Alto Elementary School

Public PK, KG-5

6150 Bancroft Ave SE
Alto, MI 49302-9311

(616) 987-2600

SchoolDigger Rank:
91^st of 1,470 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,499

Students who attend Alto Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Lowell Middle School
High:	Lowell Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7

Number of students: 407

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.9%

Hispanic:

5.7%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Alto Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Alto Elementary School ranks better than 93.8% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Lowell Area Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.31. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (91.9%), Hispanic (5.7%), two or more races (2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 24.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Alto Elementary School is 16.7, which is the 2^nd best among 3 elementary schools in the Lowell Area Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Alto Elementary School employs 24.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alto Elementary School is $12,499. 2 elementary schools in the Lowell Area Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Alto Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Alto Elementary School 91^st of 1470 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Alto Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Lowell Area Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Lowell Area Schools 38^th of 606 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Alto Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Alto Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	83.32	100^th	1545	93.5%
2007	81.97	151^st	1565	90.4%
2008	83.84	96^th	1577	93.9%
2009	81.23	170^th	1589	89.3%
2010	81.90	92^nd	1552	94.1%
2011	83.45	78^th	1552	95.0%
2012	89.97	85^th	1566	94.6%
2013	88.24	112^th	1563	92.8%
2014	89.30	85^th	1533	94.5%
2015	89.56	103^rd	1580	93.5%
2016	91.53	82^nd	1548	94.7%
2017	90.72	69^th	1466	95.3%
2018	94.61	44^th	1448	97.0%
2019	91.90	71^st	1408	95.0%
2021	82.71	153^rd	1153	86.7%
2022	88.58	116^th	1344	91.4%
2023	91.31	91^st	1470	93.8%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Alto Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	94.97	18^th	1397	98.7%
2019	94.64	15^th	1134	98.7%
2021	83.03	51^st	749	93.2%
2022	84.86	62^nd	1099	94.4%
2023	89.62	55^th	1350	95.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Alto Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	93.97	35^th	1443	97.6%
2019	84.93	108^th	1171	90.8%
2021	79.37	126^th	902	86.0%
2022	86.68	99^th	1106	91.0%
2023	89.03	86^th	1321	93.5%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Alto Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	92.00	68^th	1446	95.3%
2019	93.15	40^th	1196	96.7%
2021	82.59	103^rd	915	88.7%
2022	83.86	135^th	1139	88.1%
2023	89.26	86^th	1334	93.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Alto Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	93.47	36^th	1253	97.1%
2019	90.60	61^st	1128	94.6%
2021	80.70	141^st	1005	86.0%
2022	83.56	131^st	1102	88.1%
2023	87.70	101^st	1198	91.6%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Alto Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	434	5	4	8	2	n/a	n/a	453
1989	485	3	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	499
1990	514	3	3	9	3	n/a	n/a	532
1991	491	3	4	8	1	n/a	n/a	507
1992	493	1	5	13	70	n/a	n/a	582
1993	498	2	4	11	0	n/a	n/a	515
1994	490	2	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	500
1995	391	2	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	401
1996	391	2	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	401
1997	385	1	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	395
1998	399	1	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	410
1999	407	1	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	416
2000	412	2	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	430
2001	387	1	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	398
2002	385	4	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	396
2003	385	4	0	6	1	n/a	n/a	396
2004	383	1	0	5	1	n/a	n/a	390
2005	371	4	3	1	1	n/a	n/a	380
2006	374	6	7	5	1	n/a	n/a	393
2007	388	6	7	6	1	n/a	n/a	408
2008	403	4	7	2	7	n/a	n/a	423
2009	432	3	8	6	5	n/a	n/a	454
2010	425	8	5	8	2	n/a	n/a	448
2011	435	6	2	8	1	3	0	455
2012	428	4	3	18	0	0	7	460
2013	438	6	2	17	1	1	6	471
2014	434	5	2	16	0	1	10	468
2015	453	7	5	25	0	1	9	500
2016	455	3	6	27	0	2	7	500
2017	451	4	5	24	0	2	6	492
2018	461	8	6	28	1	0	1	505
2019	448	4	3	26	0	0	1	482
2020	440	5	3	27	0	0	2	477
2021	410	1	3	20	0	0	3	437
2022	385	1	1	17	0	0	4	408
2023	374	0	1	23	1	0	8	407

