Cascades Elementary School

Summary:

Cascades Elementary School is a public magnet elementary school in Jackson, Michigan, serving 447 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Jackson Public Schools district, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cascades Elementary has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of African American (38.93%) and two or more races (19.24%) students compared to nearby schools like Sharp Park Academy and Paragon Charter Academy. However, the school consistently struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 34.3% to 55.0%, significantly higher than state and district averages. Academically, Cascades Elementary students perform well below state and district averages in M-Step English Language Arts and Math assessments, with only 15% of 3rd graders, 12.5% of 4th graders, and 13.5% of 5th graders proficient or better in ELA, compared to state averages of 39.6%, 43.3%, and 44%, respectively.

Despite the school's high per-student spending, ranging from $13,524 to $17,079, and its status as a magnet school, Cascades Elementary's academic outcomes remain poor. The school's challenges are likely exacerbated by its high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with over 90% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and providing targeted support for the school's diverse and economically disadvantaged student population will be crucial to improving Cascades Elementary's performance and outcomes.

Detail:

Public, Magnet K-5

1200 S Wisner St
Jackson, MI 49203-2864

(517) 841-3900

District: Jackson Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1436^th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,879

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 398

Racial breakdown:

African American:

40.2%

White:

31.2%

Two or more races:

18.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 89.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Cascades Elementary School ranks worse than 96.6% of elementary schools in Michigan. It also ranks last among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Jackson Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.1. (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 Student population at Cascades Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (40.2%), White (31.2%), two or more races (18.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 89.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cascades Elementary School is 11.9, which is the lowest among 7 elementary schools in the Jackson Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Cascades Elementary School employs 33.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cascades Elementary School is $16,879. 4 elementary schools in the Jackson Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cascades Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Cascades Elementary School 1436^th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Cascades Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

White students:

Jackson Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Jackson Public Schools 489^th of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cascades Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Cascades Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2011	43.20	1126^th	1552	27.4%
2012	23.60	1299^th	1566	17.0%
2013	16.59	1355^th	1563	13.3%
2014	22.07	1258^th	1533	17.9%
2015	30.65	1149^th	1580	27.3%
2022	9.68	1214^th	1344	9.7%
2023	8.38	1352^nd	1470	8.0%
2024	6.10	1436^th	1486	3.4%

See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2022	15.29	978^th	1099	11.0%
2023	12.92	1219^th	1350	9.7%
2024	8.04	1332^nd	1381	3.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cascades Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile
2022	8.04	1062^nd	1106	4.0%
2023	10.48	1209^th	1321	8.5%
2024	6.98	1294^th	1342	3.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Cascades Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	32.06	203^rd	321	36.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Cascades Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	11.05	1115^th	1198	6.9%
2024	5.23	1185^th	1204	1.6%

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

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Enrollment information for Cascades Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	287	88	4	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	389
1989	275	65	4	1	8	n/a	n/a	0	353
1990	308	64	5	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	385
1991	307	63	6	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	384
1992	304	53	9	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	374
1993	316	52	6	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	378
1994	305	65	7	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	383
1995	281	97	7	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	391
1996	281	97	7	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	391
1997	260	115	9	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	390
1998	249	120	8	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	384
1999	228	133	10	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	380
2000	199	96	4	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	306
2001	181	108	3	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	303
2002	171	104	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	294
2003	171	104	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	294
2004	161	116	4	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	300
2005	135	113	1	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
2006	114	125	1	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	248
2007	145	134	2	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	295
2008	125	159	4	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	303
2009	120	136	4	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	274
2010	102	106	4	15	5	n/a	n/a	19	251
2011	98	110	2	13	3	0	5	0	231
2012	103	101	5	17	1	0	11	0	238
2013	98	89	5	21	0	2	9	0	224
2014	91	100	8	22	0	0	14	0	235
2015	97	79	8	26	0	0	11	0	221
2016	105	119	4	17	0	0	26	0	271
2017	95	126	3	14	0	0	37	0	275
2018	79	125	1	9	1	0	39	0	254
2019	67	108	2	8	2	0	61	0	248
2020	59	117	3	12	1	0	58	0	250
2021	99	207	7	24	0	0	94	0	431
2022	113	160	7	28	1	0	81	0	390
2023	136	174	13	35	3	0	86	0	447
2024	124	160	8	28	3	0	75	0	398

