S.W. Michigan Schools Show Wide Range of Poverty Rates in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren

The following is a chart showing the childhood poverty rate by school district for school districts in three counties of far SW Michigan:  Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren

District Name Poverty Rate Benton Harbor Area Schools 47.0% Hartford Public School District 41.5% South Haven Public Schools 37.4% Bangor Public Schools 35.3% Covert Public Schools 32.4% Cassopolis Public Schools 30.4% Bloomingdale Public School District 29.5% Niles Community School District 28.7% Decatur Public Schools 28.1% Watervliet School District 27.6% Paw Paw Public School District 25.7% Eau Claire Public Schools 24.9% Lawrence Public School District 24.4% Dowagiac Union Schools 23.4% Lawton Community School District 21.3% New Buffalo Area School District 20.9% Brandywine Public School District 20.3% Galien Township School District 19.9% Berrien Springs Public Schools 19.6% Buchanan Community School District 18.8% Gobles Public School District 18.6% Marcellus Community Schools 18.5% Coloma Community Schools 18.3% River Valley School District 16.9% Bridgman Public Schools 14.2% Edwardsburg Public Schools 13.4% Lakeshore School District 9.8% Mattawan Consolidated School 8.5% St. Joseph Public Schools 7.4% Source of Data:  US Census Bureau 2011 Poverty rate is the percentage of school age children within the school districts boundaries in poverty who are attending public, private, charter, or home schools. The average for the 3-county area is 24.2%