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Alto Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	453	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	499	n/a	n/a	7.6
1990	532	27.0	19.7	9.2
1991	507	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	582	n/a	n/a	9.3
1993	515	n/a	0.0	15.1
1994	500	20.0	25.0	7.4
1995	401	20.2	19.9	8.2
1996	401	20.2	19.9	8.2
1997	395	21.0	18.8	8.1
1998	410	21.0	19.5	11
1999	416	21.0	19.8	9.6
2000	430	22.0	19.5	14
2001	398	21.5	18.5	17.6
2002	396	21.2	18.7	20.2
2003	396	21.2	18.7	20.2
2004	390	21.6	18.1	16.2
2005	380	21.5	17.7	18.4
2006	393	20.5	19.2	21.9
2007	408	22.2	18.4	26
2008	423	22.2	19.1	19.6
2009	454	23.1	19.7	24.7
2010	448	23.5	19.0	27.2
2011	455	20.6	22.0	24.4
2012	460	20.6	22.3	30
2013	471	24.5	19.1	27.6
2014	468	24.5	19.0	25
2015	500	24.0	20.8	26.6
2016	500	24.0	20.8	26.8
2017	492	24.7	19.9	28.3
2018	505	24.5	20.6	30.7
2019	482	25.4	18.9	30.1
2020	477	24.9	19.1	23.7
2021	437	22.0	19.8	23.1
2022	408	23.3	17.5	22.5
2023	407	24.3	16.7	24.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Alto Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	453	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	499	n/a	n/a	7.6
1990	532	27.0	19.7	9.2
1991	507	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	582	n/a	n/a	9.3
1993	515	n/a	0.0	15.1
1994	500	20.0	25.0	7.4
1995	401	20.2	19.9	8.2
1996	401	20.2	19.9	8.2
1997	395	21.0	18.8	8.1
1998	410	21.0	19.5	11
1999	416	21.0	19.8	9.6
2000	430	22.0	19.5	14
2001	398	21.5	18.5	17.6
2002	396	21.2	18.7	20.2
2003	396	21.2	18.7	20.2
2004	390	21.6	18.1	16.2
2005	380	21.5	17.7	18.4
2006	393	20.5	19.2	21.9
2007	408	22.2	18.4	26
2008	423	22.2	19.1	19.6
2009	454	23.1	19.7	24.7
2010	448	23.5	19.0	27.2
2011	455	20.6	22.0	24.4
2012	460	20.6	22.3	30
2013	471	24.5	19.1	27.6
2014	468	24.5	19.0	25
2015	500	24.0	20.8	26.6
2016	500	24.0	20.8	26.8
2017	492	24.7	19.9	28.3
2018	505	24.5	20.6	30.7
2019	482	25.4	18.9	30.1
2020	477	24.9	19.1	23.7
2021	437	22.0	19.8	23.1
2022	408	23.3	17.5	22.5
2023	407	24.3	16.7	24.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Alto Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$481 (5.2%)	$8,852 (94.8%)	$9,334
2020	$456 (4.4%)	$9,984 (95.6%)	$10,441
2021	$1,311 (12.4%)	$9,287 (87.6%)	$10,598
2022	$884 (7.4%)	$11,006 (92.6%)	$11,889
2023	$1,115 (8.9%)	$11,384 (91.1%)	$12,499

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Alto Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 71^st of 1408 Elementary schools	Ranks 91^st of 1470 Elementary schools	1.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alto Elementary School)	78.9	84.7	5.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Area Schools)	69.9	63.8	6.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.1	40.9	4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Alto Elementary School)	76.3	84.7	8.4%
3rd Grade Math (Lowell Area Schools)	69.9	65.4	4.5%
3rd Grade Math (Michigan)	46.7	42.9	3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Alto Elementary School)	82.5	75.7	6.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Area Schools)	66.9	71.5	4.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
4th Grade Math (Alto Elementary School)	76.3	72.9	3.4%
4th Grade Math (Lowell Area Schools)	61.6	67.2	5.6%
4th Grade Math (Michigan)	41.8	38.6	3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Alto Elementary School)	75.7	75.4	0.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lowell Area Schools)	68.5	73.4	4.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	46.2	43.9	2.3%
5th Grade Math (Alto Elementary School)	70.3	62.3	8%
5th Grade Math (Lowell Area Schools)	54.7	54	0.7%
5th Grade Math (Michigan)	34.8	31.5	3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (Alto Elementary School)	28.4	29	0.6%
5th Grade Social Studies (Lowell Area Schools)	28.6	39.7	11.1%
5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)	17.4	18.6	1.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	482	407	15.6%
African American	4	0	100%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	26	23	11.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	448	374	16.5%
Two or More Races	1	8	700%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	30.1%	24.6%	5.5%

