Paw Paw Early Elementary School

Located at 512 W NORTH ST, in PAW PAW, Michigan, Paw Paw Early Elementary School is a moderately sized elementary school that caters to 481 students (grades pre-K through 2), run under Paw Paw Public School District. Compared to the state average of about 369 students per school, that is 30% bigger than typical.

Paw Paw Public School District comprises 5 schools with combined enrollment of 2,146 students; Paw Paw Early Elementary School is among them.

On demographics, Paw Paw Early Elementary School lists that the largest single group is White, at 78% of enrollment; the rest reads as 12% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 2% Black. Compared to Van Buren County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

On the resource side, On paper, Paw Paw Early Elementary School has 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.5:1. The state averages about 15.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 41% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Van Buren County runs at roughly 52%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Van Buren County put median household income runs about $68,114, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Paw Paw Early Elementary School is one of 45 public schools in Van Buren County (combined enrollment of about 14,850 students).

Nearest neighbor: Paw Paw Later Elementary, around 0.1 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 6 other public schools cluster around Paw Paw Early Elementary School.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 19%: 405 students in 2018 compared to 481 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 87% to 78%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 16.5:1 in 2018 to 15.5:1 in 2025.

On this page, members of the Paw Paw Early Elementary School community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.