The brief
A Dowagiac Union School District elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 5th.
Students at Sister Lakes Elementary School score 31% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 28%).
It ranks 2,358 of 3,198 schools in Michigan and 3 of 7 in Dowagiac Union School District.
- 202231%
- 2021*27%
- 2020*27%
- 201927%
- 201827%
- 201725%
* A COVID-affected year: test participation was uneven nationwide, so the model weights it at half.
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2024
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2022) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2009-2022).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
- Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2022 EdFacts · Low confidence
- Older source: 2022 EdFacts. Use as historical context.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 49047; this does not measure the attendance area.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2022; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $55,469
- Median home value
- $182,000
- Median rent
- $750/mo
- College educated
- 21.2%
- Homeownership
- 72.4%
- Poverty rate
- 19.4%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 49047; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 35
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 33
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 3,300/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Dowagiac. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Dowagiac), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 74.4%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Sister Lakes Elementary School serve?
Sister Lakes Elementary School serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.
How many students attend Sister Lakes Elementary School?
Sister Lakes Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 168 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sister Lakes Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sister Lakes Elementary School is 14:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Sister Lakes Elementary School rank in MI?
Sister Lakes Elementary School ranks #2,358 of 3,198 schools in MI.
What is Sister Lakes Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?
Sister Lakes Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Sister Lakes Elementary School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Sister Lakes Elementary School has 37% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2022).
Is Sister Lakes Elementary School a charter school?
No, Sister Lakes Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Sister Lakes Elementary School a Title I school?
No, Sister Lakes Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sister Lakes Elementary School?
74.4% of students at Sister Lakes Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.
School facts
- Grades
- Kindergarten – 5th
- Enrollment
- 168
- Student-teacher ratio
- 14:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 12
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Distant Rural
- County
- Van Buren County
- Phone
- (269) 782-4468
- Rank in district
- #3 of 7
- Schools in district
- 7
- District spending per student
- $15,432
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 22.5%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 49047)
- 14,506
- Area average commute
- 22.6 min
- Area median age
- 42.9
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
Related reading
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Michigan Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.