Enrollment
247
Elementary
DISTRICT 220 · STATE 369
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ALLEGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 260222003969
West Ward Elementary School
630 VERNON ST, ALLEGAN, MI 49010 · (269) 673-7000 · Allegan County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL247 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 46% of Michigan public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- BBeats 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
16.5:1
15 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.2:1 · STATE 15.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
64%
158 students
DISTRICT 67% · STATE 55%
Community
0
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 | 40 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 41 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 48 | 19% |
| Grade 3 | 42 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 34 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 42 | 17% |
This year's kindergarten class (40) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (42).
Student demographics
28%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 31% · 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
West Ward Elementary School→LE White Middle School
Based on grade levels within Allegan Public Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
M-STEP 2024-25 . % Advanced + ProficientEnglish Language Arts
41.4%
MI avg 47.7%
Math
47.9%
MI avg 44.8%
What this means: On the M-STEP, Michigan's statewide test, about 41 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 48 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
41.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
38.0%
based on MI schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 41% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 38% 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 West Ward Elementary School
West Ward Elementary School's state test result (41.1% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Ward Elementary School this school | 247 | 64.0% | 41.1% |
| Southeastern Elementary School HASTINGS | 261 | 64.8% | 40.5% |
| Ottawa Elementary School BUCHANAN | 230 | 62.2% | N/A |
| Fulton Elementary School MIDDLETON | 261 | 64.0% | 44.5% |
| Central Elementary School HASTINGS | 239 | 66.5% | 46.5% |
| North Elementary School IRON MOUNTAIN | 263 | 63.5% | 55.5% |
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 West Ward Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Michigan | In Allegan County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.1% | #688 of 1,085 | #14 of 20 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 47.9% | #481 of 1,072 | #11 of 20 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 41.4% | #736 of 1,139 | #16 of 20 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 247 | #1,288 of 1,630 | #19 of 26 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.5:1 | #840 of 1,424 | #15 of 21 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 28.3% | #861 of 1,424 | #11 of 21 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 64.0% | #611 of 1,563 | #6 of 23 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -7.8% | #662 of 979 | #13 of 16 |
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
247
+13 (+6%) vs 2020
-22% since 1990-91, when it was 317
Student : Teacher
16.5:1
was 14.6:1
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 | 247 | 15 | 16.5:1 | 64% (158) |
| 2023-24 | 245 | 16 | 15.3:1 | 60% (146) |
| 2022-23 | 246 | 13.7 | 18.0:1 | 66% (163) |
| 2020-21 | 234 | 16 | 14.6:1 | 58% (136) |
| 2017-18 | 268 | 13.1 | 20.4:1 | 62% (167) |
| 2015-16 | 273 | 12 | 22.8:1 | 51% (140) |
| 2010-11 | 313 | 13 | 24.1:1 | 49% (153) |
| 2000-01 | 284 | 15 | 18.9:1 | 29% (83) |
| 1990-91 | 317 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Ward Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 8% (268 to 247); teachers up 14% (13.1 to 15).
About West Ward Elementary School
Families in ALLEGAN, Michigan, are served by West Ward Elementary School, a small elementary school. Total enrollment is 247 students, and the grades served are kindergarten through 5. That is 33% below the average of about 369 students for elementary schools in Michigan.
West Ward Elementary School is in Allegan Public Schools, a district with 2,035 students across 8 schools.
White students are 84% of those enrolled at West Ward Elementary School. Next come 6% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 3% Black. That is in line with Allegan County, where about 87% of residents are White. Its diversity index, the chance that two randomly chosen students belong to different racial or ethnic groups, is 28%.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.5:1. The school has 15 full-time-equivalent teachers. The ratio is within a point of the 15.8:1 average for elementary schools in Michigan. Federal data show 64% of students (158) are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The 43% average for public schools in Allegan County is 21 points lower.
Among Michigan public elementary schools, West Ward Elementary School outscored 46%, which works out to a B- on the allk12 Grade.
The school's average proficiency rate across its state test results is 41.1%. For its free or reduced-price lunch share, the predicted value is 38.0%.
In Allegan County, home to about 121,456 people, the median household earns about $83,283 a year, roughly 27% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in Allegan County number 55, with about 17,174 students.
About 0.4 miles separate West Ward Elementary School from the closest public school, LE White Middle School. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools. Compared with its nearest neighbors, West Ward Elementary School ranks 2nd of 4 on average proficiency.
West Ward Elementary School is in a town some distance from an urbanized area, a location NCES labels Town: Distant.
Enrollment increased by 6% across 4 years, from 234 in 2020-21 to 247 in 2024-25. Its ratio of students to teachers was 14.6:1 in 2020-21, and 16.5:1 in 2024-25.
People who know West Ward Elementary School can post here about special education services, counseling, and support programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to post.
Allegan County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
121,456
Census ACS
Median income
$83,283
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
27%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
55
17,174 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Allegan Public Schools
- Allegan High SchoolHigh · 543 students
- LE White Middle SchoolMiddle · 427 students
- Pine Trails Elementary SchoolElementary · 326 students
- Dawson Elementary SchoolElementary · 278 students
- Allegan Alternative High SchoolHigh · 112 students
- Allegan Online K12Combined · 73 students
Other schools in ALLEGAN
- Allegan High SchoolHigh · 543 students
- LE White Middle SchoolMiddle · 427 students
- Pine Trails Elementary SchoolElementary · 326 students
- Dawson Elementary SchoolElementary · 278 students
- Allegan Alternative High SchoolHigh · 112 students
- Hillside Learning CenterCombined · 92 students
Nearby schools
- LE White Middle School0.4 mi · 427
- Hillside Learning Center0.4 mi · 92
- Allegan High School0.6 mi · 543
- Dawson Elementary School0.7 mi · 278
- Allegan Alternative High School1.1 mi · 112
- Allegan Online K121.1 mi · 73
Frequently asked questions
About West Ward Elementary SchoolHow large is West Ward Elementary School?
West Ward Elementary School enrolls approximately 247 students in grades KG-05.
What age range does West Ward Elementary School serve?
West Ward Elementary School serves students from grade KG through grade 05.
How many students per teacher at West Ward Elementary School?
Approximately 16.5:1 students per teacher at West Ward Elementary School.
How diverse is West Ward Elementary School?
West Ward Elementary School reports a student body of 84% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is West Ward Elementary School in?
West Ward Elementary School is part of Allegan Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.