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Kalkaska Elementary School

Q: Is Kalkaska Elementary School a good school?

Kalkaska Elementary School ranks 709 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

709^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Kalkaska Elementary School in Kalkaska, MI, serves approximately 517 students in grades PK-5 within the Kalkaska Public Schools district, and has recently achieved its best statewide ranking on record.

The most exciting news for parents is the school's dramatic improvement. In just one year, Kalkaska Elementary jumped from the 36th to the 52nd percentile statewide, earning its first 3-star rating. This momentum is visible in the classroom: 3rd grade reading proficiency soared from 25.8% to 50%, now exceeding the state average, and math scores improved across nearly every grade level. The school is particularly effective at supporting students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 68th percentile for this group—well above its overall ranking. This is a significant strength, as about 62% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school also showed a remarkable turnaround in supporting special education students, jumping from the 9th to the 51st percentile in a single year. When compared to nearby schools with similar demographics, Kalkaska outperforms Mancelona Elementary (42nd percentile) and Fife Lake Elementary, whose 3rd grade reading proficiency is less than half of Kalkaska's.

While the progress is encouraging, there are areas families should watch. Chronic absenteeism rose to 22.9%, up from 16.4% the previous year, which could threaten future gains. There is also a noticeable gap between grade levels—3rd graders perform well above state averages, but by 5th grade, scores dip below them—suggesting the school's strongest interventions are in the early grades. Additionally, boys are currently outperforming girls academically, a gap that has widened recently. Despite these challenges, Kalkaska Elementary is clearly on an upward trajectory, outperforming demographically similar schools in the region and proving that strong instruction can make a real difference for all students.

517

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

62.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

309 N Birch St
Kalkaska, MI 49646-8263

(231) 258-8629

District: Kalkaska Public Schools

Students who attend Kalkaska Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kalkaska Middle School
High:	Kalkaska High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.4%

Hispanic:

2.1%

Two or more races:

1.5%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Kalkaska Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 22nd percentile in 2006 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 30 percentile points since 2006

✓Above the Michigan median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg37%

Michigan avg38%

709^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 7 pts since 2024

From bottom 45% (2024) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Kalkaska Public Schools

339^th of 625Kalkaska 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	49.2	709 of 1492	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	33.9	954 of 1488	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	813 of 1486	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	50.8	1043 of 1589	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	44.1	1140 of 1577	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	17.0	1440 of 1565	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	38.4	1208 of 1545	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	832 of 1343	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.4	1120 of 1338	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.1	863 of 1342	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	60.5	437 of 1352	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.4	703 of 1346	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.9	667 of 1381	51.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	52.8	607 of 1372	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.5	781 of 1366	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.2	763 of 1347	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	50.1	120 of 246	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	18.2	229 of 252	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	34.9	796 of 1199	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	20.9	1007 of 1206	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.5	882 of 1204	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)68th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)51st percentile~ school

Female (2026)38th percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)34th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts42%~ state avg

Math39%~ state avg

Science36%-4 vs state

Social Studies23%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kalkaska 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/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
Kalkaska Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	309 N Birch St	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 258-8629	517	34	15.2	62.3%	493 (95.4%)	3 (0.6%)	11 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	49.2	709^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.5%		33.9	954^th of 1488 public elementary schools	35.9%	245			50.0	39.3	36.4			55.3	36.0	27.3			36.4		22.7		$00	$00	$00
Crawford School	Public	K-8	5521 M 72 E	Kalkaska	49646	Kalkaska County	Excelsior Township S/D #1	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 258-2934	46	3	15.3	54.3%	46 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							30.0					40.0					$14,127	$416	$13,712
Rapid City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5258 River Rd	Rapid City	49676	Kalkaska County	Kalkaska Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 331-6121	70	6	11.6	77.1%	64 (91.4%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.3%)	41.8	828^th of 1492 public elementary schools	44.5%					(n/a)					36.4					27.3			36.4		27.3		$00	$00	$00
Mill Creek Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	9039 Old M 72	Williamsburg	49690	Grand Traverse County	Mill Creek Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(231) 264-8692	233	14	17.0	24.5%	213 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	66.8	459^th of 1492 public elementary schools	69.2%					(n/a)			63.8	34.9	50.0			74.5	34.9	46.7			50.0		26.7		$10,270	$193	$10,076
Woodland School	Public, Charter	K-8	7224 Supply Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Woodland School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(231) 947-7474	209	13	15.9	22.0%	200 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	75.7	328^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.0%		63.3	521^st of 1488 public elementary schools	65.0%	193	88.0	52.0	52.2	62.5	36.0	47.4	45.5	65.2	52.2	56.0	55.6	54.5	68.0	72.0	28.0	62.5	$10,511	$299	$10,212
Mancelona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	231 W Limits St	Mancelona	49659	Antrim County	Mancelona Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 587-8661	288	18	16.1	75.7%	272 (94.4%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.8%)	40.1	859^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.4%		42.4	830^th of 1488 public elementary schools	44.2%	29			27.5	39.3				29.4	42.9								$14,993	$1,567	$13,426
Fife Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	108 Pierce St	Fife Lake	49633	Kalkaska County	Forest Area Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 879-3362	144	12	12.3	61.1%	103 (71.5%)	6 (4.2%)	4 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (18.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.5%)								(n/a)			22.0					31.7									$17,168	$2,119	$15,049
Lakeland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	616 Buckley St	Elk Rapids	49629	Antrim County	Elk Rapids Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 264-8289	289	18	16.2	29.8%	262 (90.7%)	2 (0.7%)	9 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.4%)	70	409^th of 1492 public elementary schools	72.6%		78.4	289^th of 1488 public elementary schools	80.6%	120			39.5	52.5	62.0			53.5	32.5	34.0			64.0		48.0		$15,311	$1,255	$14,056
Courtade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1111 Rasho Rd	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5800	215	15	14.2	28.8%	188 (87.4%)	9 (4.2%)	6 (2.8%)	5 (2.3%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80.2	259^th of 1492 public elementary schools	82.6%		75.6	328^th of 1488 public elementary schools	78.0%	69			70.8	50.0	59.0			69.6	37.5	61.5			61.5		35.9		$17,823	$1,206	$16,616
John R Rodger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6535 John R Rodgers Rd	Bellaire	49615	Antrim County	Bellaire Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 533-8916	119	10	12.2	52.1%	110 (92.4%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)	49.1	712^th of 1492 public elementary schools	52.3%		53.7	664^th of 1488 public elementary schools	55.4%	48			36.8	42.9	38.9			36.8	38.1	27.8			50.0		1480.1		$22,336	$1,851	$20,485

Frequently Asked Questions about Kalkaska Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Kalkaska Elementary School?

Students at Kalkaska Elementary School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Kalkaska Elementary School in?

Kalkaska Public Schools

Is Kalkaska Elementary School a good school?

Kalkaska Elementary School ranks 709^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Kalkaska Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Kalkaska Middle School
High : Kalkaska High School

How many students attend Kalkaska Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 517 students attended Kalkaska Elementary School.

Rate Kalkaska Elementary School!

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Schools in Kalkaska, MI

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

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