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

Shelters Elementary School

Q: Is Shelters Elementary School a good school?

Shelters Elementary School ranks 800 th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

800^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 46% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Shelters Elementary School is a mid-sized public school in Southgate, MI, serving 327 students in grades PK-5 within the Southgate Community School District. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with about 67% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Shelters has some remarkable bright spots that set it apart from nearby schools. Most notably, the school excels in 4th-grade math, achieving a 64% proficiency rate on the M-Step for two consecutive years—far exceeding the district average of around 40% and outperforming every nearby school, including Jefferson Elementary School (54.6%) and Lindemann Elementary School. The school also shows exceptional results with specific student groups, ranking in the 92nd percentile statewide for African American students and the 78th percentile for Hispanic students—a significant outlier compared to its overall mid-range ranking. Additionally, 5th-grade science proficiency (34%) is close to the state average and higher than several neighboring schools like Washington Elementary School and Fordline Elementary School.

However, the school faces notable challenges. Chronic absenteeism sits at 33.8%, more than double the rate at higher-performing nearby schools like Jefferson (15.5%) and Lindemann (17.1%). Academic performance is inconsistent across grade levels—while 4th-grade math shines at 64%, 3rd-grade math proficiency drops to just 28.3%, well below the state average. Social studies remains a weak spot at 19.1% proficiency. Within its own district, Shelters outperforms North Pointe Elementary and significantly outpaces Fordline Elementary, which serves a similar demographic but ranks in the 23rd percentile. The school spends over $20,000 per student—about $5,000 more than Lindemann—yet that financial advantage hasn't translated into top-tier overall results. Shelters' ranking has declined from a peak in the 71st percentile several years ago to its current 46th percentile, suggesting the school has effective strategies in certain areas but hasn't been able to apply them consistently across all grades and subjects.

327

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,327

Per pupil spending ?

67.3%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

12600 Fordline St
Southgate, MI 48195-2306

(734) 246-4631

District: Southgate Community School District

Students who attend Shelters Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Davidson Middle School
High:	Southgate Anderson High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.5%

Hispanic:

17.4%

African American:

17.1%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Shelters Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 46th percentile in 2016 → 46th in 2026

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg33%

Michigan avg38%

800^th of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Southgate Community School District

396^th of 625Southgate Community School District 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	43.7	800 of 1492	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	51.3	697 of 1488	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	754 of 1486	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.7	763 of 1470	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.4	905 of 1344	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	740 of 1153	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.2	534 of 1408	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.7	426 of 1448	70.6%	★★★★☆
2017	64.5	427 of 1466	70.9%	★★★★☆
2016	46.7	842 of 1548	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.4	821 of 1580	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.6	727 of 1533	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	40.5	1014 of 1563	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.2	1058 of 1566	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	50.0	990 of 1552	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	61.3	812 of 1552	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.2	902 of 1589	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	58.4	809 of 1577	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	70.3	444 of 1565	71.6%	★★★★☆
2006	56.9	804 of 1545	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	84.5	28 of 369	92.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	34.7	833 of 1343	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.6	712 of 1338	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.4	815 of 1342	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.4	887 of 1321	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.3	971 of 1106	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.8	488 of 902	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	73.4	237 of 1171	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	377 of 1443	73.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	67.1	46 of 209	78.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	53.2	558 of 1352	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.4	373 of 1346	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	57.3	511 of 1381	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.1	585 of 1350	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.1	764 of 1099	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.3	414 of 749	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	74.3	181 of 1134	84.0%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	278 of 1397	80.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	677 of 1372	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.5	647 of 1366	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.1	660 of 1347	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.0	467 of 1334	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.9	678 of 1139	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.2	597 of 1196	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.5	462 of 1446	68.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	56.0	140 of 403	65.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	38.2	744 of 1199	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.6	659 of 1206	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	800 of 1204	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.2	719 of 1198	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.7	796 of 1102	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.9	649 of 1005	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.1	424 of 1128	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.2	463 of 1253	63.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2025)92nd percentile+39 vs school

Hispanic (2025)78th percentile+25 vs school

Special Education (2018)65th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)59th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)51st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)38th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Math41%+3 vs state

English Language Arts36%-5 vs state

Science34%-6 vs state

Social Studies19%-8 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Shelters 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

What people are saying

by a student
Monday, August 26, 2013

Shelters Elementary is a wonderful school. The teachers there are kind and loving, almost parent like. They will help you with any problems you have with your school work and do it kindly without yelling at you because you don't know how to do it. I went here from kindergarten all the way to 5th grade and had a great experience. I recommend this school to any parent that is moving to Southgate. Only once did I have a teacher that was mean but in the long run he ended up helping bring out the academically best in me. The kindergarten teachers that teach here are some of the nicest people i have ever met. Overall, this elementary school is great and what i believe to be the best elementary school around. Close Quote

