Best Public Schools in Ira, MI

The city of Ira, Michigan, is served by three public schools—Anchor Bay High School, Francois Maconce Elementary School, and Palms Elementary School—spanning elementary through high school and split between the Anchor Bay School District and the East China School District.

For parents, the standout choice is Palms Elementary School, which earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the 80th percentile statewide—far ahead of its local counterpart. Palms outperforms state averages in nearly every subject, with strong 3rd-grade math (61.4% proficient) and 4th-grade ELA (64.3% proficient). In contrast, Francois Maconce Elementary School is a major concern: it holds only a 2-star rating, has dropped to the 34th percentile, and trails state averages by 15–20 points in most subjects. At the high school level, Anchor Bay High School is a reliable performer with a 4-star rating, a 94.8% graduation rate (11 points above the state), and strong ELA scores, though math (27.9%) and science (27.8%) proficiency lag behind state averages.

The most striking finding is the divide between the two elementary schools. Francois Maconce has a 64.58% free/reduced lunch rate and a 34.9% chronic absenteeism rate—more than double that of Palms (26.53% and 15.7%, respectively). Despite spending the most per student ($15,714) and having the lowest student-teacher ratio (13.9), Francois Maconce still struggles academically, suggesting that socioeconomic challenges and attendance issues outweigh financial resources. Meanwhile, Anchor Bay High School benefits from a lower poverty rate (20.34%) but still faces chronic absenteeism near the state average. Parents should note that while the East China School District ranks higher overall, the gap between Ira’s two elementary schools is far larger than the district gap, pointing to school-level and demographic factors as the primary drivers of outcomes.