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

Meridian Elementary School

Q: Is Meridian Elementary School a good school?

Meridian Elementary School ranks 494 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

494^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Meridian Elementary School in Sanford, MI, serves 537 students in Pre-K through 4th grade within the Meridian Public Schools district, and has transformed itself from a bottom-quartile school a decade ago into a consistently solid 3-star performer.

The most remarkable thing about Meridian is its success with students who often face the biggest challenges. For students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the school ranks in the 76th percentile statewide—a 4-star rating that stands out dramatically when compared to nearby schools like Central Park Elementary or Plymouth Elementary, which serve similar populations but don't show the same targeted strength. Even more impressive is the special education program: Meridian ranks in the 83rd percentile for these students, up from a 14th percentile ranking just a few years ago. That kind of growth suggests dedicated, effective interventions that are truly working. Interestingly, there's a consistent gender gap—boys rank in the 74th percentile while girls rank in the 56th—which might be worth a conversation with the school if you have a daughter.

Academically, 3rd graders at Meridian are thriving, with 63.7% proficient in math compared to the state average of 42.9%. However, there's a noticeable dip by 4th grade, where proficiency drops to 41.9% in math and falls below the state average in reading. This suggests the transition to more advanced curriculum may need extra support. Chronic absenteeism (around 18%) is another area to watch—it's better than the state average but higher than top performers like Pine River Elementary (8.9%). On the plus side, Meridian achieves these results while spending less per student ($14,559) than several Midland Public Schools counterparts, making its success story both effective and cost-efficient.

537

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,560

Per pupil spending ?

42.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

87.2%

Kindergartners complete for all required vaccines (2025-26)

Exemptions: 6% (any vaccine)

3353 N Meridian Rd
Sanford, MI 48657-9161

(989) 687-3500

District: Meridian Public Schools

Students who attend Meridian Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Meridian Junior High School
High:	Meridian Early College High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.6%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Hispanic:

3.4%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Meridian Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 22nd percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Michigan average (48% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 45 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Michigan median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg48%

Michigan avg40%

494^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 45 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

204^th of 625Meridian 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	64.7	494 of 1492	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	61.9	536 of 1488	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.4	492 of 1486	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.9	521 of 1470	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.0	595 of 1344	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.4	510 of 1153	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	28.7	998 of 1408	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.5	893 of 1448	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	18.8	1176 of 1466	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.6	1211 of 1548	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.5	1183 of 1580	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	42.3	973 of 1533	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.0	1175 of 1563	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	32.9	1182 of 1566	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	49.7	1003 of 1552	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	43.6	1176 of 1552	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	58.2	841 of 1589	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.9	940 of 1577	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.7	919 of 1565	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	52.7	912 of 1545	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.1	593 of 1343	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.1	614 of 1338	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.9	418 of 1342	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.7	356 of 1321	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	40.1	642 of 1106	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.5	478 of 902	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.2	951 of 1171	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.7	908 of 1443	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	68.3	327 of 1352	75.8%	★★★★☆
2025	53.5	571 of 1346	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.7	536 of 1381	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.9	301 of 1350	77.7%	★★★★☆
2022	46.4	551 of 1099	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.6	352 of 749	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.6	905 of 1134	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.2	904 of 1397	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	70.8	350 of 1372	74.5%	★★★★☆
2025	66.5	424 of 1366	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	543 of 1347	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	614 of 1334	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	538 of 1139	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.1	452 of 915	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.7	920 of 1196	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.0	833 of 1446	42.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	72.1	43 of 246	82.5%	★★★★☆
2025	36.3	164 of 252	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.7	348 of 403	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	51.2	570 of 1199	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.9	651 of 1206	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.4	561 of 1204	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.0	569 of 1198	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.5	660 of 1102	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.6	570 of 1005	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.2	1001 of 1128	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.8	969 of 1253	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2026)83rd percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)76th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2026)74th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)56th percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)52nd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Math53%+12 vs state

