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

Eugene M Nikkari Elementary

Public Grades 3-5

1291^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 13% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Eugene M Nikkari Elementary in Saint Louis, MI, serves 215 students in grades 3-5 as part of the St. Louis Public Schools district, where 72% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Nikkari Elementary is currently facing significant academic challenges. In the most recent school year, the school ranked in the 13th percentile statewide, a sharp drop from the previous year. Proficiency rates are well below state averages across all subjects. For example, only 16.2% of 3rd graders are proficient in English Language Arts compared to the state average of 38.2%, and math proficiency has fallen to just 12.5% for 5th graders. This decline has been steep—3rd grade ELA proficiency dropped from 43.4% to 16.2% in just two years. The school's performance has been consistently low for over a decade, never exceeding the 37th percentile since 2015-2016. When compared to nearby schools, the gap is striking. North Elementary School in Ithaca, just 7 miles away, achieves nearly triple the math proficiency rate (46.2% vs. 16.2% for 3rd graders), and Breckenridge Elementary School posts 49.2% 3rd grade ELA proficiency versus Nikkari's 16.2%—even though Nikkari spends more per student ($14,345) than Breckenridge ($13,033).

There is one positive trend worth noting: chronic absenteeism has improved dramatically, dropping from 32.5% in 2021-2022 to 17.7% in 2024-2025, which is now below the state average of 27.9%. This suggests students are showing up to school more consistently, yet that improvement hasn't yet translated into academic gains. The most concerning area is math, where 5th grade proficiency has remained below 13% for three consecutive years, pointing to a systemic issue with instruction or curriculum. While science and social studies scores are relatively stronger, they still trail state averages. For parents considering this school, it's important to understand that while the school serves a high-poverty population, nearby schools with similar demographics achieve far better results, indicating that the challenges at Nikkari go beyond socioeconomic factors and will likely require comprehensive instructional changes to reverse the current trajectory.

215

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,345

Per pupil spending ?

72.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

301 W State St
Saint Louis, MI 48880-1348

(989) 681-5131

District: St. Louis Public Schools

Students who attend Eugene M Nikkari Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	TS Nurnberger Middle School
High:	St Louis High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.9%

Hispanic:

8.4%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Eugene M Nikkari Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 37th percentile in 2016 → 13th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (18% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg18%

Michigan avg38%

1,291^st of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From bottom 37% (2016) to bottom 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

479^th of 625St. Louis 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	14.3	1291 of 1492	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.7	1143 of 1488	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	1076 of 1486	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.6	1213 of 1470	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	1089 of 1344	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.1	916 of 1153	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.9	1152 of 1408	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.2	1005 of 1448	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	28.8	1037 of 1466	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	38.8	971 of 1548	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	33.6	1107 of 1580	29.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	32.5	1129 of 1533	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	41.3	1003 of 1563	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.2	902 of 1566	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	63.3	674 of 1552	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	63.4	746 of 1552	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.8	616 of 1589	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	67.5	566 of 1577	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.1	479 of 1565	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	64.3	603 of 1545	61.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	8.1	1290 of 1343	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	18.9	1102 of 1338	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	1116 of 1342	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.7	1220 of 1321	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.8	978 of 1106	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.2	774 of 902	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.3	978 of 1171	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.6	950 of 1443	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	34.2	119 of 188	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.5	82 of 222	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	16.7	1191 of 1352	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.3	1048 of 1346	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.4	862 of 1381	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.3	1037 of 1350	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	804 of 1099	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.1	598 of 749	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.3	845 of 1134	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.9	891 of 1397	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	15.0	1187 of 1372	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	22.4	1046 of 1366	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.1	945 of 1347	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.0	1081 of 1334	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.3	1025 of 1139	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.8	768 of 915	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.8	1018 of 1196	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	1016 of 1446	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	22.4	216 of 252	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	377 of 403	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	5.0	1189 of 1199	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.0	1147 of 1206	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	14.1	1081 of 1204	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.7	1139 of 1198	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.6	1042 of 1102	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.8	928 of 1005	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.2	1088 of 1128	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.1	1047 of 1253	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2023)37th percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2025)14th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2026)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile~ school

Female (2026)4th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)1st percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts20%-21 vs state

Science20%-20 vs state

Math16%-22 vs state

Social Studies14%-13 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Eugene M Nikkari Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Eugene M Nikkari Elementary

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 Eugene M Nikkari Elementary

