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AA Rather School

Summary:

AA Rather School is an elementary school located in Ionia, Michigan, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 321. The school is part of the Ionia Public Schools district, which is ranked 402 out of 610 districts in Michigan and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

AA Rather School generally outperforms the Ionia Public Schools district and the state of Michigan in test scores, particularly in 3rd and 4th grades. However, it is interesting to note that some of the nearby schools, such as Westwood Elementary and Saranac Elementary, have higher test scores and rankings than AA Rather School. The school also has a significantly higher percentage of white students (85.36%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. Additionally, AA Rather School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 47.43% to 60.44% over the past few years, which is higher than the surrounding schools in the district.

Over the past several years, AA Rather School has consistently ranked in the top half of Michigan elementary schools, with a 3-star rating in 2023-2024 and 2018-2019, and a 4-star rating from 2013-2014 to 2016-2017. However, the school's ranking and rating have declined over the past few years, which warrants further analysis to identify the underlying factors and develop strategies for improvement. The school has also seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 11.2% in 2018-2019 to 19.3% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the surrounding schools in the district.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 380 E Tuttle Rd
       Ionia, MI  48846-8615

(616) 527-1720

District: Ionia Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
620th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,252 Help


Students who attend AA Rather School usually attend:

Middle:    Ionia Middle School
High:    Ionia High School

Student/teacher ratio:  20.7 Help
Number of students:  321

Racial breakdown:

White:
85.4%
Hispanic:
9.0%
Two or more races:
4.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  54.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details AA Rather School ranks better than 58.3% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks first among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Ionia Public Schools District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.85. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details AA Rather School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Ionia Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (85.4%), Hispanic (9%), two or more races (4.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 54.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Ionia Public Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at AA Rather School is 20.7, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Ionia Public Schools District! (See more...)
Help
Compare AA Rather School employs 15.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at AA Rather School is $11,252, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Ionia Public Schools District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

AA Rather School:

SchoolDigger ranks AA Rather School 620th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See AA Rather School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Ionia Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Ionia Public Schools 402nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for AA Rather School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at AA Rather School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 64.68 587th 1545 62.0%
2007 73.54 344th 1565 78.0%
2008 77.36 278th 1577 82.4%
2009 62.99 723rd 1589 54.5%
2010 64.23 717th 1552 53.8%
2011 62.36 707th 1552 54.4%
2012 60.30 619th 1566 60.5%
2013 64.19 550th 1563 64.8%
2014 75.81 325th 1533 78.8%
2015 76.51 331st 1580 79.1%
2016 80.37 246th 1548 84.1%
2017 68.21 378th 1466 74.2%
2018 70.58 428th 1448 70.4%
2019 49.95 665th 1408 52.8%
2021 35.60 733rd 1153 36.4%
2022 41.83 734th 1344 45.4%
2023 41.72 823rd 1470 44.0%
2024 55.85 620th 1486 58.3%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at AA Rather School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.90 201st 1397 85.6%
2019 65.48 303rd 1134 73.3%
2022 56.85 416th 1099 62.1%
2023 38.86 820th 1350 39.3%
2024 62.85 415th 1381 69.9%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at AA Rather School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.56 340th 1443 76.4%
2019 56.82 475th 1171 59.4%
2021 44.74 472nd 902 47.7%
2022 43.33 601st 1106 45.7%
2023 31.15 892nd 1321 32.5%
2024 46.89 666th 1342 50.4%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at AA Rather School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.88 501st 1446 65.4%
2019 38.33 749th 1196 37.4%
2021 34.02 623rd 915 31.9%
2022 42.52 632nd 1139 44.5%
2023 47.77 660th 1334 50.5%
2024 54.43 573rd 1347 57.5%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at AA Rather School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 63.56 429th 1253 65.8%
2019 37.61 720th 1128 36.2%
2021 26.34 778th 1005 22.6%
2022 32.58 748th 1102 32.1%
2023 31.83 838th 1198 30.1%
2024 42.92 686th 1204 43.0%
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.

AA Rather School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for AA Rather School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 278 2 4 10 0 n/a n/a 0 294
1989 286 3 4 17 0 n/a n/a 0 310
1990 200 3 1 16 0 n/a n/a 0 220
1991 225 3 2 17 0 n/a n/a 8 255
1992 241 0 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 253
1993 242 0 2 12 0 n/a n/a 0 256
1994 225 0 3 20 0 n/a n/a 0 248
1995 228 1 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1996 228 1 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 247
1997 267 6 2 16 0 n/a n/a 0 291
1998 257 5 1 11 0 n/a n/a 0 274
1999 263 9 0 10 0 n/a n/a 0 282
2000 263 6 0 10 1 n/a n/a 0 280
2001 293 0 0 15 1 n/a n/a 0 309
2002 332 1 3 25 0 n/a n/a 8 369
2003 332 1 3 25 0 n/a n/a 8 369
2004 317 1 2 7 0 n/a n/a 14 341
2005 307 1 1 6 0 n/a n/a 13 328
2006 276 0 1 5 0 n/a n/a 16 298
2007 311 0 2 12 0 n/a n/a 19 344
2008 271 n/a 3 6 n/a n/a n/a 21 301
2009 279 1 5 6 0 n/a n/a 20 311
2010 288 0 3 4 1 n/a n/a 21 317
2011 277 0 6 17 1 0 15 0 316
2012 293 2 5 7 0 0 2 0 309
2013 291 0 4 23 1 0 8 0 327
2014 284 0 4 23 1 0 6 0 318
2015 278 3 3 25 1 0 4 0 314
2016 273 5 5 32 0 0 3 0 318
2017 271 9 5 30 0 0 7 0 322
2018 291 6 4 27 0 0 8 0 336
2019 300 7 3 23 0 0 6 0 339
2020 296 5 3 21 0 0 6 0 331
2021 292 6 3 23 0 0 7 0 331
2022 263 2 1 24 0 0 12 0 302
2023 274 3 0 29 0 1 14 0 321
2024 274 2 1 29 0 0 15 0 321

