8	1124^th of 1492 public elementary schools	24.7%		13.4	1293^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	13.1%	169	47.1	334.1	29.3	22.0	34.6	21.2	38.5	26.8	19.5	15.4	15.2	23.1	30.8	1776.4	15.4	35.3	76.4%	12.7%	$19,208	$1,332	$17,876
Woods Lake ElementaryA Magnet Center For The Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3215 Oakland Dr	Kalamazoo	49008	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(269) 337-0790	501	26	19.3	78.8%	120 (24.0%)	248 (49.5%)	40 (8.0%)	9 (1.8%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (15.4%)	23.1	1119^th of 1492 public elementary schools	25.0%		18.6	1187^th of 1488 public elementary schools	20.2%	68			15.9	17.9	31.6			20.7	8.5	27.6			33.7		20.4		90.4%	1.4%	$16,930	$2,410	$14,520

Frequently Asked Questions about El Sol Elementary

What is the racial makeup of El Sol Elementary?

Students at El Sol Elementary are 44% White, 35% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 6% African American, 3% American Indian.

What district is El Sol Elementary in?

Kalamazoo Public Schools

How many students attend El Sol Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 368 students attended El Sol Elementary.

Is El Sol Elementary a good school?

El Sol Elementary ranks 853^rd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate El Sol Elementary!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

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

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 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.