Summary:
The Milan Area Schools district in Michigan operates two elementary schools—Clayton H Symons Elementary School and Paddock Elementary School—that together serve roughly 635 students from Pre-K through 4th grade in a suburban setting.
These two schools split the elementary grades, so they play different roles. Paddock Elementary School handles the youngest learners (Pre-K through 1st grade) and invests heavily in early education: it spends $21,892 per student and keeps class sizes small with a 9.7:1 student-teacher ratio. Clayton H Symons Elementary School serves grades 2-4 and is the academic standout, posting strong test scores. In 2025-2026, its 4th graders hit 49.6% math proficiency—10 points above the state average—and its 3rd graders reached 46.2% in English Language Arts, also beating the state. Symons has improved its state ranking for three straight years, climbing from 673rd to 536th. Notably, Symons achieves these results while 41.85% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and it still beats state averages in three of four tested subjects.
One odd finding is the absenteeism gap: Paddock Elementary School has a 20.2% chronic absenteeism rate versus 14.3% at Clayton H Symons Elementary School, even though both are far below the district's 42.6% average—suggesting attendance issues are concentrated in older grades. Also, while Paddock spends 23.8% more per student, its impact can't yet be measured since it has no standardized test data. Parents should watch one concern at Symons: 3rd grade math proficiency dropped sharply from 52.1% to 43.3% year-over-year, even as other subjects improved. Overall, this district offers a strong elementary foundation, with Symons leading academically and Paddock providing intensive early support.
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