Best Public Schools in Muir, MI

Muir, Michigan, is served by a single public elementary school, Twin Rivers Elementary School, which educates students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade within the Ionia Public Schools district.

For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Twin Rivers Elementary is currently facing significant academic challenges, particularly in math. The school’s overall state ranking has slipped from the 32nd percentile in 2024-2025 to the 26th percentile in 2025-2026, causing its star rating to drop from 2 stars to 1 star. The most alarming data point is 4th-grade math proficiency, which sits at just 19.05%—a staggering 18.5 percentage points below the district average of 37.6%. This suggests a possible instructional gap or a particularly difficult cohort in that grade. However, there is a relative bright spot: 5th-grade math proficiency (21.2%) actually outperforms the district average (19.9%), indicating that some interventions may be working in the upper elementary grades. English Language Arts scores are also below state averages across all grade levels, with 5th grade performing best at 33.3% proficiency.

Context is crucial here. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 65% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and it spends a substantial $14,029 per student. Despite this funding, results remain low, and chronic absenteeism affects 27% of students—a rate that likely contributes to the volatile test scores. With only 183 students enrolled, a single classroom of 25-30 children can dramatically swing the school’s proficiency rates from year to year, as seen in the sharp drop in 4th-grade math from 32.4% to 19.05% in just one year. Parents should be aware that while the school is investing resources and has a dedicated staff, the combination of high poverty, absenteeism, and small cohort sizes makes consistent academic improvement an uphill battle. If you are considering this school, it would be wise to ask the principal about specific math intervention programs and how the school supports chronically absent students.