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Elmwood Elementary School

Public Grades 3-5
959th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 1,488 Michigan Elementary Schools
Better than 36% of Michigan elementary schools
Summary

Elmwood Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, serving grades 3-5 with a total enrollment of 314 students. The school is part of the South Lake Schools district, which is ranked 541 out of 613 districts in Michigan and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Elmwood Elementary School faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, below-average academic performance on M-Step tests, and varying outcomes across different student subgroups. While the school's multi-racial students perform relatively well, its African American, white, and special education students all perform below the state averages for their respective subgroups. Despite a steady increase in per-student spending, the school's performance has generally declined over the past several years, with its statewide ranking dropping from the top 40% of Michigan elementary schools in 2014-2015 to the bottom 25% in 2024-2025.

Interestingly, Elmwood Elementary School's performance lags behind nearby schools, such as Harmon Elementary (part of the Lakeview Public Schools district) and the Grosse Pointe Public Schools elementary schools, which have higher academic proficiency rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better overall performance. Addressing the root causes of these issues, such as socioeconomic factors and resource allocation, will be crucial for Elmwood Elementary School to better serve its students and community.

305
Students ?
13.8
Student/teacher ratio ?
$18,604
Per pupil spending ?
52.8%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 22700 California St
       Saint Clair Shores, MI  48080-3824

(586) 435-1101

District: South Lake Schools


Students who attend Elmwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    South Lake Middle School
High:    South Lake High School
Racial breakdown:

African American:
54.4%
White:
32.1%
Two or more races:
9.5%
more
 See top rated Michigan elementary schools

 Compare Elmwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Rebounding — 11th percentile in 2021 → 36th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is rebounding — up to 36th (2025) from a 11th-percentile low (2021)
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Michigan average (30% vs 39% meeting standards)
!Social Studies scores 15 pts below the Michigan average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school30%
District avg30%
Michigan avg39%
959th of 1,488
Michigan public elementary schools ?
Bottom 36%▼ down 28 pts since 2015
From top 37% (2015) to bottom 36% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
541st of 613South Lake 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202533.7959 of 148835.6%★★☆☆☆
202423.41112 of 148625.2%★☆☆☆☆
202326.71045 of 147028.9%★☆☆☆☆
202216.21134 of 134415.6%★☆☆☆☆
202114.01031 of 115310.6%★☆☆☆☆
201940.6822 of 140841.6%★★☆☆☆
201852.9742 of 144848.8%★★☆☆☆
201755.3588 of 146659.9%★★★☆☆
201657.8644 of 154858.4%★★★☆☆
201562.2577 of 158063.5%★★★☆☆
201456.8701 of 153354.3%★★★☆☆
201344.5940 of 156339.9%★★☆☆☆
201251.9801 of 156648.9%★★☆☆☆
201164.4641 of 155258.7%★★★☆☆
201069.9522 of 155266.4%★★★☆☆
200969.5529 of 158966.7%★★★☆☆
200866.2601 of 157761.9%★★★☆☆
200769.6462 of 156570.5%★★★★☆
200672.3369 of 154576.1%★★★★☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202539.9194 of 36947.4%★★☆☆☆
202442.3172 of 34850.6%★★★☆☆
202333.4199 of 32138.0%★★☆☆☆
202230.5107 of 15832.3%★★☆☆☆
202127.640 of 5121.6%★☆☆☆☆
201862.5121 of 47574.5%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202527.6963 of 133828.0%★☆☆☆☆
202421.11070 of 134220.3%★☆☆☆☆
202320.71052 of 132120.4%★☆☆☆☆
20228.21061 of 11064.1%☆☆☆☆☆
20219.1870 of 9023.5%☆☆☆☆☆
201929.4856 of 117126.9%★☆☆☆☆
201848.2796 of 144344.8%★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202534.2893 of 134633.7%★★☆☆☆
202427.21041 of 138124.6%★☆☆☆☆
202330.6951 of 135029.6%★☆☆☆☆
202222.0901 of 109918.0%★☆☆☆☆
202118.2674 of 74910.0%★☆☆☆☆
201937.2745 of 113434.3%★★☆☆☆
201861.3487 of 139765.1%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202530.8936 of 136631.5%★★☆☆☆
202420.41081 of 134719.7%★☆☆☆☆
202325.4980 of 133426.5%★☆☆☆☆
202216.3982 of 113913.8%★☆☆☆☆
202112.3858 of 9156.2%☆☆☆☆☆
201942.5691 of 119642.2%★★☆☆☆
201853.6694 of 144652.0%★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202567.621 of 9377.4%★★★★☆
202350.729 of 8164.2%★★★☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202546.5128 of 25249.2%★★☆☆☆
202332.5144 of 19526.2%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMichigan percentileRating
202553.6542 of 120655.1%★★★☆☆
202428.2886 of 120426.4%★☆☆☆☆
202349.6586 of 119851.1%★★★☆☆
202230.3785 of 110228.8%★☆☆☆☆
202133.2693 of 100531.0%★★☆☆☆
201951.8533 of 112852.7%★★★☆☆
201860.6470 of 125362.5%★★★☆☆
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)
Multi-racial (2025)77th percentile+42 vs school
White (2025)55th percentile+20 vs school
Special Education (2025)49th percentile+14 vs school
African American (2025)47th percentile+12 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)34th percentile~ school
Male (2025)31st percentile-4 vs school
Female (2025)28th percentile-8 vs school
By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?
Science37%-3 vs state
English Language Arts36%-6 vs state
Math27%-11 vs state
Social Studies15%-15 vs state

4.7
6 ratings · 6 written reviews
54
42
30
20
10
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What people are saying
by a parent
Friday, October 19, 2018

Open Quote This school's staff and community create a wonderful learning environment for children. I've been very impressed. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Open Quote I have been part of the South Lake family for many years. The amazing and dedicated staff members put students and learning first. Teachers, parents, administrators and support staff work together to provide positive learning opportunities for all students. Close Quote


by a teacher
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Open Quote It is an honor to teach with the dedicated, passionate professional teachers in this district. The families we work with are amazing. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Open Quote I can't say enough positive things about this school. Both of my sons are thriving here. The entire staff is committed to student success. I love the family/community feeling of the school and the participation of not only families but community businesses in supporting the school. I am proud to have my children in South Lake Schools. Close Quote


by a student
Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Open Quote I grew up in the South Lake district. I attended Elmwood and later tutored there. Now I help out there when I can while I am in college. I hope to one day teach there. The teachers there are dedicated to their students. Most of the teachers in the district have been teaching there for many years. I cannot think of any reason not to put your children in the South Lake district. It is a caring community of hard workers. Close Quote


by a parent
Sunday, September 19, 2010

Open Quote My daughter is doing very well at Elmwood and their curriculum is fantastic. She's taking Spanish this year and we're all very excited. Great teachers and good energy throughout the school. Don't know much about the new principal but the teachers seem to like her and respect her input so far. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Elmwood Elementary School

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

Middle : South Lake Middle School
High : South Lake High School

Elmwood Elementary School ranks 959th of 1488 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Elmwood Elementary School are 54% African American, 32% White, 10% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

In the 2024-25 school year, 305 students attended Elmwood Elementary School.


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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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