Eastside Connections School, Niles MI

Original Research by School Decision on Eastside Connections School

Eastside Connections School sits on Tyler Street in Niles, a small city on the St. Joseph River just north of the Indiana state line. It is a regular public school serving kindergarten through eighth grade, part of Niles Community Schools. The building functions as both an elementary and a middle school, one of several Niles Community Schools buildings distributed across the city rather than concentrated on a single campus. Roughly 430 students are enrolled, spread fairly evenly across the nine grade levels, with somewhere between forty and fifty-five students per grade. About half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial composition is majority white, with meaningful Black and Hispanic representation and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. Data on English learners and special education enrollment was not available, which is a gap a parent may want to ask the school about directly.

Academically, Eastside Connections posted strong state assessment results in the most recent testing cycle. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through eight were generally solid, with fourth grade standing out as particularly strong and fifth grade as the relative soft spot. English language arts results are more varied across grades. Third grade proficiency was on the lower side, while sixth grade and eighth grade results were very strong, with the sixth-grade rate reported in the highest band and eighth grade reaching an exceptionally high level. Science results, tested in grades five and eight, were solid in both, and social studies followed a similar pattern with fifth grade weaker and eighth grade quite strong. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Berrien County. Because this is a K-8 building, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available.

Niles itself is a community with a layered history. Publicly reported sources describe it as the "City of Four Flags," reflecting periods of French, British, Spanish, and American governance. The downtown runs along East Main Street, anchored by Riverfront Park, which stretches along the St. Joseph River and hosts seasonal festivals and community events. The city sits at the northern end of the Indiana-Michigan River Valley Trail, a multi-use path connecting to South Bend and Mishawaka. The population has been slightly declining in recent years, though the city holds a state designation as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community. Health care, retail, and food service are the largest economic sectors by revenue, and many residents commute to nearby South Bend or other communities in the Niles-Benton Harbor metropolitan area.

The housing market in the school's zip code is modest by both state and national standards. Home values sit well below the Michigan statewide benchmark and considerably below the national figure, with a price-to-income affordability ratio that remains favorable compared to many markets. Rental data was not available for this area. Mortgage rates in the broader economy have been holding in the mid-six percent range.

At the district level, Niles Community Schools has been investing substantially in its facilities. Voters approved two bond proposals in the spring of 2023 covering classroom additions, safety and security upgrades, a new multi-purpose athletic facility, technology, and bus replacements. A separate bond passed at a subsequent November election is funding a high school addition with new classrooms and a robotics lab, gym renovations, security upgrades at the high school and middle school, and new HVAC systems across multiple buildings. These projects come with a property tax increase for residents but are transforming the district's physical plant.

For a family weighing Eastside Connections, the academic picture is a genuine strength, particularly in the upper elementary and middle grades where proficiency rates climb to impressive levels. The community offers a small-city feel with riverfront amenities and trail access, affordable housing, and a school district actively upgrading its buildings. The main gaps to probe are the lower early-grade ELA and social studies results, the missing special population data, and the absence of absenteeism figures.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 52% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 470%

School 70% · District 49% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 32% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 32% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 35% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 40% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 36% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 448%

School 48% · District 50% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 54% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 49% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 890%

School 90% · District 72% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Science

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 43% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 39% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 27% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 881%

School 81% · District 47% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

This schoolNiles Community Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income41%Higher-income35%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income59%23 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income73%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income56%Higher-income70%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income79%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income47%Higher-income60%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income77%42 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income44%Higher-income78%34 pp gap