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B

Plainwell Community Schools

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns

Serves Cooper Township, Gun Plain Township and Plainwell, and parts of Otsego Township, Alamo Township, Orangeville Township and Martin Township.

Cooper Township’s School Grade B better than 55% of Michigan school districts

Students
2,620
Schools
6
Spent per student
$13,495
MI $16,528
Students per teacher
18:1
Free or reduced lunch
34%
Debt
$61.1M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Plainwell Community Schools

  • Its letter, B: results better than 64% of Michigan districts
  • Spends 18% less per student than the MI average
  • 18 students per teacher
  • Debt of $61.1M, about $23,319 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 64% of the 815 Michigan school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation close to the state, class of 2023
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
BCooper Township 10,446BGun Plain Township 6,169BPlainwell 3,722

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Cooper Township. Grade by grade →

PK–5Cooper Elementary SchoolThis district
6–82 middle schoolsThis district
9–12Parchment High SchoolParchment School District

Test scores vs. MI

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency37%
State average 33.6% · 1,323 students tested
Reading / language arts48%
State average 45.4% · 1,321 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)81%
State average 81.8% · 232 in the class

96% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$13,495 per student · 18% below MI
Spending
Classroom instruction 59%Support & administration 37%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 31%State 63%Federal 6%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
2,644’20
2,523’21
2,607’22
2,634’23
2,620’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 87%Hispanic 6%Two or more races 4%Black 2%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

6 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Michigan’s other public schools.

Gilkey Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Plainwell
B+
439 students18:1
Starr Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Plainwell
C
410 students15:1
Cooper Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Kalamazoo
B
288 students17:1
Plainwell Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Plainwell
B−
569 students17:1
Plainwell High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Plainwell
B
828 students21:1
Renaissance High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Plainwell
C−
86 students34:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Delton-Kellogg School DistrictHope Township, Prairieville Township
$13,997per student
Gull Lake Community SchoolsPrairieville Township, Richland Township
$14,272per student
Hopkins Public SchoolsWatson Township
$14,561per student
Kalamazoo Public School DistrictKalamazoo Township, Oshtemo Township
$16,885per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Michigan.