Indian Prairie Elementary School

3546 Grand Prairie Road

School District

Kalamazoo Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-3
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:24
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 03, 2020

Love this school and the school district. The classrooms are very spacious and teachers use the latest and greatest in technology. We are so happy we landed in the Westwood neighborhood and that Indian Prairie was our main school. We only wish that it was K-5 not K-3.
Submitted by other on October 12, 2016

Indian Prairie is spectacular! The principal is sincere and genuinely cares about her students. She knows them by name and is always accessible. You see her each morning out front greeting kids and helping navigate student traffic. The real gem of this school is Mr. Pratt, he is a Jack of all trades. He monitors the halls, assists students who are struggling, and knows them all by name. He is the biggest reason we love this school so much. My kids talk about him as if he were part of the family. Even after my son had moved on to a new school (for 4th grade) he still continued to ask me about him and was quick to greet him whenever my son was with us to drop my daughter off.Another feature I really appreciate is the children never stand outside. Once the doors open the students gather inside the gym (or breakfast area) and wait for their teacher to pick them up each morning when the final bell rings.My only complaint is they only go to third grade, and the parking lot like most schools is a struggle during peak pick-up and drop-off times.The entire atmosphere at Indian Prairie is wonderful. You can tell all of the teachers are genuinely invested in the students. They focus on the children as a whole not just academics.It's a small school that feels more like home. After visiting half a dozen schools and having a terrible experience at one, Indian Prairie has been a true blessing for our family. We are going on our third year and don't plan on moving until our youngest outgrows their grade limits.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2015

Indian Prairie is a sweet little school. My son is a Kindergartener there, and he really enjoys school and his teachers. I'm very happy with the general feeling of the place- it's a small school, and very friendly. Students are all greeted by name, parents are active via the PTO, and the principal is quite responsive. My son was reading before starting Kindergarten, and one limitation of this school is that they don't challenge him quite as much as we can at home. I suspect we'd have some issues with that anywhere, and they were willing to adapt a bit by letting him visit a 1st grade classroom on a regular basis. In that classroom, he's gotten a bit more advanced phonics and word component work that really filled in some gaps in his knowledge nicely. For Kindergarten, right now they do half day for the official academic program, but they offer full day coverage via a "wrap around" program. The wrap around teacher is great, and I feel like she's a bit under-utilized-. As far as district-wide issues, we have been less than thrilled with the buses. In addition, the food service is definitely healthier on paper than I remember, but not exactly inspiring.
Submitted by other on April 28, 2014

My Grandson was very shy. Not any more. 2 years at Indian prairie he is out of his shell and doing GREAT!!!
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2011

Indian Prairie is a fabulous school with awesome teachers and parents! This was my son's first year of school and we had many concerns about him being able to adjust, but he has had a wonderful time and has been academically soaring since he started. The principal is "totally awesome" as she would say! She is fair, understanding, loving, and absolutely loves what she does and it shows. The teachers and staff are all awesome as well! I would have never dreamed that my child would be reading halfway through Kindergarten! I would highly recommend this school to anyone that wants their child to not only get a great education but also be in a great environment.