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Southwood Elementary

Q: Is Southwood Elementary a good school?

Southwood Elementary ranks 956 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

956^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Southwood Elementary is a K-5 public school in the Kentwood Public Schools district, serving 302 students in the Grand Rapids, MI area, where over 81% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Southwood stands out for its remarkable success with specific groups of students. The school ranks in the 87th percentile statewide for African American students and the 79th percentile for Special Education students—both far exceeding its overall mid-tier ranking. This suggests targeted, effective programming for these populations. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $20,632 per pupil, the highest among all nearby schools, including higher-performing ones like Explorer Elementary ($16,412) and top-ranked Countryside Elementary ($13,601). However, this investment hasn't translated into uniformly strong academics. While 3rd-grade math proficiency (36.7%) is close to the district average, 4th-grade math proficiency plummets to just 18.3%—less than half the district average of 40.5% and a dramatic drop from the prior year's 42.9%. This math weakness persists into 5th grade, where proficiency (29.2%) also trails the district.

Attendance is another challenge. While Southwood's chronic absenteeism rate (19.9%) is better than the district (25.6%) and state (27.9%) averages, it remains significantly higher than nearby schools like Discovery Elementary (12.0%). Test scores also fluctuate considerably year-to-year, suggesting performance is sensitive to specific student cohorts. The contrast with Cross Creek Charter Academy, located just 1.68 miles away, is stark—Cross Creek serves far fewer low-income students (41% vs. 81%) and achieves higher scores across all subjects. In short, Southwood is a school that clearly excels at supporting its most vulnerable learners, but faces an ongoing challenge in raising overall academic proficiency, particularly in math.

302

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,632

Per pupil spending ?

81.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

630 66th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548-6917

(616) 455-7230

District: Kentwood Public Schools

Students who attend Southwood Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pinewood Middle School
High:	East Kentwood High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.1%

Hispanic:

25.8%

African American:

22.5%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Southwood Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 59th percentile in 2016 → 36th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (29% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2016

!Social Studies scores 21 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school29%

District avg39%

Michigan avg38%

956^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 10Elementary Schools in the Kentwood Public Schools

331^st of 625Kentwood 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	32.9	956 of 1492	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.1	750 of 1488	49.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.8	791 of 1486	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.6	605 of 1470	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.2	760 of 1344	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.0	589 of 1153	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	736 of 1408	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.8	669 of 1448	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.9	595 of 1466	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.6	627 of 1548	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.9	611 of 1580	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.0	818 of 1533	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.9	1028 of 1563	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	68.5	472 of 1566	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	81.2	142 of 1552	90.9%	★★★★★
2010	75.1	317 of 1552	79.6%	★★★★☆
2009	71.4	461 of 1589	71.0%	★★★★☆
2008	83.3	111 of 1577	93.0%	★★★★★
2007	86.8	38 of 1565	97.6%	★★★★★
2006	86.9	41 of 1545	97.3%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	126 of 388	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.7	48 of 369	87.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	46 of 321	85.7%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	120 of 475	74.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	146 of 188	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	22.3	1059 of 1343	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	49.3	633 of 1338	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.7	671 of 1342	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.2	725 of 1321	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.4	749 of 1106	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.2	772 of 1171	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.9	537 of 1443	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	52.1	86 of 225	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.0	96 of 209	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.1	96 of 201	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.7	66 of 188	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	580 of 1352	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.6	400 of 1346	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	56.9	518 of 1381	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.6	224 of 1350	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	50.8	496 of 1099	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	71.6	142 of 749	81.0%	★★★★☆
2019	67.0	273 of 1134	75.9%	★★★★☆
2018	73.0	271 of 1397	80.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	42.4	762 of 1372	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	835 of 1366	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.5	939 of 1347	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.6	514 of 1334	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.9	699 of 1139	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.8	598 of 915	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.7	530 of 1196	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.4	798 of 1446	44.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	69.9	54 of 252	78.6%	★★★★☆
2018	88.5	18 of 403	95.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	721 of 1199	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.2	614 of 1206	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.6	542 of 1204	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.5	544 of 1198	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.2	740 of 1102	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.2	745 of 1005	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.1	810 of 1128	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.3	653 of 1253	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)79th percentile+29 vs school

African American (2026)68th percentile+32 vs school

Hispanic (2026)62nd percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)57th percentile+21 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile+9 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)22nd percentile-14 vs school

Female (2026)21st percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts37%-5 vs state

