Summary:
South Range Elementary School is the only school serving the city of South Range, Michigan, a small community in the Upper Peninsula, and it covers grades PK through 6 as part of the Adams Township School District.
With just 204 students, this is a tight-knit elementary school where every child is likely to be known by name. The school stands out for its excellent attendance—only 12% of students are chronically absent, which is less than half the state average of 27.9%. That means kids are showing up ready to learn. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $16,559 per pupil and maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 11.4 to 1, which allows for more personalized attention. Academically, the 6th grade is a clear highlight: proficiency in English Language Arts (68.2%) and Math (72.7%) nearly doubles the state averages. Fifth-grade social studies also shines, with 40.7% proficiency versus 27.5% statewide.
However, there are concerns. The school’s state ranking dropped from 193rd (4 stars) in 2024-2025 to 563rd (3 stars) in 2025-2026, driven by a sharp decline in test scores across most grades and subjects. For example, 3rd-grade ELA fell from 58.8% to 34.4%, and 5th-grade science dropped from 76.2% to 51.9%. Performance is also uneven by grade—while 6th graders excel, 4th-grade math proficiency (26.3%) trails the state average (39.4%). About 42.65% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating moderate economic diversity. Since this single school is the entire district, its results directly reflect the district’s effectiveness. Given the strong attendance, ample funding, and low class sizes, the school has the resources to reverse this recent slide and build on its clear strengths in the upper elementary grades.
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