Best Public Schools in Fraser, MI

Fraser, Michigan is served by six public schools—three elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools—that together educate roughly 3,533 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, split between the Fraser Public Schools district and the independent Arts Academy in the Woods charter district.

For parents, the standout choice is Richards Middle School, which earns a 4-star rating (71st percentile) and outpaces every other school in the area. Its 7th-grade math proficiency (39.1%) and 8th-grade social studies (51.7%) both beat state averages, and it has improved year over year. At the high school level, Fraser High School shines with a 94.3% graduation rate—far above the state’s 84%—and a dropout rate of just 1.9%. It also posted a dramatic 16.7-point jump in 11th-grade science proficiency, now exceeding state levels. Among elementary schools, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School has the lowest chronic absenteeism (19.3%) and the strongest 3rd-grade ELA scores (36.5%), while Eisenhower Elementary School and Thomas A Edison Elementary School lag behind, especially in early math and reading.

The biggest red flag is math. Fraser High School’s SAT math proficiency (17.2%) trails the state by nearly 10 points, and Arts Academy in the Woods shows just 10.8% proficiency in 10th-grade PSAT math versus a 31.5% state average. That charter school also struggles with chronic absenteeism (56.2%) and a 10.1% dropout rate, though it excels in 8th-grade social studies (70.2% vs. 47% state). Across all three elementary schools, math proficiency declines as students advance—Eisenhower drops from 40% in 3rd grade to 20% by 6th grade—suggesting foundational gaps that snowball later. Notably, Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School achieves the best attendance despite the lowest per-student funding ($13,994), while Thomas A Edison Elementary School spends the most ($17,584) yet has the highest economic disadvantage and weakest 3rd-grade reading. Richards Middle School’s success offers a potential model for improving math instruction district-wide.