Science29%-11 vs state

Math28%-10 vs state

Social Studies6%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southwood 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
Southwood Elementary	Public	K-5	630 66th St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 455-7230	302	20	15.3	81.1%	109 (36.1%)	68 (22.5%)	78 (25.8%)	14 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.9%)	32.9	956^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.9%		48.1	750^th of 1488 public elementary schools	49.6%	206			35.6	33.3	41.7			36.7	18.3	29.2			29.2		6.3		$20,632	$2,527	$18,105
Townline Elementary	Public	K-5	100 60th St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 538-4120	320	21	14.9	83.1%	77 (24.1%)	78 (24.4%)	98 (30.6%)	29 (9.1%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	34 (10.6%)	18.6	1202^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	19.4%		30.9	999^th of 1488 public elementary schools	32.9%	203			8.7	28.0	26.9			26.1	28.0	15.4			19.6		11.8		$18,008	$1,814	$16,194
Glenwood Elementary	Public	K-5	912 Silverleaf St SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 455-2510	543	30	17.9	77.2%	123 (22.7%)	209 (38.5%)	118 (21.7%)	51 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.7%)	76.4	317^th of 1492 public elementary schools	78.8%		52.1	685^th of 1488 public elementary schools	54.0%	368			50.0	56.9	62.1			46.9	55.2	50.5			52.4		37.9		$14,623	$1,669	$12,953
Cross Creek Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7701 Kalamazoo Ave SE	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Cross Creek Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 656-4000	809	39	20.9	41.3%	466 (57.6%)	76 (9.4%)	107 (13.2%)	73 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	87 (10.8%)	94.6	57^th of 1492 public elementary schools	96.2%		96	41^st of 1488 public elementary schools	97.2%	16	86.0	66.3	56.6	73.8	73.6	62.4	63.1	68.7	84.5	71.3	61.2	67.9	71.3	67.4	60.9	82.6	$11,831	$566	$11,265
Southeast Kelloggsville School	Public	K-2	240 52nd St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kelloggsville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 532-1590	287	18	15.7	82.6%	32 (11.1%)	121 (42.2%)	97 (33.8%)	15 (5.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (7.0%)								(n/a)																	$16,950	$1,450	$15,500
Brookwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5465 Kalamazoo Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 455-0030	370	27	13.8	76.2%	75 (20.3%)	167 (45.1%)	49 (13.2%)	41 (11.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.7%)	33	954^th of 1492 public elementary schools	36.1%		41.1	844^th of 1488 public elementary schools	43.3%	110			31.7	40.7	30.4			31.7	45.6	17.4			21.7		8.9		$19,094	$2,474	$16,620
Countryside Elementary School	Public	K-4	8200 Eastern Ave SE	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Byron Center Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 878-6900	426	23	18.5	21.6%	319 (74.9%)	10 (2.3%)	41 (9.6%)	27 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.6%)	99.2	2^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	99.9%		98.4	9^th of 1488 public elementary schools	99.4%	7			83.1	88.2				86.7	94.1								$13,601	$470	$13,131
Explorer Elementary	Public	K-5	2307 68th St SE	Caledonia	49316	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 554-0302	556	34	16.5	55.8%	188 (33.8%)	151 (27.2%)	78 (14.0%)	68 (12.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (12.2%)	81.1	252^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	83.1%		82.1	242^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	83.7%	10			48.3	60.9	63.3			52.8	63.0	48.0			51.0		52.0		$16,412	$1,713	$14,699
Meadowlawn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4939 Burgis Ave SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 534-4608	339	21	15.9	90.3%	58 (17.1%)	109 (32.2%)	68 (20.1%)	65 (19.2%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (10.0%)	42.4	819^th of 1492 public elementary schools	45.1%		43.9	813^th of 1488 public elementary schools	45.4%	6			44.7	36.4	38.6			60.5	36.4	29.5			25.0		6.8		$16,219	$2,264	$13,955
Discovery Elementary	Public	K-5	2461 60th St SE	Grand Rapids	49508	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 871-1080	674	37	18.3	72.0%	166 (24.6%)	231 (34.3%)	109 (16.2%)	107 (15.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (8.9%)	45.3	772^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	48.3%		49.5	728^th of 1488 public elementary schools	51.1%	44			45.2	41.6	39.5			38.7	40.3	24.0			26.7		26.7		$17,266	$3,839	$13,427

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwood Elementary

What schools do graduates of Southwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Southwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pinewood Middle School
High : East Kentwood High School

How many students attend Southwood Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 302 students attended Southwood Elementary.

What district is Southwood Elementary in?

Kentwood Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Southwood Elementary?

Students at Southwood Elementary are 36% White, 26% Hispanic, 23% African American, 11% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

Is Southwood Elementary a good school?

Southwood Elementary ranks 956^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Southwood 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.