HowardEllis Elementary School

HowardEllis Elementary School operates as a medium-sized primary school in NILES, Michigan, one of the schools within Niles Community Schools. Current enrollment sits at 529 students spanning grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 369 students per school, that is 43% above typical.

Across the 11 schools in Niles Community Schools (3,107 students total), HowardEllis Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, HowardEllis Elementary School logs that 64% of the student body identifies as White; the rest breaks down as 16% Black, 10% multiracial, 9% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 85% White, putting the school's mix visibly less White than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, HowardEllis Elementary School has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 19.5:1. The state averages around 15.8:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 66% of students at HowardEllis Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is higher than Cass County's rate of about 54%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, HowardEllis Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 36.9%; this one delivers 41.2%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Cass County put median household earnings sit near $70,443, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Cass County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,258 students), of which HowardEllis Elementary School is one.

Ring Lardner Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 3.5 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around HowardEllis Elementary School.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at HowardEllis Elementary School has contracted 25%, going from 704 students in 2018 to 529 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 70% to 64% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 20.8:1 in 2018 to 19.5:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for HowardEllis Elementary School typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.