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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Michigan rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Kingsley Area Elementary School

Q: Is Kingsley Area Elementary School a good school?

Kingsley Area Elementary School ranks 532 nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

532^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 64% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Kingsley Area Elementary School in Kingsley, MI, serves 655 students in Pre-K through 5th grade within the Kingsley Area Schools district, a rural community just southeast of Traverse City. The school has a solid statewide reputation, ranking in the 64th percentile of Michigan elementary schools for 2025-2026, though it has dipped from its 85th-percentile peak in the mid-2010s.

What truly sets Kingsley apart is its exceptional work with students from low-income families. Nearly half of its students (48.4%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school ranks in the 79th percentile for this subgroup—far outpacing its overall ranking. This consistent strength (76th and 83rd percentiles in prior years) shows the school is highly effective at closing achievement gaps. Another standout is 5th-grade performance: proficiency rates of 52.9% in science and 41.2% in social studies are well above state averages (40% and 27.5%). The school also keeps kids in class—its chronic absenteeism rate of 16% is nearly half the state average of 27.9% and far better than nearby Traverse Heights Elementary School (36.8%) or Fife Lake Elementary School (43.4%).

Kingsley achieves these results while spending just $12,095 per student—significantly less than most Traverse City Area Public Schools elementaries, which range from $14,502 to $20,986. Despite lower funding, Kingsley outperforms several higher-spending TCAPS schools like Blair Elementary School (22nd percentile) and Traverse Heights (35th percentile). One concern: 3rd-grade reading proficiency has dropped sharply from 69.9% in 2023-2024 to 42.4% in 2025-2026, though it remains above the state average. Parents should ask the school about this trend, but overall, Kingsley offers strong value—efficient spending, high attendance, and remarkable support for students who need it most.

655

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,095

Per pupil spending ?

48.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

311 Clark St
Kingsley, MI 49649-2500

(231) 263-5261

District: Kingsley Area Schools

Students who attend Kingsley Area Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kingsley Area Middle School
High:	Kingsley Area High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.6%

Hispanic:

1.5%

African American:

1.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Kingsley Area Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2016 → 64th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (44% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Above the Michigan median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg44%

Michigan avg38%

532^nd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 15% (2016) to top 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

104^th of 625Kingsley Area 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	61.5	532 of 1492	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.1	476 of 1488	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.8	426 of 1486	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	60.4	542 of 1470	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.0	372 of 1344	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	81.2	169 of 1153	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	75.5	296 of 1408	79.0%	★★★★☆
2018	83.1	215 of 1448	85.2%	★★★★☆
2017	81.8	190 of 1466	87.0%	★★★★☆
2016	81.2	232 of 1548	85.0%	★★★★☆
2015	83.8	195 of 1580	87.7%	★★★★☆
2014	80.3	239 of 1533	84.4%	★★★★☆
2013	75.5	332 of 1563	78.8%	★★★★☆
2012	73.9	366 of 1566	76.6%	★★★★☆
2011	81.7	132 of 1552	91.5%	★★★★★
2010	82.6	69 of 1552	95.6%	★★★★★
2009	80.2	196 of 1589	87.7%	★★★★☆
2008	72.1	431 of 1577	72.7%	★★★★☆
2007	74.5	322 of 1565	79.4%	★★★★☆
2006	79.7	186 of 1545	88.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.2	592 of 1343	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.9	419 of 1338	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.2	327 of 1342	75.6%	★★★★☆
2023	52.4	571 of 1321	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.3	292 of 1106	73.6%	★★★★☆
2021	76.5	151 of 902	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	73.1	243 of 1171	79.2%	★★★★☆
2018	77.8	276 of 1443	80.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	70.6	289 of 1352	78.6%	★★★★☆
2025	68.4	327 of 1346	75.7%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	233 of 1381	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	65.2	361 of 1350	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	74.0	176 of 1099	84.0%	★★★★☆
2021	96.4	8 of 749	98.9%	★★★★★
2019	90.8	36 of 1134	96.8%	★★★★★
2018	86.8	93 of 1397	93.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	60.4	496 of 1372	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.8	515 of 1366	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.1	478 of 1347	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.0	509 of 1334	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.2	407 of 1139	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	80.2	124 of 915	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	281 of 1196	76.5%	★★★★☆
2018	84.6	182 of 1446	87.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	47.6	616 of 1199	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.0	550 of 1206	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.6	463 of 1204	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.3	632 of 1198	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.8	436 of 1102	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	77.0	176 of 1005	82.5%	★★★★☆
2019	68.3	315 of 1128	72.1%	★★★★☆
2018	76.4	252 of 1253	79.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)79th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile~ school