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 Cascades Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	389	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	353	n/a	n/a	19.5
1990	385	21.0	18.3	19
1991	384	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	374	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	378	n/a	0.0	0
1994	383	14.0	27.4	24.5
1995	391	15.0	26.1	33.5
1996	391	15.0	26.1	33.5
1997	390	15.0	26.0	34.4
1998	384	16.0	24.0	33.6
1999	380	16.0	23.8	40
2000	306	14.5	21.1	53.6
2001	303	14.0	21.6	53.1
2002	294	n/a	n/a	51.4
2003	294	n/a	n/a	51.4
2004	300	2.4	125.0	54.7
2005	269	15.3	17.6	68.4
2006	248	12.7	19.5	78.2
2007	295	16.7	17.7	72.2
2008	303	15.7	19.3	48.8
2009	274	16.0	17.1	78.5
2010	251	16.8	14.9	86.6
2011	231	16.1	14.3	81.8
2012	238	14.7	16.1	88.2
2013	224	13.7	16.2	87.9
2014	235	14.6	16.0	81.3
2015	221	15.0	14.7	86.4
2016	271	18.0	15.0	71.6
2017	275	15.7	17.4	68.4
2018	254	17.1	14.8	90.9
2019	248	17.1	14.4	93.5
2020	250	17.2	14.5	96.4
2021	431	26.3	16.3	92.1
2022	390	30.6	12.7	93.6
2023	447	26.0	17.1	91.3
2024	398	33.3	11.9	89.9

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 Cascades Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	389	n/a	n/a	n/a
1989	353	n/a	n/a	19.5
1990	385	21.0	18.3	19
1991	384	n/a	n/a	n/a
1992	374	n/a	n/a	n/a
1993	378	n/a	0.0	0
1994	383	14.0	27.4	24.5
1995	391	15.0	26.1	33.5
1996	391	15.0	26.1	33.5
1997	390	15.0	26.0	34.4
1998	384	16.0	24.0	33.6
1999	380	16.0	23.8	40
2000	306	14.5	21.1	53.6
2001	303	14.0	21.6	53.1
2002	294	n/a	n/a	51.4
2003	294	n/a	n/a	51.4
2004	300	2.4	125.0	54.7
2005	269	15.3	17.6	68.4
2006	248	12.7	19.5	78.2
2007	295	16.7	17.7	72.2
2008	303	15.7	19.3	48.8
2009	274	16.0	17.1	78.5
2010	251	16.8	14.9	86.6
2011	231	16.1	14.3	81.8
2012	238	14.7	16.1	88.2
2013	224	13.7	16.2	87.9
2014	235	14.6	16.0	81.3
2015	221	15.0	14.7	86.4
2016	271	18.0	15.0	71.6
2017	275	15.7	17.4	68.4
2018	254	17.1	14.8	90.9
2019	248	17.1	14.4	93.5
2020	250	17.2	14.5	96.4
2021	431	26.3	16.3	92.1
2022	390	30.6	12.7	93.6
2023	447	26.0	17.1	91.3
2024	398	33.3	11.9	89.9

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 Cascades Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,424 (15.5%)	$13,231 (84.5%)	$15,655
2020	$2,554 (18.9%)	$10,970 (81.1%)	$13,524
2021	$4,945 (31.1%)	$10,933 (68.9%)	$15,878
2022	$3,891 (22.8%)	$13,188 (77.2%)	$17,079
2023	$4,520 (26.8%)	$12,359 (73.2%)	$16,878

Data source: Michigan Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cascades 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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	248	447	80.2%
African American	108	174	61.1%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	2	13	550%
Hispanic	8	35	337.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	67	136	103%
Two or More Races	61	86	41%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	93.5%	91.3%	2.3%

