Is Brown Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Brown Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 3 rd of 1486 Michigan elementary schools.

How many students attend Brown Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 600 students attended Brown Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Brown Elementary School?

Students at Brown Elementary School are 81% White, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Brown Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Brown Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Byron Center West Middle School Middle : Robert L Nickels Intermediate School High : Byron Center High School

Brown Elementary School

Summary:

Brown Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Byron Center, Michigan, serving 583 students from kindergarten to 4th grade. The school is part of the Byron Center Public Schools district, which is ranked 2 out of 610 districts in Michigan and is rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Brown Elementary School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Michigan, ranking 3rd out of 1,486 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's exceptional academic performance is evident in its high proficiency rates on the M-Step assessments, which are significantly higher than the state and Byron Center Public Schools district averages. For example, in 2023-2024, 89.9% of 3rd-grade students and 87.1% of 4th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 85.2% and 82.6% for the district, and 39.6% and 43.3% for the state of Michigan, respectively. Brown Elementary School also ranks among the top schools in Michigan for specific student groups, including female students, male students, White students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

While Brown Elementary School consistently outperforms the state and district averages, the nearby schools within the Byron Center Public Schools district, such as Marshall Elementary School and Countryside Elementary School, also demonstrate strong academic performance, with high proficiency rates and state rankings. This suggests that the district as a whole is providing a high-quality education to its students. Additionally, Brown Elementary School has a relatively high per-student spending of $12,316 in the 2022-2023 school year, which may contribute to the school's ability to provide a high-quality educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public K-4

8064 Byron Center Ave SW
Byron Center, MI 49315-8723

(616) 878-6200

District: Byron Center Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
3^rd of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,316

Students who attend Brown Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Byron Center West Middle School
	Robert L Nickels Intermediate School
High:	Byron Center High School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.5

Number of students: 600

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.7%

Two or more races:

7.7%

Hispanic:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 21%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Brown Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Brown Elementary School ranks better than 99.8% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Byron Center Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.4. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80.7%), two or more races (7.7%), Hispanic (7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 21% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Brown Elementary School is 20.5. 1 elementary schools in the Byron Center Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Brown Elementary School employs 29.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Brown Elementary School is $12,316, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Byron Center Public Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Brown Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Brown Elementary School 3^rd of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Brown Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Byron Center Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Byron Center Public Schools 2^nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Brown Elementary School.

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Rank History for Brown Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Brown Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2006	83.56	95^th	1545	93.9%
2007	84.44	88^th	1565	94.4%
2008	86.31	40^th	1577	97.5%
2009	84.37	91^st	1589	94.3%
2010	78.86	174^th	1552	88.8%
2011	79.99	190^th	1552	87.8%
2012	94.61	27^th	1566	98.3%
2013	96.52	9^th	1563	99.4%
2014	96.41	8^th	1533	99.5%
2015	98.57	4^th	1580	99.7%
2016	98.90	4^th	1548	99.7%
2017	99.67	1^st	1466	99.9%
2018	99.27	5^th	1448	99.7%
2021	99.60	2^nd	1153	99.8%
2022	99.32	2^nd	1344	99.9%
2023	99.38	3^rd	1470	99.8%
2024	99.40	3^rd	1486	99.8%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Brown Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	99.96	2^nd	1397	99.9%
2023	99.86	2^nd	1350	99.9%
2024	99.27	1^st	1381	99.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Brown Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	98.97	3^rd	1443	99.8%
2023	99.28	1^st	1321	99.9%
2024	99.01	1^st	1342	99.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Brown Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	98.94	5^th	1446	99.7%
2022	99.20	2^nd	1139	99.8%
2023	99.26	1^st	1334	99.9%
2024	99.44	1^st	1347	99.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Brown Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2018	98.94	5^th	1253	99.6%
2022	99.39	1^st	1102	99.9%
2023	99.34	1^st	1198	99.9%

See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Michigan Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Brown Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	305	1	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
1989	390	1	5	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	407
1990	422	2	4	7	1	n/a	n/a	-1	435
1991	472	1	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	14	502
1992	499	6	5	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	521
1993	527	3	7	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	546
1994	522	4	6	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	546
1995	625	4	6	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	647
1996	625	4	6	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	647
1997	662	5	6	12	1	n/a	n/a	-6	680
1998	455	1	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	460
1999	459	2	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	471
2000	466	5	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	480
2001	480	4	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
2002	496	5	8	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	525
2003	496	5	8	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	525
2004	498	8	11	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	534
2005	404	13	11	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	437
2006	401	12	13	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	437
2007	405	14	15	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	448
2008	397	16	14	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	436
2009	398	15	18	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	449
2010	421	17	24	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	484
2011	409	11	14	17	0	0	11	0	462
2012	395	11	12	22	0	0	14	0	454
2013	424	9	13	28	0	0	19	0	493
2014	462	6	12	29	0	0	23	0	532
2015	464	7	10	27	0	0	23	0	531
2016	467	2	6	25	1	0	30	0	531
2017	453	3	11	28	1	0	29	0	525
2018	453	6	10	22	0	0	33	0	524
2019	469	6	14	29	0	0	34	0	552
2020	465	4	16	31	0	0	39	0	555
2021	472	3	22	43	0	0	44	0	584
2022	501	3	23	46	0	0	34	0	607
2023	473	2	22	44	0	0	42	0	583
2024	484	4	24	42	0	0	46	0	600