Female (2026)56th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)49th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science53%+13 vs state

English Language Arts46%+5 vs state

Social Studies41%+14 vs state

Math39%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Kingsley Area Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Kingsley Area Elementary 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

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Kingsley Area Elementary 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 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
Kingsley Area Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	311 Clark St	Kingsley	49649	Grand Traverse County	Kingsley Area Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 263-5261	655	37	17.8	48.4%	633 (96.6%)	7 (1.1%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	61.5	532^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	64.3%		66.1	476^th of 1488 public elementary schools	68.0%	56			42.4	41.4	55.9			40.7	40.5	35.3			52.9		41.2		$12,095	$1,432	$10,663
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
Blair Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1625 Sawyer Rd	Traverse City	49685	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5700	202	18	11.2	63.9%	168 (83.2%)	5 (2.5%)	16 (7.9%)	3 (1.5%)	9 (4.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20.8	1165^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.9%		25.1	1077^th of 1488 public elementary schools	27.6%	88			23.5	12.9	26.9			32.4	19.4	15.4			30.8		1472.0		$20,986	$1,971	$19,015
Cherry Knoll Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 3 Mile Rd N	Traverse City	49696	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-8940	333	22	15.0	29.7%	282 (84.7%)	14 (4.2%)	15 (4.5%)	5 (1.5%)	14 (4.2%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	56.3	607^th of 1492 public elementary schools	59.3%		56.3	624^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.1%	17			47.4	42.0	60.8			45.6	28.0	37.3			41.2		25.5		$15,049	$1,110	$13,940
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
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
Silver Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5858 Culver Rd	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-3580	286	18	15.9	37.8%	265 (92.7%)	4 (1.4%)	9 (3.1%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39.8	867^th of 1492 public elementary schools	41.9%		50.3	711^th of 1488 public elementary schools	52.2%	156			37.1	29.4	48.5			34.3	19.6	39.4			39.4		21.2		$15,944	$1,288	$14,656
Traverse Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	933 Rose St	Traverse City	49686	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-3500	245	18	13.2	73.1%	148 (60.4%)	22 (9.0%)	36 (14.7%)	4 (1.6%)	32 (13.1%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32.4	965^th of 1492 public elementary schools	35.3%		19.8	1162^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	21.9%	197			27.9	29.4	50.0			15.6	1374.9	18.8			40.0		1475.7		$19,376	$2,201	$17,175
TCAPS Montessori School	Public	PK, KG-8	4053 Franke Rd	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(231) 933-6420	331	20	16.4	17.5%	302 (91.2%)	11 (3.3%)	7 (2.1%)	5 (1.5%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	81.7	241^st of 1492 public elementary schools	83.8%		85.5	199^th of 1488 public elementary schools	86.6%	42	506.7	529.2	60.4	57.5	68.3	74.1	76.7	54.2	50.0	43.9	85.2	76.7	58.5	66.7	36.6	1815.8	$16,808	$717	$16,092
Central Grade School	Public	PK, KG-7	301 W Seventh St	Traverse City	49684	Grand Traverse County	Traverse City Area Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(231) 933-5910	510	30	17.0	42.4%	426 (83.5%)	17 (3.3%)	26 (5.1%)	24 (4.7%)	13 (2.5%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	82.9	231^st of 1492 public elementary schools	84.5%		81.8	248^th of 1488 public elementary schools	83.3%	17			49.3	61.0	69.6			45.7	43.8	62.8			66.1		53.6		$15,714	$1,254	$14,461

Frequently Asked Questions about Kingsley Area Elementary School

What district is Kingsley Area Elementary School in?

Kingsley Area Schools

What is the racial makeup of Kingsley Area Elementary School?

Students at Kingsley Area Elementary School are 97% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Kingsley Area Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kingsley Area Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Kingsley Area Middle School
High : Kingsley Area High School

How many students attend Kingsley Area Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 655 students attended Kingsley Area Elementary School.

Is Kingsley Area Elementary School a good school?

Kingsley Area Elementary School ranks 532^nd of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Kingsley Area Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Kingsley, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Kingsley Area Elementary School!

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.