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Townsend Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

1233^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,492 Michigan Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Michigan elementary schools

Summary

Townsend Elementary School in Jackson, MI, is a Pre-K through 5th grade school within the Vandercook Lake Public Schools district, serving 316 students in a predominantly low-income community where over 82% of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

One of the most striking things about Townsend is its level of investment versus its academic results. The school spends a remarkable $18,960 per student—more than nearby Paragon Charter Academy ($12,738) and Keicher Elementary ($15,349), and comparable to Jackson Public Schools like Cascades Elementary ($19,265). Yet despite this high funding, the school consistently ranks in the bottom 20th percentile statewide and currently holds a 1-star rating. This gap between spending and outcomes suggests that while resources are available, they aren't yet translating into the academic gains families would hope to see.

There are some encouraging signs, however. Townsend's chronic absenteeism rate is just 20.1%—significantly better than the state average (27.9%) and far below many nearby schools like Cascades Elementary (49.0%) and Northeast Elementary (40.7%). This means students are showing up regularly, which provides a solid foundation to build upon. The school also shows a notable improvement in female student performance, jumping from the 8th to the 32nd percentile in recent years. However, a concerning pattern emerges in later grades: while 3rd-grade math proficiency was 40.6%, it plummeted to just 7.89% by 4th grade—a dramatic drop that suggests students may struggle with the transition to more advanced material. For comparison, Sharp Park Academy, just 2.35 miles away, serves a similar population but achieves proficiency rates often double or triple Townsend's, demonstrating that higher performance is achievable in the immediate area.

316

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,960

Per pupil spending ?

82.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

1005 Floyd Ave
Jackson, MI 49203-6065

(517) 782-9044

District: Vandercook Lake Public Schools

Students who attend Townsend Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Vandercook Lake High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.1%

Two or more races:

13.9%

Hispanic:

6.6%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Townsend Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 36th percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026

Worth a look

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

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 19 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg18%

Michigan avg38%

1,233^rd of 1,492

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 36% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

507^th of 625Vandercook Lake 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	17.2	1233 of 1492	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.4	1211 of 1488	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	1252 of 1486	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	1239 of 1470	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	1129 of 1344	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	1003 of 1153	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	1181 of 1408	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	1135 of 1448	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.0	1174 of 1466	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	37.6	993 of 1548	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.1	1201 of 1580	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	28.6	1190 of 1533	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.0	1186 of 1563	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	50.7	822 of 1566	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.3	1153 of 1552	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	55.6	952 of 1552	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.9	954 of 1589	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	60.3	766 of 1577	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	62.0	690 of 1565	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	48.8	999 of 1545	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	29.3	915 of 1343	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	16.9	1129 of 1338	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.0	1229 of 1342	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.4	1092 of 1321	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	984 of 1106	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	1101 of 1171	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.9	1146 of 1443	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	26.9	1017 of 1352	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.1	1016 of 1346	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.6	1143 of 1381	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	1076 of 1350	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.6	787 of 1099	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.8	577 of 749	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	909 of 1134	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.8	994 of 1397	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	14.2	1206 of 1372	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.1	1094 of 1366	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.1	1073 of 1347	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	1148 of 1334	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	858 of 1139	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.8	703 of 915	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	1011 of 1196	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.1	1068 of 1446	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	33.1	51 of 81	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	27.5	328 of 403	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	1106 of 1199	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.3	1165 of 1206	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.7	1155 of 1204	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.9	1153 of 1198	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	1036 of 1102	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.2	938 of 1005	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.0	1092 of 1128	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.9	1165 of 1253	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2018)37th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)25th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2018)19th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)12th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)8th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Science28%-12 vs state

Math23%-15 vs state

English Language Arts14%-27 vs state

Social Studies13%-15 vs state

1.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★2

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, May 28, 2022

The school is failing and a toxic environment for kids. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Townsend school is a very nice school as long as you don't have special needs kid with a behavioral problem then they can't handle them. I would defiantly look for anther school. Close Quote

