Best Public Schools in Leroy, MI

The city of Leroy, Michigan, is served by the Pine River Area Schools district, which includes three schools—Pine River Area Elementary School (PK-3), Pine River Area Middle School (4-7), and Pine River Area High School (8-12)—together enrolling roughly 894 students in this rural community.

For parents, the standout is Pine River Area Middle School, which has earned a 3-star rating for two consecutive years and climbed to the 51st percentile statewide—the only building in the district to reach that distinction. It also posts the best attendance among the three schools, with chronic absenteeism at 20% versus 25.5% at the elementary and 15.5% at the high school. The high school, meanwhile, shows a mixed picture: it excels in 8th-grade English Language Arts (75% proficient, 10 points above the state) and boasts a 91.7% graduation rate, well above Michigan’s 84% average, with a dropout rate of just 1.3%. However, its 11th-grade math proficiency is alarmingly low at 11.4% (state: 26.5%), and its overall ranking slipped to the 41st percentile in 2025-2026. The elementary school has limited ranking data but shows the highest economic need (68% free/reduced lunch) and the most chronic absenteeism, suggesting early challenges.

The district’s biggest systemic issue is math: from 8th through 11th grade, proficiency lags the state by 11–15 percentage points, a pattern that persists year over year. ELA is more erratic—strong in 8th grade but falling below state averages by 10th grade—likely reflecting small cohorts of just 65–90 students per grade, which causes dramatic swings (e.g., 4th-grade math dropped from 52.9% to 26.2% in one year). Social studies is a consistent weakness, trailing by 3–10 points. Despite these academic gaps, the district outperforms state averages on attendance and graduation, a notable achievement given that 58–68% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Spending varies by $2,212 per student between the elementary and high school, yet the elementary shows the weakest outcomes. Overall, the district’s trajectory is positive—rising from the 34th to 45th percentile—with the middle school leading the way.