Clara B Bolen Elementary School

Summary:

Clara B Bolen Elementary School is a public elementary school in Tawas City, Michigan, serving 434 students in grades PK-4 as part of the Tawas Area Schools district, which is ranked 182 out of 610 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

While Clara B Bolen Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (87.33%) compared to nearby schools, it has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 207 out of 1,408 Michigan elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 684 out of 1,486 in 2023-2024. This decline is reflected in the school's lower rankings for specific student subgroups, such as female, male, and white students. Additionally, the school has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 7.6% in 2018-2019 to 18.3% in 2022-2023. While the school's test scores in English Language Arts and Math are generally on par with the district, they often fall below the state average, particularly in 3rd and 4th-grade Math.

Compared to nearby schools, Clara B Bolen Elementary performs better than WhittemorePrescott Area Elementary, which has lower test scores and a higher chronic absenteeism rate, but lags behind Au GresSims Elementary School, which has higher test scores and a lower chronic absenteeism rate. The school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 61.63% to 67.91% over the past few years, suggests a significant population of students from low-income households, which may impact educational outcomes. Despite increased spending per student, from $9,537 in 2019-2020 to $12,293 in 2022-2023, the school has not seen significant improvements in academic performance.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

 211 S Plank Rd
       Tawas City, MI  48763-9678


(989) 984-2200

District: Tawas Area Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
684th of 1,486 Michigan Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,293 Help


Students who attend Clara B Bolen Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Tawas Area Middle School
High:    Tawas Area High School

Student/teacher ratio:  17.3 Help
Number of students:  436

Racial breakdown:

White:
89.9%
Two or more races:
4.8%
Hispanic:
3.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  70.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Clara B Bolen Elementary School ranks better than 54% of elementary schools in Michigan. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.28. (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 Racial makeup is: White (89.9%), two or more races (4.8%), Hispanic (3.9%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 70.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Clara B Bolen Elementary School is 17.3. (See more...)
Help
Compare Clara B Bolen Elementary School employs 25.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Clara B Bolen Elementary School is $12,293.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Clara B Bolen Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Clara B Bolen Elementary School 684th of 1486 Michigan public elementary schools. (See Clara B Bolen Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Tawas Area Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Tawas Area Schools 182nd of 610 Michigan school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Clara B Bolen Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 56.37 825th 1545 46.6%
2007 62.03 688th 1565 56.0%
2008 69.75 503rd 1577 68.1%
2009 74.93 346th 1589 78.2%
2010 75.20 307th 1552 80.2%
2011 69.10 496th 1552 68.0%
2012 64.97 523rd 1566 66.6%
2013 66.60 509th 1563 67.4%
2014 67.00 487th 1533 68.2%
2015 65.20 530th 1580 66.5%
2016 72.51 373rd 1548 75.9%
2017 78.86 230th 1466 84.3%
2018 77.93 306th 1448 78.9%
2019 81.22 207th 1408 85.3%
2021 63.73 342nd 1153 70.3%
2022 58.49 507th 1344 62.3%
2023 53.86 628th 1470 57.3%
2024 51.28 684th 1486 54.0%
See the entire list of Michigan Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.77 136th 1397 90.3%
2019 90.49 39th 1134 96.6%
2021 83.49 47th 749 93.7%
2022 72.12 199th 1099 81.9%
2023 60.17 440th 1350 67.4%
2024 63.27 404th 1381 70.7%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 74.99 323rd 1443 77.6%
2019 78.97 171st 1171 85.4%
2021 41.78 520th 902 42.4%
2022 48.34 545th 1106 50.7%
2023 54.36 534th 1321 59.6%
2024 45.64 685th 1342 49.0%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.05 302nd 1446 79.1%
2019 79.50 189th 1196 84.2%
2021 75.05 175th 915 80.9%
2022 57.37 447th 1139 60.8%
2023 45.09 702nd 1334 47.4%
2024 48.11 659th 1347 51.1%
See the entire list of Best Michigan Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.86 396th 1253 68.4%
2019 71.28 278th 1128 75.4%
2021 56.60 392nd 1005 61.0%
2022 44.66 610th 1102 44.6%
2023 36.55 789th 1198 34.1%
2024 38.06 749th 1204 37.8%
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.

Clara B Bolen Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Michigan Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Clara B Bolen Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 469 3 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 475
1989 489 0 0 0 3 n/a n/a -1 491
1990 497 5 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 504
1991 500 4 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 506
1992 595 3 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 600
1993 596 0 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 597
1994 525 3 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 530
1995 522 3 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 527
1996 522 3 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 527
1997 513 2 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 517
1998 516 2 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 520
1999 536 2 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 541
2000 485 1 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 488
2001 444 3 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 449
2002 372 7 1 1 4 n/a n/a 0 385
2003 372 7 1 1 4 n/a n/a 0 385
2004 323 6 0 1 3 n/a n/a 0 333
2005 317 5 1 4 4 n/a n/a 0 331
2006 342 2 4 3 2 n/a n/a 0 353
2007 356 6 3 6 1 n/a n/a 0 372
2008 350 6 3 3 1 n/a n/a 0 363
2009 323 6 9 3 0 n/a n/a 0 341
2010 447 7 5 5 3 n/a n/a 1 468
2011 408 5 4 5 1 1 6 0 430
2012 398 3 3 3 2 1 11 0 421
2013 398 2 1 6 1 0 14 0 422
2014 412 3 3 11 1 0 18 0 448
2015 383 2 3 7 1 0 20 0 416
2016 373 2 3 9 1 0 13 0 401
2017 396 3 4 13 0 0 17 0 433
2018 404 3 5 15 0 0 13 0 440
2019 398 2 3 21 0 0 21 0 445
2020 391 1 2 22 0 0 25 0 441
2021 377 3 2 26 0 0 22 0 430
2022 378 2 2 25 0 0 23 0 430
2023 379 4 1 22 0 0 28 0 434
2024 392 3 1 17 2 0 21 0 436