English Language Arts44%+4 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Meridian 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 Meridian 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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				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	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	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
Meridian Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	3353 N Meridian Rd	Sanford	48657	Midland County	Meridian Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 687-3500	537	34	15.8	42.1%	492 (91.6%)	3 (0.6%)	18 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.5%)	64.7	494^th of 1492 public elementary schools	66.9%		61.9	536^th of 1488 public elementary schools	64.0%	42	48.7	38.1		63.7	41.9				87.2%	6%	$14,560	$997	$13,563
Woodcrest Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5500 Drake St	Midland	48640	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 923-7940	600	35	17.3	27.7%	490 (81.7%)	9 (1.5%)	37 (6.2%)	31 (5.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.2%)	84.5	210^th of 1492 public elementary schools	85.9%		89.2	134^th of 1488 public elementary schools	91.0%	76	40.4	62.8	73.5	48.6	68.1	60.6	77.8	61.6	92%	1.1%	$13,542	$361	$13,181
Siebert Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	5700 Siebert St	Midland	48640	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 923-7835	643	35	18.2	27.1%	537 (83.5%)	3 (0.5%)	40 (6.2%)	23 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.1%)	85	197^th of 1492 public elementary schools	86.8%		89.6	127^th of 1488 public elementary schools	91.5%	70	56.1	70.8	65.0	48.0	66.7	50.8	59.3	51.7	90.5%	6%	$12,481	$370	$12,111
Floyd School	Public	K-5	725 S 8 Mile Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Bullock Creek School District	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 832-2081	306	22	13.9	56.2%	296 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	46.4	755^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.4%		63.7	509^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.8%	246	34.0	40.9	40.8	40.0	34.1	36.7	42.9	20.4	94.4%	3.7%	$16,528	$1,934	$14,594
Pine River Elementary School	Public	3-5	1894 E Pine River Rd	Midland	48640	Midland County	Bullock Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(989) 631-5121	254	13	19.6	18.5%	234 (92.1%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	85.1	194^th of 1492 public elementary schools	87.0%		85.3	201^st of 1488 public elementary schools	86.5%	7	62.9	67.1	52.9	71.9	73.8	48.3	54.0	41.4			$13,102	$1,018	$12,085
Adams Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1005 Adams Dr	Midland	48642	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 923-6037	479	30	16.0	28.0%	381 (79.5%)	10 (2.1%)	26 (5.4%)	25 (5.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (6.9%)	75.5	333^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	77.7%		82.5	238^th of 1488 public elementary schools	84.0%	95	54.3	43.2	53.1	59.2	47.5	49.0	56.3	44.8	92.4%	7.6%	$15,465	$370	$15,095
PrePrimary Center at Carpenter Street School	Public	PK-K	1407 W Carpenter St	Midland	48640	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(989) 923-6411	63	8	8.1	23.8%	47 (74.6%)	2 (3.2%)	4 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (14.3%)								(n/a)									96.1%	3.9%	$19,030	$373	$18,657
Central Park Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1400 Rodd St	Midland	48640	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 923-6836	646	41	15.8	62.2%	503 (77.9%)	24 (3.7%)	46 (7.1%)	11 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.2%)	54 (8.4%)	61.2	537^th of 1492 public elementary schools	64.0%		67.2	461^st of 1488 public elementary schools	69.0%	76	50.0	50.9	41.4	55.2	39.6	33.1	52.6	29.3	86.4%	1.5%	$16,726	$1,123	$15,603
Plymouth Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1105 E Sugnet Rd	Midland	48642	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 923-7616	406	25	16.3	51.2%	333 (82.0%)	11 (2.7%)	21 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (9.4%)	62.5	523^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	64.9%		65.9	478^th of 1488 public elementary schools	67.9%	45	34.3	53.1	49.2	35.8	54.7	38.5	49.2	38.5	93%	3.5%	$15,735	$925	$14,810
Chestnut Hill Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	3900 Chestnut Hill Dr	Midland	48642	Midland County	Midland Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(989) 923-6634	416	22	18.5	42.3%	335 (80.5%)	6 (1.4%)	25 (6.0%)	13 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	34 (8.2%)	50.9	682^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	54.3%		54.1	658^th of 1488 public elementary schools	55.8%	24	34.9	41.1	44.4	36.8	39.2	35.2	53.7	27.8	95.5%	0%	$13,959	$354	$13,604

Frequently Asked Questions about Meridian Elementary School

What district is Meridian Elementary School in?

Meridian Public Schools

How many students attend Meridian Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 537 students attended Meridian Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Meridian Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Meridian Junior High School
High : Meridian Early College High School

What is the racial makeup of Meridian Elementary School?

Students at Meridian Elementary School are 92% White, 4% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

Is Meridian Elementary School a good school?

Meridian Elementary School ranks 494^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Meridian Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Sanford, MI

Sign up for updates!

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

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.