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Gilkey Elementary School

Q: Is Gilkey Elementary School a good school?

Gilkey Elementary School ranks 635 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

635^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 57% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Gilkey Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Plainwell, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 399. The school is part of the Plainwell Community Schools district, which is ranked 225 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Gilkey Elementary School consistently outperforms the Plainwell Community Schools district and the state of Michigan in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Gilkey's 3rd-grade students scored 52% proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 39.2% for the district and 38.9% for the state. The school also has a strong special education program, ranking in the top 50 out of 252 Michigan elementary schools for special education students in the 2024-2025 school year, with a 4-star rating. However, the school has experienced fluctuating chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 37.9% over the past few years, which is an area that the school could focus on improving.

Gilkey Elementary School generally outperforms the nearby Cooper Elementary School, which is also part of the Plainwell Community Schools district. However, Starr Elementary School, another nearby school in the same district, has lower academic performance compared to Gilkey. Overall, Gilkey Elementary School is a strong-performing school within the Plainwell Community Schools district, with a focus on special education and consistently high academic achievement, but the school could benefit from addressing its chronic absenteeism rates.

439

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,672

Per pupil spending ?

32.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

707 S Woodhams St
Plainwell, MI 49080-1762

(269) 685-2424

District: Plainwell Community Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.7%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Hispanic:

5.2%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Gilkey Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 90th percentile in 2015 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Michigan median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (41% vs 28% Michigan)

!Ranking has slipped — down 33 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg37%

Michigan avg39%

635^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 33 pts since 2015

From top 10% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Plainwell Community Schools

225^th of 613Plainwell Community 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
2025	55.8	635 of 1488	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	608 of 1486	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.0	458 of 1470	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.1	339 of 1344	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	61.7	375 of 1153	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.1	274 of 1408	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	73.8	378 of 1448	73.9%	★★★★☆
2017	72.4	317 of 1466	78.4%	★★★★☆
2016	79.4	267 of 1548	82.8%	★★★★☆
2015	85.7	159 of 1580	89.9%	★★★★☆
2014	83.8	174 of 1533	88.6%	★★★★☆
2013	78.8	278 of 1563	82.2%	★★★★☆
2012	70.3	436 of 1566	72.2%	★★★★☆
2011	71.0	460 of 1552	70.4%	★★★★☆
2010	77.0	246 of 1552	84.1%	★★★★☆
2009	75.3	341 of 1589	78.5%	★★★★☆
2008	76.2	312 of 1577	80.2%	★★★★☆
2007	74.8	313 of 1565	80.0%	★★★★☆
2006	68.7	472 of 1545	69.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	707 of 1338	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.4	640 of 1342	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.6	372 of 1321	71.8%	★★★★☆
2022	81.9	138 of 1106	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	69.7	206 of 902	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	72.4	259 of 1171	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	73.6	356 of 1443	75.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	51.5	613 of 1346	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	495 of 1381	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.9	495 of 1350	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	77.9	130 of 1099	88.2%	★★★★☆
2021	71.7	140 of 749	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	61.4	362 of 1134	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.4	336 of 1397	75.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	59.0	531 of 1366	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.6	569 of 1347	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.3	545 of 1334	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	427 of 1139	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.8	554 of 915	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.2	296 of 1196	75.3%	★★★★☆
2018	69.9	406 of 1446	71.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	50 of 252	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	59.5	74 of 225	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	86.6	13 of 195	93.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	755 of 1206	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.7	677 of 1204	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.1	507 of 1198	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.9	280 of 1102	74.6%	★★★★☆
2021	55.2	407 of 1005	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.8	331 of 1128	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	60.8	468 of 1253	62.6%	★★★☆☆

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)80th percentile+23 vs school

Male (2025)61st percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)47th percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)37th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts50%+8 vs state

