Plainwell Community Schools

Public Regional · 3 towns Grades PK–12 B+School Grade

Public schools for Cooper, Gun Plain and Plainwell, and parts of Otsego, Alamo, Orangeville and Martin.

At a glance

2,620Students enrolled

6Schools

3Towns served

$13,495Spent per student

18:1Student–teacher ratio

34%Free / reduced lunch

School path

Where would my kid go?

CooperGun PlainPlainwell

Grades PK–5

Gilkey Elementary School or Parchment Central Elem School or Parchment Northwood Elem SchoolDepends on your addressThis district

Grades PK–5

Gilkey Elementary School439 students · PlainwellThis district

Grades PK–5

Gilkey Elementary School439 students · PlainwellThis district

Based on district boundaries from the U.S. Department of Education. Where a town has more than one school at a grade, your street decides; check with the district before you enroll.

Academic performanceDistrict vs MI

Math proficiency30%

State average 34.6%

Reading / language arts48%

State average 47.9%

Graduation rate (4-year)88%

State average 82.9%

EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (tests 2020–21; graduation 2019–20). The tick marks the state average.

Where the money goes

$13,495

per student each year · 18% below the MI average

Spending

Classroom instruction59%

Support & administration37%

Other4%

Paid for by

Local (mostly property tax)31%

State63%

Federal6%

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances (fiscal 2024).

Enrollment · last 5 years

2,644’20

2,523’21

2,607’22

2,634’23

2,620’24

Students

White · 87%2,277

Hispanic · 6%157

Two or more races · 4%109

Black · 2%45

Asian · 1%18

American Indian/Alaska Native · 0%9

Across the district's schools, as reported to NCES.

Towns served

📍

Cooper10,469 people

📍

Gun Plain6,151 people

📍

Plainwell3,763 people

Also covers small parts of Otsego, Alamo, Orangeville and Martin.

Schools6 in district

📚

Gilkey Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–5 · 439 students · Plainwell

B+Public 📚

Starr Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–5 · 410 students · Plainwell

C+Public 📚

Cooper Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–5 · 288 students · Kalamazoo

BPublic 📚

Plainwell Middle SchoolMiddle · Grades 6–8 · 569 students · Plainwell

BPublic 🏫

Plainwell High SchoolHigh · Grades 9–12 · 828 students · Plainwell

B+Public 🏫

Renaissance High SchoolHigh · Grades 9–12 · 86 students · Plainwell

CPublic

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES). Ratings are from neighbors on TownTapestry.

Nearby districts

🏫

Delton-Kellogg School DistrictHope · Prairieville · $13,997 per student

🏫

Gull Lake Community SchoolsPrairieville · Richland · $14,272 per student

🏫

Hopkins Public SchoolsWatson · $14,561 per student

🏫

Kalamazoo Public School DistrictKalamazoo · Oshtemo · $16,885 per student

District facts from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory and school district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau's school finance survey. Test scores and graduation rates from EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings reflect opinions, not an official measure of school quality.