The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Kempton Elementary School
Kempton Elementary School sits on Davenport Avenue in Saginaw, serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as a regular public school in the Saginaw School District of the City of. The school draws from a city whose identity is rooted in industrial history. Saginaw grew from a nineteenth-century lumber town into a twentieth-century automobile and auto-parts manufacturing hub dominated by General Motors, and like much of the Rust Belt, it has weathered decades of deindustrialization, population decline, and economic restructuring. Publicly reported sources describe the city as culturally diverse, positioned along the Saginaw River about fifteen miles inland from Saginaw Bay, with a downtown corridor anchored by the Castle Museum, the Temple Theatre, and the Dow Event Center. Modern economic development efforts have turned toward innovation, clean energy, and continued manufacturing exports, though the city still carries a higher proportion of manufacturing jobs than the national average. The housing market around Kempton reflects this economic context in stark terms. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below both the state and national benchmarks, making ownership relatively attainable for working families, while rents are likewise modest. The price-to-income ratio is close to the national figure, and estimated monthly mortgage costs run lower than typical rent, which means buying can be financially competitive for households with stable income.
The school itself enrolls a mid-sized elementary population spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through sixth grade. Its student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial White minority and smaller Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial populations. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places Kempton among the highest-poverty schools in its area. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those figures are left out rather than estimated.
On Michigan's M-STEP assessments, Kempton's results are low across every tested subject and grade. Math proficiency is particularly thin, with third grade showing only a small fraction of test-takers reaching proficiency and fourth and fifth grades landing in the lowest reporting band. English language arts results are somewhat stronger but still modest, with third grade performing best among the tested grades. Science and social studies proficiency in fifth grade are also low. Across all tested subjects and grades, Kempton's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Saginaw County. These are straightforward results from the most recent state assessment cycle, and a parent considering Kempton may want to look into what academic supports and interventions the school has in place to help students move toward grade-level proficiency.
The broader district context is relevant for families thinking ahead to secondary school. In fall 2024, the Saginaw School District of the City of consolidated its two historic high schools, Arthur Hill and Saginaw High, into a single new building called Saginaw United High School. The former Arthur Hill facility became the Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, and the former Saginaw High building was repurposed as Saginaw Middle School. This reorganization reshaped attendance boundaries and grade configurations across the district, and families at Kempton will feed into this newly structured secondary system.
Some data gaps are worth naming. No chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, or staffing figures were available for Kempton, and no program offerings such as magnet pathways or specialized curricula were listed. The school is not a charter school and has no magnet designation reported. Kempton is a neighborhood elementary serving a high-poverty community in a city still working through the long tail of industrial decline, with state test results that reflect the challenges that come with that context. Families drawn to the area by affordable housing and a close-knit community will want to engage directly with the school about its academic plan and student support services.
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