Schools Near Shelters 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 Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)	PSAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)					M-Step Math (2026)					M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		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	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shelters Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12600 Fordline St	Southgate	48195	Wayne County	Southgate Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 246-4631	327	24	13.4	67.3%	175 (53.5%)	56 (17.1%)	57 (17.4%)	9 (2.8%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	26 (8.0%)	43.7	800^th of 1492 public elementary schools	46.4%		51.3	697^th of 1488 public elementary schools	53.2%	103			23.9	32.0	51.1			28.3	64.0	29.8			34.0		19.1		$20,327	$1,121	$19,207
Creative Montessori Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	15100 Northline Rd	Southgate	48195	Wayne County	Creative Montessori Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(734) 284-5600	759	41	18.7	60.5%	295 (38.9%)	240 (31.6%)	170 (22.4%)	20 (2.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (4.2%)	20.4	1169^th of 1492 public elementary schools	21.6%		20.8	1141^st of 1488 public elementary schools	23.3%	28	64.4	28.8	16.9	22.1	25.4	36.3	46.2	7.0	14.0	10.4	23.5	38.5	25.4	20.3	13.4	47.5	$12,302	$1,884	$10,417
Grogan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13300 Burns St	Southgate	48195	Wayne County	Southgate Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 246-4642	353	23	15.1	63.5%	235 (66.6%)	43 (12.2%)	58 (16.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	13 (3.7%)	46.9	745^th of 1492 public elementary schools	50.1%		31.7	982^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	34.0%	237			28.3	34.5	42.3			43.5	32.7	20.8			41.5		47.2		$20,538	$1,314	$19,224
Fordline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	14775 Fordline St	Southgate	48195	Wayne County	Southgate Community School District	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 246-4640	308	21	14.8	74.0%	182 (59.1%)	48 (15.6%)	62 (20.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.2%)	21.9	1143^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	23.4%		16.6	1233^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	17.1%	90			12.2	30.8	29.3			14.3	32.7	12.1			24.1		20.7		$22,306	$1,611	$20,694
Hoover School	Public	PK, KG-5	3750 Howard St	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-0207	287	28	10.1	88.9%	119 (41.5%)	47 (16.4%)	99 (34.5%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.6%)	46.8	748^th of 1492 public elementary schools	49.9%		42.1	831^st of 1488 public elementary schools	44.2%	83			51.4	30.8	51.5			43.2	35.9	21.2			36.4		21.2		$30,683	$2,261	$28,421
North Pointe Elementary	Public	K-5	18635 Bowie St	Southgate	48195	Wayne County	Southgate Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(734) 246-4600	218	17	13.2	65.1%	95 (43.6%)	46 (21.1%)	58 (26.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	18 (8.3%)	43.1	806^th of 1492 public elementary schools	46.0%		34	951^st of 1488 public elementary schools	36.1%	145			32.7	34.1	41.9			44.9	39.0	12.9			41.9		25.8		$20,560	$886	$19,673
Earl F Carr School	Public	PK, KG-5	3901 Ferris Ave	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-0230	311	19	16.1	92.0%	127 (40.8%)	41 (13.2%)	130 (41.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	40.4	854^th of 1492 public elementary schools	42.8%		53.8	662^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	55.5%	192			31.4	56.4	40.0			25.0	40.0	24.5			24.0		22.0		$20,593	$2,536	$18,057
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1515 15th St	Wyandotte	48192	Wayne County	Wyandotte School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 759-5600	473	26	18.2	54.3%	360 (76.1%)	33 (7.0%)	58 (12.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.0%)	55.8	613^th of 1492 public elementary schools	58.9%		39.1	879^th of 1488 public elementary schools	40.9%	266			43.0	58.8	43.1			41.8	54.6	26.2			33.8		18.5		$15,623	$1,037	$14,585
James Foote School	Public	PK, KG-5	3250 Abbott Ave	Lincoln Park	48146	Wayne County	Lincoln Park School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 389-0216	308	17	17.7	88.0%	106 (34.4%)	43 (14.0%)	132 (42.9%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.8%)	35.4	926^th of 1492 public elementary schools	37.9%		31.6	984^th of 1488 public elementary schools	33.9%	58			23.1	41.2	51.9			23.5	32.0	20.4			37.0		13.0		$18,317	$2,908	$15,409
Washington Elementary School	Public	K-5	1440 Superior Blvd	Wyandotte	48192	Wayne County	Wyandotte School District of the City of	No	No	No	Yes	(734) 759-6100	379	25	15.1	48.0%	272 (71.8%)	12 (3.2%)	73 (19.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	42.3	823^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	44.8%		50.2	714^th of 1488 public elementary schools	52.0%	109			23.7	56.1	39.7			31.0	50.0	20.6			28.6		22.2		$18,557	$1,246	$17,311

Frequently Asked Questions about Shelters Elementary School

What district is Shelters Elementary School in?

Southgate Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Shelters Elementary School?

Students at Shelters Elementary School are 54% White, 17% Hispanic, 17% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Shelters Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 327 students attended Shelters Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Shelters Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Davidson Middle School
High : Southgate Anderson High School

Is Shelters Elementary School a good school?

Shelters Elementary School ranks 800^th of 1492 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Shelters Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Southgate, MI

Sign up for updates!

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

Latest Michigan data All new data »

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 6, 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.