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Brown Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	314	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	407	n/a	n/a	4.2
1990	435	30.0	14.5	2.5
1991	502	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	521	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	546	n/a	0.0	8.6
1994	546	24.6	22.2	7.9
1995	647	30.5	21.2	5.1
1996	647	30.5	21.2	5.1
1997	680	34.0	20.0	7.3
1998	460	22.0	20.9	7.8
1999	471	23.0	20.5	9.1
2000	480	23.8	20.2	14.6
2001	496	22.7	21.9	16.5
2002	525	24.3	21.6	15.8
2003	525	24.3	21.6	15.8
2004	534	24.0	22.3	16.9
2005	437	21.0	20.8	12.6
2006	437	21.0	20.8	17.2
2007	448	23.5	19.1	14.7
2008	436	23.0	19.0	17.2
2009	449	23.5	19.1	17.4
2010	484	23.1	20.8	26.9
2011	462	19.3	23.8	28.6
2012	454	19.1	23.7	28.6
2013	493	22.9	21.5	27.8
2014	532	25.5	20.8	28.2
2015	531	25.0	21.2	23.5
2016	531	26.0	20.4	20.2
2017	525	24.5	21.4	21
2018	524	23.5	22.2	23.3
2019	552	24.0	23.0	23.7
2020	555	26.9	20.6	20.9
2021	584	25.9	22.5	20.4
2022	607	25.1	24.1	18.3
2023	583	26.1	22.2	22.1
2024	600	29.2	20.5	21

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Brown Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	314	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	407	n/a	n/a	4.2
1990	435	30.0	14.5	2.5
1991	502	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	521	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	546	n/a	0.0	8.6
1994	546	24.6	22.2	7.9
1995	647	30.5	21.2	5.1
1996	647	30.5	21.2	5.1
1997	680	34.0	20.0	7.3
1998	460	22.0	20.9	7.8
1999	471	23.0	20.5	9.1
2000	480	23.8	20.2	14.6
2001	496	22.7	21.9	16.5
2002	525	24.3	21.6	15.8
2003	525	24.3	21.6	15.8
2004	534	24.0	22.3	16.9
2005	437	21.0	20.8	12.6
2006	437	21.0	20.8	17.2
2007	448	23.5	19.1	14.7
2008	436	23.0	19.0	17.2
2009	449	23.5	19.1	17.4
2010	484	23.1	20.8	26.9
2011	462	19.3	23.8	28.6
2012	454	19.1	23.7	28.6
2013	493	22.9	21.5	27.8
2014	532	25.5	20.8	28.2
2015	531	25.0	21.2	23.5
2016	531	26.0	20.4	20.2
2017	525	24.5	21.4	21
2018	524	23.5	22.2	23.3
2019	552	24.0	23.0	23.7
2020	555	26.9	20.6	20.9
2021	584	25.9	22.5	20.4
2022	607	25.1	24.1	18.3
2023	583	26.1	22.2	22.1
2024	600	29.2	20.5	21

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Brown Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$391 (4.2%)	$8,820 (95.8%)	$9,211
2020	$248 (2.6%)	$9,354 (97.4%)	$9,603
2021	$1,082 (10.0%)	$9,722 (90.0%)	$10,804
2022	$613 (5.7%)	$10,107 (94.3%)	$10,719
2023	$710 (5.8%)	$11,605 (94.2%)	$12,316

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Brown Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
4th Grade English Language Arts (Brown Elementary School)	94.5	92.7	1.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Byron Center Public Schools)	91	85.9	5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)	45.8	44.3	1.5%
4th Grade Math (Brown Elementary School)	90	92.7	2.7%
4th Grade Math (Byron Center Public Schools)	82	87.9	5.9%
4th Grade Math (Michigan)	41.8	38.6	3.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	552	583	5.6%
African American	6	2	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	14	22	57.1%
Hispanic	29	44	51.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	469	473	0.9%
Two or More Races	34	42	23.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.7%	22.1%	1.6%

