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What do you wish you knew before starting at Southwest Elementary School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
526
Elementary
DISTRICT 587 · STATE 369
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HOWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 261872005554
Southwest Elementary School
915 GAY ST, HOWELL, MI 48843 · (517) 548-6288 · Livingston County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL526 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 53% of Michigan public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Michigan public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.9:1
33 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.5:1 · STATE 15.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
38%
201 students
DISTRICT 27% · STATE 55%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 88 | 17% |
| Grade 1 | 90 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 88 | 17% |
| Grade 3 | 98 | 19% |
| Grade 4 | 86 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 76 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (88) is 16% larger than its 5th grade class (76).
Student demographics
33%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 18% · STATE 56% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Southwest Elementary School→Highlander Way Middle School
Based on grade levels within Howell Public Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
M-STEP 2024-25 . % Advanced + ProficientEnglish Language Arts
51.8%
MI avg 47.7%
Math
51.9%
MI avg 44.8%
What this means: On the M-STEP, Michigan's statewide test, about 52 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 52 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Michigan schools, those numbers are about 48 and 45.
Source: M-STEP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
48.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
49.4%
based on MI schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 49% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 49% typical for Michigan schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Michigan's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Southwest Elementary School
Southwest Elementary School's state test result (48.9% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Elementary School this school | 526 | 38.2% | 48.9% |
| Appleview Elementary School SPARTA | 517 | 38.5% | 44.6% |
| Paw Paw Early Elementary School PAW PAW | 481 | 40.5% | N/A |
| Ridgeview Elementary School SPARTA | 555 | 40.2% | N/A |
| Paw Paw Later Elementary PAW PAW | 453 | 37.5% | 41.2% |
| Steele Street Elementary School MASON | 513 | 34.5% | 37.4% |
Matched among Michigan elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Southwest Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Michigan | In Livingston County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 48.9% | #450 of 1,085 | #13 of 20 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 51.9% | #389 of 1,072 | #11 of 19 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 51.8% | #436 of 1,139 | #11 of 20 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 526 | #217 of 1,630 | #7 of 23 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.9:1 | #678 of 1,424 | #9 of 22 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 33.5% | #741 of 1,424 | #1 of 22 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 38.2% | #1,090 of 1,563 | #1 of 23 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +2.3% | #368 of 440 | #7 of 10 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
526
+28 (+6%) vs 2020
+1% since 1990-91, when it was 523
Student : Teacher
15.9:1
was 17.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 526 | 33.2 | 15.9:1 | 38% (201) |
| 2023-24 | 545 | 34.7 | 15.7:1 | 40% (217) |
| 2022-23 | 551 | 35.7 | 15.4:1 | 38% (211) |
| 2020-21 | 498 | 28 | 17.8:1 | 33% (165) |
| 2017-18 | 514 | 28.5 | 18.0:1 | 34% (173) |
| 2015-16 | 503 | 27 | 18.6:1 | 32% (162) |
| 2010-11 | 521 | 31 | 16.8:1 | 34% (175) |
| 2000-01 | 578 | 32 | 18.1:1 | 15% (87) |
| 1990-91 | 523 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Southwest Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 2% (514 to 526); teachers up 16% (28.5 to 33.2).
About Southwest Elementary School
This page covers Southwest Elementary School, a medium-sized elementary school in HOWELL, Michigan. The school reports 526 students in kindergarten through 5. The school's enrollment is 43% larger than the 369 average for elementary schools in Michigan.
The district, Howell Public Schools, operates 10 schools serving 7,045 students.
White students make up 81% of enrollment at Southwest Elementary School. The remaining shares are 12% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, and 2% Pacific Islander. Census estimates put the White share of Livingston County's population at about 94%. Southwest Elementary School's diversity index is 33%, against a US figure of 70%.
Federal records show a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.9:1 at Southwest Elementary School, with 33.2 full-time-equivalent teachers. That is close to the 15.8:1 average for elementary schools in Michigan. The count of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch equals 38% of enrollment. On average, public schools in Livingston County report 20%.
allk12 grades Southwest Elementary School a B-. The grade compares the school only with Michigan public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Southwest Elementary School sits between the top and bottom 10% of Michigan schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 48.9% and a predicted 49.4%.
Across Livingston County, the median household income is $103,039, about 40% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 3% of residents are in poverty. In all, Livingston County has 48 public schools and roughly 24,695 students.
Of nearby public schools, Challenger Elementary School is the closest, at about 0.4 miles. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of Southwest Elementary School. In a group of 5 nearby schools with scores, Southwest Elementary School ranks 1st on average proficiency.
Southwest Elementary School is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population between 100,000 and 250,000, a location NCES labels Suburb: Mid-size.
Enrollment is up 6% from 2020-21, when Southwest Elementary School had 498 students, to 2024-25, when it had 526. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, the ratio fell from 17.8:1 to 15.9:1.
Posts about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes are welcome on this page. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Livingston County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
195,833
Census ACS
Median income
$103,039
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
40%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
3%
Below federal line
Schools in county
48
24,695 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Howell Public Schools
- Howell High SchoolHigh · 1,964 students
- Parker Middle SchoolElementary · 1,011 students
- Highlander Way Middle SchoolMiddle · 789 students
- Three Fires ElementaryElementary · 753 students
- Voyager Elementary SchoolElementary · 517 students
- Challenger Elementary SchoolElementary · 465 students
Other schools in HOWELL
- Howell High SchoolHigh · 1,964 students
- Parker Middle SchoolElementary · 1,011 students
- Highlander Way Middle SchoolMiddle · 789 students
- Three Fires ElementaryElementary · 753 students
- Charyl Stockwell AcademyElementary · 696 students
- Voyager Elementary SchoolElementary · 517 students
Other Southwest Elementary schools
21 other US public schools in 14 states are named Southwest Elementary. Southwest Elementary School is the 9th largest of the 22.
- SOUTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLBAY SHORE, NY · 975 students
- Southwest ElementaryHigh Point, NC · 808 students
- Southwest Elementary SchoolSavannah, GA · 769 students
- Southwest Elementary SchoolSAN ANTONIO, TX · 728 students
- Southwest ElementaryJacksonville, NC · 720 students
Nearby schools
- Challenger Elementary School0.4 mi · 465
- Pathway School0.6 mi · 55
- Adult Transition Services0.6 mi · 76
- Howell High School0.6 mi · 1,964
- Highlander Way Middle School0.8 mi · 789
- Voyager Elementary School0.9 mi · 517
Frequently asked questions
About Southwest Elementary SchoolHow many students attend Southwest Elementary School?
Southwest Elementary School enrolls approximately 526 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Southwest Elementary School serve?
Southwest Elementary School serves grades KG-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary School is approximately 15.9:1 (33 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Southwest Elementary School?
At Southwest Elementary School, the student body is approximately 81% White, 12% Hispanic, 0% Black, 1% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is Southwest Elementary School in?
Southwest Elementary School is part of Howell Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.