Courtade Elementary School

Courtade Elementary School is a close-knit elementary school in TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan, part of Traverse City Area Public Schools. The school serves 215 students in grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Michigan's public schools average about 369 students each, so Courtade Elementary School sits 42% below that benchmark.

Traverse City Area Public Schools comprises 16 schools with combined enrollment of 8,546 students; Courtade Elementary School is among them.

In terms of who attends, Courtade Elementary School records that nearly all students (87%) are White. Other groups include 4% Black, 3% Native American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.3:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 15.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 29% of students at Courtade Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Courtade Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 53.5%; this one delivers 51.7%.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Grand Traverse County indicate median household earnings sit near $81,647, roughly 41% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Grand Traverse County runs 32 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,069 students), of which Courtade Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is East Middle School, roughly 2.3 miles away. 6 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Courtade Elementary School at 2nd of 4; the average score across the group is 48.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 24%: 284 students in 2018 compared to 215 in 2025. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.6:1 in 2018 to 14.3:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.