Schools Near Brown Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				PSAT English Language Arts (2024)	PSAT Mathematics (2024)	M-Step English Language Arts (2024)					M-Step Math (2024)					M-Step Science (2024)		M-Step Social Studies (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Brown Elementary School	Public	K-4	8064 Byron Center Ave SW	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Byron Center Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 878-6200	600	29	20.5	21.0%	484 (80.7%)	4 (0.7%)	42 (7.0%)	24 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.7%)	99.4	3^rd of 1486 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.4	3^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	99.8%				89.9	87.1				96.3	94.4								$12,316	$711	$11,605
Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1756 64th St SW	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Byron Center Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 878-6300	528	28	18.5	25.9%	395 (74.8%)	7 (1.3%)	49 (9.3%)	32 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.5%)	97.8	15^th of 1486 public elementary schools	99.0%		97.7	12^th of 1470 public elementary schools	99.2%	3			87.2	78.8				87.2	77.1								$12,778	$827	$11,950
Vanguard Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	1620 52nd St SW	Wyoming	49519	Kent County	Vanguard Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 538-3630	791	41	19.4	61.7%	357 (45.1%)	76 (9.6%)	252 (31.9%)	18 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (10.9%)	87.4	158^th of 1486 public elementary schools	89.4%		86.3	163^rd of 1470 public elementary schools	88.9%	5	72.2	51.4	57.3	67.4	72.4	54.1	39.2	63.4	77.9	64.4	44.7	39.2	59.8	50.0	33.3	33.3	$11,589	$1,249	$10,339
Townline Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 60th St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 538-4120	295	20	14.4	82.4%	71 (24.1%)	60 (20.3%)	85 (28.8%)	36 (12.2%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (13.6%)	25.5	1087^th of 1486 public elementary schools	26.9%		35.6	911^th of 1470 public elementary schools	38.0%	176			19.5	26.2	42.6			36.6	22.5	21.3			27.7		6.4		$15,997	$1,720	$14,277
Countryside Elementary School	Public	K-4	8200 Eastern Ave SE	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Byron Center Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 878-6900	617	29	21.1	20.9%	455 (73.7%)	11 (1.8%)	56 (9.1%)	48 (7.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.5%)	98.2	9^th of 1486 public elementary schools	99.4%		97.9	11^th of 1470 public elementary schools	99.3%	2			78.9	81.3				86.8	83.7								$12,327	$914	$11,412
Grandville Grand View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3701 52nd St SW	Wyoming	49418	Kent County	Grandville Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 254-6120	621	35	17.8	31.7%	423 (68.1%)	40 (6.4%)	87 (14.0%)	26 (4.2%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.6%)	76.5	309^th of 1486 public elementary schools	79.2%		74.3	332^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	77.4%	23			60.0	51.8	65.6	44.4		65.9	67.5	36.7	43.4		54.4		26.7		$11,658	$762	$10,896
Southwood Elementary	Public	K-5	630 66th St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kentwood Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 455-7230	301	18	16.3	84.1%	128 (42.5%)	58 (19.3%)	70 (23.3%)	14 (4.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (10.0%)	43.8	791^st of 1486 public elementary schools	46.8%		55.6	605^th of 1470 public elementary schools	58.8%	186			41.0	48.8	28.9			41.0	36.4	40.0			33.3		13.3		$15,890	$2,323	$13,568
Grandville Century Park Learning Center	Public	PK, KG-6	5710 Kenowa Ave SW	Wyoming	49418	Kent County	Grandville Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(616) 254-6822	554	35	15.8	29.6%	386 (69.7%)	28 (5.1%)	74 (13.4%)	31 (5.6%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	29 (5.2%)	72.9	358^th of 1486 public elementary schools	75.9%		80.7	245^th of 1470 public elementary schools	83.3%	113			56.1	67.9	59.1	38.1		65.1	64.6	33.7	42.9		45.3		26.3		$14,578	$1,037	$13,541
Southeast Kelloggsville School	Public	K-2	240 52nd St SE	Grand Rapids	49548	Kent County	Kelloggsville Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(616) 532-1590	286	18	16.3	91.3%	42 (14.7%)	128 (44.8%)	89 (31.1%)	23 (8.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)								(n/a)																	$15,091	$1,525	$13,566
Cross Creek Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	7701 Kalamazoo Ave SE	Byron Center	49315	Kent County	Cross Creek Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(616) 656-4000	807	39	20.6	43.9%	475 (58.9%)	72 (8.9%)	90 (11.2%)	85 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (10.5%)	94	62^nd of 1486 public elementary schools	95.8%		94.8	47^th of 1470 public elementary schools	96.8%	15	93.1	64.4	70.2	75.0	63.2	66.7	65.8	76.2	86.9	64.4	66.7	68.4	69.0	70.9	36.8	64.4	$10,943	$777	$10,166

Brown Elementary School

Brown Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Byron Center Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Brown Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Brown Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Brown Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Brown Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Brown Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Brown Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Brown Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Brown Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Brown Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Brown Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Brown Elementary School

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Brown Elementary School