Best Elementary Schools in Howell, MI

Howell, Michigan is home to 8 elementary-level schools serving approximately 4,782 students, with seven schools belonging to Howell Public Schools and one independent charter academy, Charyl Stockwell Academy, which stands out as the academic leader in the area with a 4-star rating and the highest proficiency rates across nearly every subject and grade level.

For parents comparing schools, Charyl Stockwell Academy is the clear top performer, achieving an average 5th-grade ELA proficiency of 67.3% and spending the least per student at $11,531, while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 25.7%. Among the district schools, Ruahmah J Hutchings Elementary and Parker Middle School (a K-8 school) post the strongest overall ELA averages at 51.0% and 52.1% respectively, while Challenger Elementary shows the most dramatic improvement, jumping nearly 300 ranking positions to the 73rd percentile. In contrast, Southwest Elementary and Three Fires Elementary lag behind with average ELA proficiency below 40%, and Northwest Elementary spends the most per student ($19,237) yet achieves only mid-pack results, suggesting that spending levels do not directly translate to academic success.

A critical concern for the area is chronic absenteeism: every Howell Public Schools elementary building exceeds the state average of 27.9%, with Southwest Elementary at a staggering 44.4% and Voyager Elementary at 43.2%. This absenteeism issue appears to be impacting outcomes, as Southwest Elementary saw its 3rd-grade ELA proficiency plummet from 49.5% to 28.4% in one year. Additionally, Social Studies is a systemic weakness across all schools, with even top-performing Charyl Stockwell Academy only reaching 39.6% proficiency. Parents should also note that Parker Middle School shows a "middle school dip" with declining scores from 5th to 6th grade before recovering by 8th grade, and that Northwest Elementary has an exceptionally strong 3rd-grade math program (65.8% proficiency) that unfortunately does not sustain into later grades.