Summary:
The three public schools serving Richmond, Michigan, are part of the highly-rated Richmond Community Schools district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 74th percentile statewide, covering grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of about 1,538 students across a small, primarily residential community.
For parents, the standout academic performer is Will L Lee School, where 3rd-grade math proficiency (63.7%) is nearly 21 points above the state average and ELA proficiency (52.4%) is 14 points above, indicating a very strong elementary foundation. However, the district faces a dramatic math "drop-off" after 3rd grade: proficiency falls to 46.8% in 4th grade and plummets to just 23.6% by 5th grade, remaining low through middle school and into high school (27.7% on the SAT). This pattern is especially visible at Richmond Middle School, where 8th graders post a strong 69.3% ELA proficiency but only 24.6% in math—8.6 points below the state average. In contrast, Richmond Community High School excels in humanities: 11th-grade Social Studies proficiency (59.4%) is 16.2 points above the state average, and SAT Reading/Writing (60.4%) is 8.3 points above, though its math scores remain a concern.
Beyond academics, the middle school has shown consistent improvement, climbing from the 63rd to 74th percentile in state rankings over three years. The high school boasts a strong 89.2% graduation rate (above the state's 84%), and the elementary school has the best student-teacher ratio at 13.3:1. Economic disadvantage is relatively low (26-33% free/reduced lunch), yet chronic absenteeism is a hidden challenge—25% of high schoolers and nearly 19% of middle and elementary students are chronically absent, though all remain below the state average of 27.9%. Per-student spending is consistent across the district ($13,653-$14,788).
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