The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Bean Elementary School
Bean Elementary School was a regular public elementary school in Spring Arbor, Michigan, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Western School District. The most important thing a family needs to know is that Bean Elementary, along with Warner Elementary and Parma Elementary, was closed and consolidated into the newly built Western Elementary School, which opened on February 3, 2026. The attendance boundaries across the district's communities were redrawn as part of this consolidation. The academic data presented here reflects Bean's last operating period, before the closure.
On the most recent state assessments, the M-STEP results from the 2024-25 school year, Bean showed a mixed but generally strong profile across tested grades. English language arts was the school's clear strength. Fourth-grade ELA proficiency was especially high, with roughly three-quarters of tested students scoring proficient or above. Third-grade and fifth-grade ELA results were solid, with about half of students meeting proficiency. Math results were more uneven. Fourth-grade math was the strongest, with just over half of students proficient. Third-grade math was middling, and fifth-grade math was the weakest result, with fewer than two-fifths of students reaching proficiency. Fifth-grade science landed at about half proficient, while fifth-grade social studies was the lowest result across all tested subjects and grades.
When placed against its peers, Bean's overall proficiency index, an average across tested subjects and grades, sat in the top quartile relative to districts in Jackson County. The school's index came in above the county median and at or above the highest value reported among the comparison group. That positioning reflects the strength of the ELA results and the solid fourth-grade math performance pulling the overall average upward, despite the weaker fifth-grade math and social studies numbers. A parent may want to look into the fifth-grade math and social studies results further with the district, particularly since those are the final grades before students move on to middle school.
The school enrolled roughly 400 students across six grade levels, a mid-sized elementary for the area. The student body was predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population and a small number of students identifying as two or more races. Asian and Black students each made up a very small share. About a third of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not reported, so those populations cannot be described here.
Spring Arbor is a small unincorporated community in Jackson County, organized along State Highway M-60, which connects it to Jackson a short drive to the northeast. The community blends residential neighborhoods with Spring Arbor University, a liberal arts institution affiliated with the Free Methodist Church and the community's largest employer. Several nursing homes and assisted living facilities also operate locally. Lime Lake County Park and the Falling Waters Trail provide recreation, and the area is known for its artesian springs. The township has publicly promoted itself as a place to raise children. Population estimates have fluctuated and recent projections suggest decline rather than growth. No major new housing developments were identified.
Housing in the 49283 zip code sits below the national benchmark but above the Michigan state median, with a price-to-income ratio near three, making it relatively affordable for a family earning around the national median household income. Mortgage costs run higher than local rents, so renting may be the more accessible entry point for families moving into the area.
Because Bean Elementary has been consolidated into Western Elementary, families considering this area should direct questions about current programming, staffing, class sizes, and support services to the new school. The academic record Bean leaves behind suggests a school where literacy instruction was a real strength and where math and social studies had room to grow. How those results carry into the consolidated building will depend on how the district blends staff, curriculum, and community across the three former attendance zones.
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