Walters Elementary

Walters Elementary operates as a compact elementary campus in MARSHALL, Michigan, run under Marshall Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 293 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 21% smaller than the typical public school in Michigan, which averages around 369 students.

Across the 8 schools in Marshall Public Schools (2,598 students total), Walters Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Walters Elementary logs that nearly all students (84%) are White. Beyond that, the school shows 7% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, 4% Black.

On the resource side, On paper, Walters Elementary has 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.8:1, putting Walters Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 38% of students at Walters Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Calhoun County (around 56%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

With demographic context factored in, Walters Elementary ranks in the top 10% of Michigan public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 49.6%; Walters Elementary posts 65.4%, +15.8 points above that line.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Calhoun County put median household earnings sit near $63,177, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Walters Elementary is one of 56 public schools in Calhoun County (combined enrollment of about 18,982 students).

The closest other public school is Marshall High School, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 7 other public schools cluster around Walters Elementary. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Walters Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 49.8%.

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

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Walters Elementary has edged down 19%, going from 360 students in 2018 to 293 in 2025. Class-load math has narrowed: from 18.0:1 in 2018 to 14.1:1 in 2025.

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