Schools Near Townsend Elementary School

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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
Townsend Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1005 Floyd Ave	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Vandercook Lake Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 782-9044	316	17	18.4	82.6%	231 (73.1%)	19 (6.0%)	21 (6.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (13.9%)	17.2	1233^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	17.4%		17.4	1211^th of 1488 public elementary schools	18.6%	22			21.9	10.5	10.9			40.6	7.9	1461.9			28.3		13.0		$18,960	$1,832	$17,127
John R Lewis Elementary	Public	K-5	154 W Clark St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-2600	140	10	13.5	95.0%	51 (36.4%)	68 (48.6%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.9%)	8.9	1393^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	6.6%		9.5	1367^th of 1488 public elementary schools	8.1%	26			1264.0	20.5	1455.4			9.1	10.3	1450.0			1462.2		1457.0		$20,894	$2,357	$18,537
Sharp Park Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	766 Park Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-2860	337	19	17.5	60.2%	158 (46.9%)	95 (28.2%)	23 (6.8%)	16 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	44 (13.1%)	66.5	463^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	69.0%		71.7	388^th of 1488 public elementary schools	73.9%	75			51.0	63.6	45.5			49.0	56.8	38.6			47.7		22.7		$15,677	$1,723	$13,955
Local Based Special Education Early Childhood Programs	Public	PK-K	1226 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 768-5205	0	10	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Cascades Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1200 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-3900	398	28	14.0	91.0%	117 (29.4%)	164 (41.2%)	29 (7.3%)	7 (1.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (19.6%)	14.5	1288^th of 1492 public elementary schools	13.7%		11.4	1332^nd of 1488 public elementary schools	10.5%	44			10.2	29.1	7.3			14.3	29.1	1456.1			7.3		1467.3		$19,265	$2,993	$16,272
Dibble Elementary School	Public	K-5	3450 Kibby Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3970	282	17	17.0	70.2%	133 (47.2%)	74 (26.2%)	18 (6.4%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (19.1%)	35.6	923^rd of 1492 public elementary schools	38.1%		40.1	861^st of 1488 public elementary schools	42.1%	62			30.4	35.2	45.5			42.2	25.9	25.0			29.5		13.6		$17,082	$1,992	$15,090
Arnold Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	4064 Page Ave	Michigan Center	49254	Jackson County	Michigan Center School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 764-5700	321	19	17.0	60.7%	272 (84.7%)	5 (1.6%)	14 (4.4%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (7.8%)								(n/a)																	$14,078	$993	$13,085
Keicher Elementary School	Public	1-6	137 Broad St	Michigan Center	49254	Jackson County	Michigan Center School District	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 764-5200	402	25	15.8	55.5%	349 (86.8%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.7%)	31.4	980^th of 1492 public elementary schools	34.3%		33.6	963^rd of 1488 public elementary schools	35.3%	17			51.0	29.0	30.8	17.7		41.7	17.8	9.9	8.3		39.6		22.0		$15,349	$937	$14,412
JPS Montessori Center	Public	K-6	820 Bennett St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3870	146	9	16.9	78.1%	59 (40.4%)	38 (26.0%)	6 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (28.8%)	29.9	1004^th of 1492 public elementary schools	32.7%		24	1094^th of 1488 public elementary schools	26.5%	90			20.8	47.8	21.7			20.8	30.4	26.1			30.4		1472.2		$18,262	$1,903	$16,359
Paragon Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3750 McCain Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Paragon Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 750-9500	627	35	17.8	63.8%	263 (41.9%)	138 (22.0%)	78 (12.4%)	50 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	96 (15.3%)	65.2	490^th of 1492 public elementary schools	67.2%		56.6	617^th of 1488 public elementary schools	58.5%	127	82.4	56.9	41.7	54.5	52.2	46.3	56.5	46.5	54.5	52.2	42.6	54.3	37.7	54.9	21.7	64.7	$12,738	$1,007	$11,731

Frequently Asked Questions about Townsend Elementary School

Is Townsend Elementary School a good school?

Townsend Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.4% of Michigan elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Townsend Elementary School attend?

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

High : Vandercook Lake High School

How many students attend Townsend Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 316 students attended Townsend Elementary School.

What district is Townsend Elementary School in?

Vandercook Lake Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Townsend Elementary School?

Students at Townsend Elementary School are 73% White, 14% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 6% African American.

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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.