Summary:
The Essexville-Hampton Public Schools district in Michigan serves two elementary schools—Verellen Elementary School (grades 2-4) and WR Bush Elementary School (grades PK-1)—in a community where the district overall ranks in the 64th percentile of Michigan districts, indicating solid, above-average performance.
These two schools function as a feeder system, with WR Bush Elementary School focusing on the youngest learners (PK-1) and Verellen Elementary School handling grades 2-4. A key difference is class size: WR Bush has a much lower student-teacher ratio (13.8) compared to Verellen (22.4), and it spends more per student ($13,029 vs. $11,854). This suggests WR Bush offers more individualized attention for early learners, though it also has a higher chronic absenteeism rate (24.3%) than Verellen (19.3%). Both schools serve nearly identical socioeconomic populations, with about 46% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, so differences in outcomes are not driven by poverty levels.
Academically, Verellen Elementary School is the only school with published test scores, and it shows a clear split: it excels in math, with 3rd-grade proficiency (49.5%) well above the state average and 4th-grade math (41.3%) also above state levels. However, English Language Arts is a concern—both 3rd-grade (24.5%) and 4th-grade (36.2%) proficiency rates fall below state averages. Verellen achieves these results while spending less per student, indicating strong efficiency. For parents, the district’s structure means a significant jump in class size between 1st and 2nd grade, and while WR Bush invests heavily in early education, its higher absenteeism is worth monitoring. Verellen’s math strength is a standout, but its ELA struggles suggest families should consider supplemental reading support.
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