Best Public Schools in Three Oaks, MI

The city of Three Oaks, Michigan, is served by the River Valley School District, which operates just two schools—an elementary school and a combined middle/high school—for roughly 460 students in a small, rural southwest Michigan community.

For parents, the standout story here is the dramatic improvement at River Valley MiddleHigh School, which jumped from the 43rd to the 82nd percentile in state rankings in a single year. This is corroborated by big test-score gains, such as 6th grade ELA proficiency rising from 20.6% to 50% and 11th grade social studies jumping from 35.1% to 63.4%. The school also posts a graduation rate of 85.2%, slightly above the state average. However, this secondary school struggles with math—SAT math proficiency is just 23.3% versus 26.5% statewide—and chronic absenteeism sits at 27.4%, nearly double the rate at River Valley Elementary School (15.8%). The elementary school, by contrast, is more consistent, ranking in the 66th percentile with ELA scores above state averages in every grade and a standout 5th grade social studies score of 50% proficiency—nearly double the state’s 27.5%. It also benefits from a very low 9.7:1 student-teacher ratio.

A clear pattern emerges across both buildings: reading and writing are strong, while math lags. Elementary ELA proficiency averages 48.4% versus 40% in math, and secondary PSAT ELA scores range from 67.6% to 74.2% while PSAT math falls between 22.6% and 44.1%. The district spends generously—$25,465 per elementary student and $23,339 per secondary student—yet results are uneven, suggesting resources alone aren’t solving the math gap. The elementary school serves a higher-poverty population (61.54% free/reduced lunch) than the secondary school (55.47%) yet achieves better attendance and steadier academics, hinting that strong early interventions may fade as students advance. Overall, the district’s 4-star rating masks these internal disparities, making it a place where elementary families will likely feel confident, while secondary families should watch math support and attendance closely.