Schools Near Cascades 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
Cascades Elementary School	Public, Magnet	K-5	1200 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-3900	398	33	11.9	89.9%	124 (31.2%)	160 (40.2%)	28 (7.0%)	8 (2.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (18.8%)	6.1	1436^th of 1486 public elementary schools	3.4%		8.4	1352^nd of 1470 public elementary schools	8.0%	84			15.0	12.5	13.5			11.7	4.8				7.8				$16,879	$4,520	$12,359
Local Based Special Education Early Childhood Programs	Public	PK-K	1226 S Wisner St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	No	No	(517) 990-3624	0	9	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
JPS Montessori Center	Public	K-5	820 Bennett St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3870	147	9	16.8	77.6%	65 (44.2%)	31 (21.1%)	10 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	40 (27.2%)	17.8	1205^th of 1486 public elementary schools	18.9%		28.2	1019^th of 1470 public elementary schools	30.7%	186				23.1	10.7			56.3	15.4				11.1				$17,236	$6,325	$10,911
Sharp Park Academy	Public, Magnet	K-5	766 Park Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-2860	318	19	16.5	64.2%	154 (48.4%)	94 (29.6%)	18 (5.7%)	10 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (13.2%)	71.2	388^th of 1486 public elementary schools	73.9%		84.6	184^th of 1470 public elementary schools	87.5%	204			49.0	65.4	56.1			49.0	67.3	48.8			48.8		14.6		$15,747	$5,929	$9,818
Paragon Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	3750 McCain Rd	Jackson	49201	Jackson County	Paragon Charter Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(517) 750-9500	604	36	16.8	68.9%	266 (44.0%)	136 (22.5%)	68 (11.3%)	49 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (13.9%)	53.7	654^th of 1486 public elementary schools	56.0%		64.3	486^th of 1470 public elementary schools	66.9%	168	81.8	59.1	45.2	47.9	33.9	43.4	73.9	50.7	45.2	32.1	40.8	65.2	33.9	72.7	7.1	50.0	$11,667	$1,329	$10,338
Hunt Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1143 N Brown St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(517) 841-2610	358	24	14.9	96.9%	113 (31.6%)	110 (30.7%)	39 (10.9%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	89 (24.9%)	12.6	1295^th of 1486 public elementary schools	12.9%		8.6	1348^th of 1470 public elementary schools	8.3%	53			16.0	17.6	23.3			26.0					11.6				$17,723	$5,863	$11,860
John R Lewis Elementary	Public	K-5	154 W Clark St	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(517) 841-2600	136	10	14.0	92.6%	47 (34.6%)	68 (50.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (14.0%)	21.1	1155^th of 1486 public elementary schools	22.3%					(n/a)			25.0					25.0					22.7		13.6		$18,798	$2,691	$16,107
Dibble Elementary School	Public	K-5	3450 Kibby Rd	Jackson	49203	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-3970	276	16	17.6	80.8%	134 (48.6%)	69 (25.0%)	19 (6.9%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (18.5%)	36	920^th of 1486 public elementary schools	38.1%		47.7	726^th of 1470 public elementary schools	50.6%	194			52.5	29.2	31.8			60.0	25.0	15.9			34.1		6.8		$15,697	$5,444	$10,253
Da Vinci Schools K5	Public, Virtual, Charter	PK, KG-5	559 Murphy St	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Da Vinci Schools	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(517) 780-9980	113	4	25.6	90.3%	76 (67.3%)	4 (3.5%)	6 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (23.9%)	34.8	940^th of 1486 public elementary schools	36.7%		21.1	1128^th of 1470 public elementary schools	23.3%	188			31.6	17.7	33.3			36.8					44.4				$16,739	$3,803	$12,936
Northeast Elementary School	Public	K-5	1024 Fleming Ave	Jackson	49202	Jackson County	Jackson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(517) 841-2501	502	31	16.0	93.8%	199 (39.6%)	137 (27.3%)	62 (12.4%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	98 (19.5%)	6.4	1424^th of 1486 public elementary schools	4.2%		8	1364^th of 1470 public elementary schools	7.2%	60			6.3		15.9			14.8	10.5	5.9			8.7				$16,892	$2,414	$14,479

Frequently Asked Questions about Cascades Elementary School

How many students attend Cascades Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 398 students attended Cascades Elementary School.

What district is Cascades Elementary School in?

Jackson Public Schools

Is Cascades Elementary School a good school?

Cascades Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.4% of Michigan elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Cascades Elementary School?

Students at Cascades Elementary School are 40% African American, 31% White, 19% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

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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.