The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Science. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Parchment North Elem School
Parchment North Elem School is a two-grade intermediate building serving fourth and fifth graders in the Parchment School District, located on the north side of Kalamazoo. It is a regular public school, the kind of place that functions as a transitional step between early elementary and middle school, giving families a focused environment for exactly those grades.
The school's state testing results from the most recent M-STEP administration tell a mixed story. In English language arts, fifth graders performed well, with roughly half reaching proficiency. Fourth graders were lower in the same subject. Math results were the softest area across both grades, with fourth grade particularly low and fifth grade still modest. Science and social studies, tested only in fifth grade, landed in between, with science the stronger of the two. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint among districts in Kalamazoo County. The fifth grade results are the brighter side of the picture, suggesting some students gain ground as they move through the building, but the math numbers are a soft spot a parent may want to look into further with the school.
The school draws a student body that is majority white, with a meaningful Black population and students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the working-class character of the surrounding area. The enrollment is small for its grade band, which can mean more familiarity among staff and students. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized.
Kalamazoo itself is a mixed-use city with a walkable downtown centered on the Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States. The city has a major higher-education presence through Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and its economy runs on pharmaceuticals, medical science, healthcare, and craft brewing. The Kalamazoo River and its tributaries wind through the city. Publicly reported sources note the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship program covering tuition at Michigan public universities and community colleges for graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools. That program does not apply to Parchment School District families, since Parchment is a separate district, so parents should not count on it when planning for this school.
Housing in the school's zip code is relatively affordable. Home values sit below the state benchmark and well below the national one, and rents are moderate. The price-to-income ratio is on the low side, and estimated monthly rent comes in below the estimated monthly mortgage cost, which means renting is currently the cheaper path for a family weighing the two. Home values have been appreciating modestly year over year, tracking close to the statewide pace.
Several pieces of information were missing and are worth naming plainly. No participation rates were reported for any tested subject or grade. No chronic absenteeism data was available. No staffing, course access, attendance, or discipline information was provided. No graduation rate applies here, since the school does not serve high school grades. No Title I status was reported. The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes of lasting impact from recent years, so there is little to report on that front.
What this school appears to be is a small intermediate building in an affordable corner of the Kalamazoo area, serving a working-class community with a diverse student mix. Its fifth grade ELA and science results are genuinely encouraging. Its math results across both grades are the area that gives the most pause. A family considering this school would do well to ask how the building supports students who arrive below grade level in math and what the growth trajectory looks like from fourth to fifth grade.
See more original research from School Decision →