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

Starr Elementary School

Q: Is Starr Elementary School a good school?

Starr Elementary School ranks 964 th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

964^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 35% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Starr Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Plainwell, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 451. 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.

Starr Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the Plainwell Community Schools district and the state of Michigan in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades were significantly lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, Starr Elementary School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 17.9% to 30.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 62.75% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year, much higher than the nearby Cooper Elementary School (28.77%) and Gilkey Elementary School (34.84%), which are also part of the Plainwell Community Schools district.

Starr Elementary School's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from a high of 298 out of 1,466 Michigan elementary schools in the 2016-2017 school year to a low of 964 out of 1,488 in the 2024-2025 school year, placing the school in the bottom third of Michigan elementary schools. This trend suggests that the school may need to implement targeted interventions and strategies to address its academic and operational challenges, including addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and providing additional resources and support for students from low-income families.

410

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,909

Per pupil spending ?

53.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

601 School Dr
Plainwell, MI 49080-1582

(269) 685-5835

District: Plainwell Community Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.9%

Hispanic:

8.5%

Two or more races:

5.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Starr Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 15th percentile in 2021 → 35th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 35th (2025) from a 15th-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (29% vs 39% meeting standards)

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

!Math scores 15 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg37%

Michigan avg39%

964^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 35%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 47% (2015) to bottom 35% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd 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	33.4	964 of 1488	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.4	1000 of 1486	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	40.8	839 of 1470	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.7	937 of 1344	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	19.2	977 of 1153	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.6	712 of 1408	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	68.4	469 of 1448	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	73.8	298 of 1466	79.7%	★★★★☆
2016	59.0	622 of 1548	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.9	830 of 1580	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	56.1	717 of 1533	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.9	616 of 1563	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.1	650 of 1566	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.7	632 of 1552	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	59.9	855 of 1552	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	62.9	731 of 1589	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	56.1	869 of 1577	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	56.5	836 of 1565	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2006	49.7	978 of 1545	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	38.4	801 of 1338	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.5	875 of 1342	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.8	797 of 1321	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.6	898 of 1106	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.0	754 of 902	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.2	632 of 1171	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.5	548 of 1443	62.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	34.2	894 of 1346	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	950 of 1381	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.3	765 of 1350	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.9	798 of 1099	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.8	629 of 749	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	57.7	422 of 1134	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.5	208 of 1397	85.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	21.8	1054 of 1366	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.2	1035 of 1347	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.8	832 of 1334	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	789 of 1139	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	16.0	815 of 915	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.4	706 of 1196	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	70.7	394 of 1446	72.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.7	1018 of 1206	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.1	1019 of 1204	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.0	849 of 1198	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	938 of 1102	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.7	931 of 1005	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	38.6	710 of 1128	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.9	518 of 1253	58.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

Female (2025)40th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)34th percentile~ school

Male (2025)23rd percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)16th percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Science38%~ state avg

English Language Arts34%-8 vs state

Social Studies25%-5 vs state

Math23%-15 vs state

★

No ratings yet

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

Rate Starr 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 Starr 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
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
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
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
Indian Prairie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	3546 Grand Prairie Rd	Kalamazoo	49006	Kalamazoo County	Kalamazoo Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(269) 337-0590	169	13	12.8	46.7%	90 (53.3%)	50 (29.6%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (15.4%)								(n/a)	54.8			54.8					$17,056	$3,454	$13,602

Frequently Asked Questions about Starr Elementary School

How many students attend Starr Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 410 students attended Starr Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Starr Elementary School?

Students at Starr Elementary School are 84% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What district is Starr Elementary School in?

Plainwell Community Schools

Is Starr Elementary School a good school?

Starr Elementary School ranks 964^th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Starr Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Plainwell, MI

Sign up for updates!

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

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.