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)				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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th 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
Eugene M Nikkari Elementary	Public	3-5	301 W State St	Saint Louis	48880	Gratiot County	St. Louis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 681-5131	215	13	16.5	72.1%	189 (87.9%)	3 (1.4%)	18 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	14.3	1291^st of 1492 public elementary schools	13.5%		20.7	1143^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	23.2%	148	16.2	18.9	26.3		16.2	18.9	12.5		19.6	14.3	$14,345	$2,228	$12,117
Carrie Knause Early Childhood Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-2	121 I And K St	Saint Louis	48880	Gratiot County	St. Louis Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 681-3535	206	13	15.8	69.4%	148 (71.8%)	1 (0.5%)	41 (19.9%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.3%)								(n/a)											$16,024	$2,298	$13,726
Pine Avenue Elementary School	Public	4-5	1025 Pine Ave	Alma	48801	Gratiot County	Alma Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 463-3111	265	17	15.6	78.5%	226 (85.3%)	2 (0.8%)	31 (11.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	40.8	845^th of 1492 public elementary schools	43.4%		45.4	784^th of 1488 public elementary schools	47.3%	61		38.9	34.1			34.4	34.1		35.7	19.4	$16,112	$1,427	$14,684
Hillcrest Elementary School	Public	1-3	515 E Elizabeth St	Alma	48801	Gratiot County	Alma Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 463-3111	400	24	16.7	77.3%	344 (86.0%)	1 (0.3%)	35 (8.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)								(n/a)	33.9				39.1						$13,472	$1,158	$12,314
Luce Road Elementary School	Public	PK-K	535 N Luce Rd	Alma	48801	Gratiot County	Alma Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 463-3111	141	16	8.7	66.7%	107 (75.9%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (15.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.5%)								(n/a)											$21,262	$1,708	$19,554
Breckenridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	515 E Summit St	Breckenridge	48615	Gratiot County	Breckenridge Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 842-3182	324	16	19.9	66.7%	305 (94.1%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.9%)	49.5	702^nd of 1492 public elementary schools	52.9%		59.2	573^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	61.5%	129	49.2	38.3	34.6		47.6	45.0	25.0		36.5	23.1	$13,033	$1,356	$11,677
North Elementary School	Public	3-6	201 E Arcada St	Ithaca	48847	Gratiot County	Ithaca Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 875-3047	295	18	16.6	50.8%	260 (88.1%)	3 (1.0%)	23 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.0%)	44.2	791^st of 1492 public elementary schools	47.0%		43.4	819^th of 1488 public elementary schools	45.0%	28	32.1	30.4	41.9	34.3	46.2	23.2	27.0	29.9	44.6	28.4	$14,209	$1,155	$13,054
South Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	400 Webster St	Ithaca	48847	Gratiot County	Ithaca Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 875-4741	234	17	14.1	48.7%	202 (86.3%)	2 (0.9%)	24 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.1%)								(n/a)											$15,228	$1,308	$13,920
Shepherd Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	301 S 4th St	Shepherd	48883	Isabella County	Shepherd Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(989) 828-5998	544	35	15.6	57.4%	463 (85.1%)	8 (1.5%)	32 (5.9%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (5.5%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.5%)	51.5	678^th of 1492 public elementary schools	54.6%		52.3	681^st of 1488 public elementary schools	54.2%	3	49.5	35.1	44.0		44.4	33.8	32.5		44.0	22.9	$16,533	$1,250	$15,283
Merrill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	345 W Alice St	Merrill	48637	Saginaw County	Merrill Community Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(989) 643-7283	196	18	10.7	59.2%	185 (94.4%)	5 (2.6%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55.6	617^th of 1492 public elementary schools	58.6%		48	751^st of 1488 public elementary schools	49.5%	134	41.9	28.6	45.9		51.6	25.0	36.1		48.6	37.8	$17,641	$2,738	$14,903

Frequently Asked Questions about Eugene M Nikkari Elementary

What schools do graduates of Eugene M Nikkari Elementary attend?

Students who attend Eugene M Nikkari Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : TS Nurnberger Middle School
High : St Louis High School

Is Eugene M Nikkari Elementary a good school?

Eugene M Nikkari Elementary ranks in the bottom 13.5% of Michigan elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Eugene M Nikkari Elementary?

Students at Eugene M Nikkari Elementary are 88% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

How many students attend Eugene M Nikkari Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 215 students attended Eugene M Nikkari Elementary.

What district is Eugene M Nikkari Elementary in?

St. Louis Public Schools

Rate Eugene M Nikkari Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Elementary School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Saint Louis, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Eugene M Nikkari Elementary!

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.