Math42%+3 vs state

Science37%-4 vs state

Social Studies23%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Gilkey Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				M-Step English Language Arts (2025)			M-Step Math (2025)			M-Step Science (2025)	M-Step Social Studies (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Gilkey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	707 S Woodhams St	Plainwell	49080	Allegan County	Plainwell Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 685-2424	439	24	18.2	32.3%	385 (87.7%)	4 (0.9%)	23 (5.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.5%)	55.8	635^th of 1488 public elementary schools	57.3%		56.5	608^th of 1486 public elementary schools	59.1%	27	52.0	52.1	46.8	54.7	36.6	34.2	36.7	22.8	$13,672	$560	$13,112
Starr Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 School Dr	Plainwell	49080	Allegan County	Plainwell Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 685-5835	410	27	15.0	53.9%	344 (83.9%)	7 (1.7%)	35 (8.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.1%)	33.4	964^th of 1488 public elementary schools	35.2%		31.4	1000^th of 1486 public elementary schools	32.7%	36	22.2	37.7	42.0	13.9	29.5	25.9	38.3	24.7	$14,909	$2,122	$12,787
Dix Street Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	503 Dix St	Otsego	49078	Allegan County	Otsego Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 694-7703	357	24	14.6	50.1%	293 (82.1%)	6 (1.7%)	17 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (11.5%)	53.7	665^th of 1488 public elementary schools	55.3%		58.1	578^th of 1486 public elementary schools	61.1%	87	37.0	46.8	41.8	18.5	45.7	36.4	58.2	36.4	$12,542	$830	$11,712
Washington Street Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	538 Washington St	Otsego	49078	Allegan County	Otsego Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 694-7800	448	26	17.4	48.0%	396 (88.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (5.4%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)	63.7	511^th of 1488 public elementary schools	65.7%		61	538^th of 1486 public elementary schools	63.8%	27	42.3	57.5	48.1	55.1	64.4	30.9	46.9	28.4	$12,480	$1,079	$11,400
Cooper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7559 N 14th St	Kalamazoo	49009	Kalamazoo County	Plainwell Community Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 349-2674	288	17	16.9	22.9%	263 (91.3%)	6 (2.1%)	9 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	54.7	651^st of 1488 public elementary schools	56.3%		49.8	697^th of 1486 public elementary schools	53.1%	46	46.2	34.0	63.8	48.7	24.0	48.9	40.4	27.7	$13,742	$945	$12,797
Alamo Elementary School	Public	K-5	8184 N 6th St	Kalamazoo	49009	Kalamazoo County	Otsego Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(269) 694-7603	287	17	16.6	29.6%	262 (91.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.9%)	82.3	239^th of 1488 public elementary schools	83.9%		76	315^th of 1486 public elementary schools	78.8%	76	66.7	60.8	66.7	72.9	58.8	50.0	53.7	35.2	$11,072	$393	$10,678
Robert D Brandon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1583 University St	Martin	49070	Allegan County	Martin Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 442-0450	299	18	16.7	50.2%	255 (85.3%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	51	702^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	52.8%		38.9	870^th of 1486 public elementary schools	41.5%	168	40.5	53.3	40.5	34.2	42.2	14.3	45.2	38.1	$14,219	$1,564	$12,655
Parchment Northwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	600 Edison St	Kalamazoo	49004	Kalamazoo County	Parchment School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 488-1300	178	14	12.7	65.7%	113 (63.5%)	26 (14.6%)	14 (7.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (13.5%)								(n/a)	7.5			12.5					$16,203	$1,693	$14,511
Parchment North Elementary School	Public	4-5	5535 Keyes Dr	Kalamazoo	49004	Kalamazoo County	Parchment School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 488-1400	208	14	14.8	53.8%	137 (65.9%)	28 (13.5%)	16 (7.7%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (12.0%)	34.7	941^st of 1488 public elementary schools	36.8%		36.1	918^th of 1486 public elementary schools	38.2%	23		21.6	49.5		13.7	24.3	39.8	26.2	$16,400	$1,582	$14,819
Parchment Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	516 N Orient St	Kalamazoo	49004	Kalamazoo County	Parchment School District	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 488-1000	289	16	18.0	62.3%	191 (66.1%)	34 (11.8%)	14 (4.8%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (16.3%)								(n/a)	18.2			32.5					$16,146	$1,590	$14,556

Frequently Asked Questions about Gilkey Elementary School

What district is Gilkey Elementary School in?

Plainwell Community Schools

What is the racial makeup of Gilkey Elementary School?

Students at Gilkey Elementary School are 88% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

Is Gilkey Elementary School a good school?

Gilkey Elementary School ranks 635^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gilkey Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 439 students attended Gilkey Elementary School.

Rate Gilkey Elementary School!

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Schools in Plainwell, 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.