Eastside Connections School

Eastside Connections School operates as a reasonably sized elementary-level community in NILES, Michigan, part of Niles Community Schools. Current enrollment sits at 403 students spanning grades K through 8.

Eastside Connections School is one of 11 schools operated by Niles Community Schools, a district that caters to 3,107 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Eastside Connections School lists that White students make up the majority at 64%; the rest comes out to 14% Black, 10% Hispanic, 10% multiracial. By comparison, Berrien County as a whole is about 74% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.6:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 15.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 51% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Eastside Connections School sits in the top 10% of Michigan schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 43.6%; actual is 57.5%, +13.8 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Berrien County put the typical household earns roughly $65,425 per year, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Eastside Connections School is one of 75 public schools in Berrien County (combined enrollment of about 21,027 students).

Niles Senior High School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a metropolitan area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Eastside Connections School has showed little movement, going from 406 students in 2018 to 403 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 76% to 64%.

On allk12, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.