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 AA Rather School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 294 n/a n/a n/a
1989 310 n/a n/a 26.5
1990 220 19.0 11.5 30.9
1991 255 n/a n/a n/a
1992 253 n/a n/a 41.9
1993 256 n/a 0.0 43.8
1994 248 14.3 17.3 29.4
1995 247 14.0 17.6 34.4
1996 247 14.0 17.6 34.4
1997 291 14.0 20.8 38.5
1998 274 14.0 19.6 38
1999 282 15.0 18.8 33.7
2000 280 16.5 17.0 57.1
2001 309 17.0 18.2 43.4
2002 369 21.0 17.6 36.8
2003 369 21.0 17.6 36.8
2004 341 15.0 22.7 33.6
2005 328 11.0 29.8 34
2006 298 11.0 27.1 44.7
2007 344 12.0 28.7 31.1
2008 301 13.0 23.2 55
2009 311 14.1 22.1 56.7
2010 317 13.3 23.8 49.3
2011 316 16.1 19.5 47.5
2012 309 14.2 21.7 52.4
2013 327 14.2 23.0 58.1
2014 318 15.1 21.0 50
2015 314 16.0 19.6 50.6
2016 318 15.0 21.2 49.4
2017 322 15.1 21.3 51.6
2018 336 15.1 22.2 52.7
2019 339 15.1 22.4 49.9
2020 331 16.2 20.4 60.1
2021 331 16.3 20.1 47.4
2022 302 16.5 18.2 47.7
2023 321 17.9 17.8 60.4
2024 321 15.5 20.7 54.8

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 AA Rather School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 294 n/a n/a n/a
1989 310 n/a n/a 26.5
1990 220 19.0 11.5 30.9
1991 255 n/a n/a n/a
1992 253 n/a n/a 41.9
1993 256 n/a 0.0 43.8
1994 248 14.3 17.3 29.4
1995 247 14.0 17.6 34.4
1996 247 14.0 17.6 34.4
1997 291 14.0 20.8 38.5
1998 274 14.0 19.6 38
1999 282 15.0 18.8 33.7
2000 280 16.5 17.0 57.1
2001 309 17.0 18.2 43.4
2002 369 21.0 17.6 36.8
2003 369 21.0 17.6 36.8
2004 341 15.0 22.7 33.6
2005 328 11.0 29.8 34
2006 298 11.0 27.1 44.7
2007 344 12.0 28.7 31.1
2008 301 13.0 23.2 55
2009 311 14.1 22.1 56.7
2010 317 13.3 23.8 49.3
2011 316 16.1 19.5 47.5
2012 309 14.2 21.7 52.4
2013 327 14.2 23.0 58.1
2014 318 15.1 21.0 50
2015 314 16.0 19.6 50.6
2016 318 15.0 21.2 49.4
2017 322 15.1 21.3 51.6
2018 336 15.1 22.2 52.7
2019 339 15.1 22.4 49.9
2020 331 16.2 20.4 60.1
2021 331 16.3 20.1 47.4
2022 302 16.5 18.2 47.7
2023 321 17.9 17.8 60.4
2024 321 15.5 20.7 54.8

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 AA Rather School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $769 (8.9%) $7,871 (91.1%) $8,640
2020 $1,337 (14.0%) $8,184 (86.0%) $9,521
2021 $1,743 (18.1%) $7,871 (81.9%) $9,614
2022 $1,983 (17.5%) $9,363 (82.5%) $11,345
2023 $1,513 (13.4%) $9,738 (86.5%) $11,252

Data source: Michigan Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on AA Rather 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 665th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 823rd of 1470 Elementary schools
 8.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (AA Rather School)53.444.4
 9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ionia Public Schools)40.133.7
 6.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (AA Rather School)47.451.9
 4.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Ionia Public Schools)33.836.2
 2.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (AA Rather School)58.929.8
 29.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Ionia Public Schools)37.428
 9.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (AA Rather School)44.629.8
 14.8%
   4th Grade Math (Ionia Public Schools)24.324.6
 0.3%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (AA Rather School)44.141.3
 2.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Ionia Public Schools)46.232.3
 13.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)46.243.9
 2.3%
5th Grade Math (AA Rather School)28.823.9
 4.9%
   5th Grade Math (Ionia Public Schools)33.227.6
 5.6%
   5th Grade Math (Michigan)34.831.5
 3.3%
5th Grade Social Studies (AA Rather School)16.913
 3.9%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Ionia Public Schools)14.19.4
 4.7%
   5th Grade Social Studies (Michigan)17.418.6
 1.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students339321
 5.3%
African American73
 57.1%
American Indian00
Asian30
 100%
Hispanic2329
 26.1%
Pacific Islander01
White300274
 8.7%
Two or More Races614
 133.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients49.9%60.4%
 10.6%

Schools Near AA Rather School








Frequently Asked Questions about AA Rather School

AA Rather School ranks 620th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend AA Rather School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ionia Middle School
High : Ionia High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 321 students attended AA Rather School.

Students at AA Rather School are 85% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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