Schools Near Alto Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				M-Step English Language Arts (2023)			M-Step Math (2023)			M-Step Science (2023)	M-Step Social Studies (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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 Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alto Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6150 Bancroft Ave SE	Alto	49302	Kent County	Lowell Area Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 987-2600	407	24	16.7	24.6%	374 (91.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	91.3	91^st of 1470 public elementary schools	93.8%		88.6	116^th of 1344 public elementary schools	91.4%	25	84.7	75.7	75.4	84.7	72.9	62.3	59.4	29.0	$12,499	$1,115	$11,384
Kettle Lake Elementary School	Public	K-4	8451 Garbow Dr SE	Alto	49302	Kent County	Caledonia Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 868-6113	371	23	15.8	15.9%	327 (88.1%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (5.7%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.3%)	93.4	60^th of 1470 public elementary schools	95.9%		90.5	95^th of 1344 public elementary schools	92.9%	35	64.4	78.8		68.5	85.2				$13,797	$1,366	$12,430
Bushnell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	700 Elizabeth St	Lowell	49331	Kent County	Lowell Area Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 987-2650	276	20	14.0	44.9%	227 (82.2%)	5 (1.8%)	25 (9.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	16 (5.8%)								(n/a)									$14,173	$1,529	$12,644
Cherry Creek Elementary School	Public	2-5	12675 Foreman St	Lowell	49331	Kent County	Lowell Area Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 987-2700	468	27	17.2	42.7%	409 (87.4%)	9 (1.9%)	24 (5.1%)	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	12 (2.6%)	80.6	246^th of 1470 public elementary schools	83.3%		73	304^th of 1344 public elementary schools	77.4%	58	48.2	65.8	67.6	54.5	61.4	44.4	59.3	38.0	$17,208	$3,120	$14,088
Pine Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	3250 Redford Dr SE	Grand Rapids	49546	Kent County	Forest Hills Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 493-8910	491	25	19.2	9.0%	443 (90.2%)	5 (1.0%)	6 (1.2%)	15 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	96.7	29^th of 1470 public elementary schools	98.0%		94.1	50^th of 1344 public elementary schools	96.3%	21	79.6	78.1		84.7	74.3				$13,202	$489	$12,713
Emmons Lake Elementary School	Public	K-4	8950 Kraft Ave SE	Caledonia	49316	Kent County	Caledonia Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 528-8100	400	24	16.9	24.5%	320 (80.0%)	11 (2.8%)	22 (5.5%)	19 (4.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.8%)	90.7	103^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	93.0%		93.6	58^th of 1344 public elementary schools	95.7%	45	64.1	69.7		74.4	65.8				$14,708	$1,593	$13,116
Thornapple Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	6932 Bridgewater Dr SE	Grand Rapids	49546	Kent County	Forest Hills Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 493-8920	395	22	17.6	14.9%	305 (77.2%)	7 (1.8%)	18 (4.6%)	35 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.6%)	91.7	88^th of 1470 public elementary schools	94.0%		93.8	55^th of 1344 public elementary schools	95.9%	33	59.5	75.8		77.0	69.6				$13,097	$1,144	$11,953
Caledonia Elementary School	Public	K-4	9770 Duncan Lake Ave SE	Caledonia	49316	Kent County	Caledonia Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 891-8181	312	20	15.5	22.1%	260 (83.3%)	3 (1.0%)	22 (7.1%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.4%)	97.4	15^th of 1470 public elementary schools	99.0%		97.1	14^th of 1344 public elementary schools	99.0%	1	72.5	82.9		92.2	80.0				$14,910	$1,186	$13,724
Duncan Lake Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	9751 Duncan Lake Ave SE	Caledonia	49316	Kent County	Caledonia Community Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 891-6220	66	10	6.8	22.7%	55 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.0%)	3 (4.5%)	1 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.6%)								(n/a)									$15,975	$1,084	$14,891
Ada Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	731 Ada Dr SE	Ada	49301	Kent County	Forest Hills Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(616) 493-8940	331	23	14.3	12.7%	271 (81.9%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	36 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.4%)	94.6	52^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	96.5%		96.7	21^st of 1344 public elementary schools	98.4%	31	64.1	87.5		76.9	82.1				$15,286	$1,136	$14,150

Frequently Asked Questions about Alto Elementary School

What district is Alto Elementary School in?

Lowell Area Schools

What schools do graduates of Alto Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Lowell Middle School
High : Lowell Senior High School

How many students attend Alto Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 407 students attended Alto Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Alto Elementary School?

Students at Alto Elementary School are 92% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is Alto Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Alto Elementary School ranks in the top 6.2% of Michigan elementary schools.

Rate Alto Elementary School!

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Schools in Alto, MI

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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.

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