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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 475 n/a n/a n/a
1989 491 n/a n/a 15.1
1990 504 22.0 22.9 15.1
1991 506 n/a n/a n/a
1992 600 n/a n/a 14.7
1993 597 n/a 0.0 29.6
1994 530 23.8 22.3 21.7
1995 527 25.0 21.1 19.4
1996 527 25.0 21.1 19.4
1997 517 25.0 20.7 22.4
1998 520 25.0 20.8 22.3
1999 541 26.0 20.8 21.6
2000 488 26.0 18.8 36.1
2001 449 27.0 16.6 40.3
2002 385 22.8 16.9 44.2
2003 385 22.8 16.9 44.2
2004 333 20.9 15.9 42.6
2005 331 18.6 17.8 47.1
2006 353 18.0 19.6 48.4
2007 372 19.4 19.2 47.3
2008 363 17.8 20.4 51.5
2009 341 19.8 17.2 56.9
2010 468 26.5 17.6 60.8
2011 430 24.3 17.6 57.9
2012 421 23.3 18.0 62.5
2013 422 23.3 18.0 61.6
2014 448 23.8 18.7 61.8
2015 416 23.0 18.0 60.8
2016 401 24.0 16.7 59.6
2017 433 22.8 18.9 58.9
2018 440 22.8 19.2 66.8
2019 445 22.8 19.4 60.4
2020 441 23.8 18.4 60.5
2021 430 23.8 18.0 67.9
2022 430 25.1 17.0 61.6
2023 434 25.0 17.3 63.6
2024 436 25.1 17.3 70.4

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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 475 n/a n/a n/a
1989 491 n/a n/a 15.1
1990 504 22.0 22.9 15.1
1991 506 n/a n/a n/a
1992 600 n/a n/a 14.7
1993 597 n/a 0.0 29.6
1994 530 23.8 22.3 21.7
1995 527 25.0 21.1 19.4
1996 527 25.0 21.1 19.4
1997 517 25.0 20.7 22.4
1998 520 25.0 20.8 22.3
1999 541 26.0 20.8 21.6
2000 488 26.0 18.8 36.1
2001 449 27.0 16.6 40.3
2002 385 22.8 16.9 44.2
2003 385 22.8 16.9 44.2
2004 333 20.9 15.9 42.6
2005 331 18.6 17.8 47.1
2006 353 18.0 19.6 48.4
2007 372 19.4 19.2 47.3
2008 363 17.8 20.4 51.5
2009 341 19.8 17.2 56.9
2010 468 26.5 17.6 60.8
2011 430 24.3 17.6 57.9
2012 421 23.3 18.0 62.5
2013 422 23.3 18.0 61.6
2014 448 23.8 18.7 61.8
2015 416 23.0 18.0 60.8
2016 401 24.0 16.7 59.6
2017 433 22.8 18.9 58.9
2018 440 22.8 19.2 66.8
2019 445 22.8 19.4 60.4
2020 441 23.8 18.4 60.5
2021 430 23.8 18.0 67.9
2022 430 25.1 17.0 61.6
2023 434 25.0 17.3 63.6
2024 436 25.1 17.3 70.4

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 Clara B Bolen Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $880 (9.9%) $8,031 (90.1%) $8,911
2020 $1,009 (10.6%) $8,528 (89.4%) $9,537
2021 $1,273 (12.5%) $8,874 (87.5%) $10,147
2022 $1,548 (13.7%) $9,726 (86.3%) $11,274
2023 $1,739 (14.1%) $10,554 (85.9%) $12,293

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Clara B Bolen 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.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 207th of 1408 Elementary schoolsRanks 628th of 1470 Elementary schools
 28%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clara B Bolen Elementary School)69.946.9
 23%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Tawas Area Schools)69.946.9
 23%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.140.9
 4.2%
3rd Grade Math (Clara B Bolen Elementary School)62.730.5
 32.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Tawas Area Schools)62.730.5
 32.2%
   3rd Grade Math (Michigan)46.742.9
 3.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clara B Bolen Elementary School)60.252.7
 7.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Tawas Area Schools)60.252.7
 7.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Michigan)45.844.3
 1.5%
4th Grade Math (Clara B Bolen Elementary School)5945.9
 13.1%
   4th Grade Math (Tawas Area Schools)5945.9
 13.1%
   4th Grade Math (Michigan)41.838.6
 3.2%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students445434
 2.5%
African American24
 100%
American Indian00
Asian31
 66.7%
Hispanic2122
 4.8%
Pacific Islander00
White398379
 4.8%
Two or More Races2128
 33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients60.4%63.6%
 3.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Clara B Bolen Elementary School

In the 2023-24 school year, 436 students attended Clara B Bolen Elementary School.

Students at Clara B Bolen Elementary School are 90% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Students who attend Clara B Bolen Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Tawas Area Middle School
High : Tawas Area High School

Clara B Bolen Elementary School ranks 684th of 1486 Michigan elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.


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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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