Riverside School

Riverside School operates as a very small elementary-level community in BENTON HARBOR, Michigan, overseen by Hagar Township S/D #6. Current enrollment sits at 72 students spanning grades pre-K through 8. By comparison, Michigan's public schools average about 369 students each, so Riverside School sits 80% leaner than that benchmark.

Hagar Township S/D #6 is the operating authority for Riverside School, handling staffing, calendars, and reporting to the state department of education.

On the student-mix side, Riverside School reports that the most-represented group is White (51%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 25% Black, 13% Hispanic, 11% multiracial. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 74%.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.8:1, putting Riverside School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 68% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Berrien County runs at roughly 55%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

In the surrounding community, census data for Berrien County shows median household earnings sit near $65,425, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. Riverside School is one of 75 public schools in Berrien County (combined enrollment of about 21,027 students).

Nearest neighbor: Coloma High School, around 3.8 miles off. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Riverside School has edged down 13%, going from 83 students in 2018 to 72 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 73% to 51% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 17.7:1 in 2018 to 13.1:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.