Summary:
Monroe Public Schools serves about 4,384 students across 7 schools in Michigan, including four elementary schools, one middle school, one traditional high school, and one alternative high school, with the district overall ranking in the 21st percentile statewide.
There is a stark contrast between the district’s top and bottom performers. Raisinville School is the clear standout, climbing to the 47th percentile with proficiency rates in 4th grade math (39.1%) and ELA (40.6%) that nearly match state averages. It also has the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism at 18.0%, far better than the 30.6% district average. Manor Elementary School shows the most dramatic improvement, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency more than doubling to 54.3%—now 16 points above the state average. At the other end, Hollywood Elementary ranks in the 6th percentile, with 5th grade ELA proficiency at just 5.7%, and it has the highest poverty rate (79.4%) and highest per-student spending ($20,655) in the district, yet results remain persistently low.
Middle and high school performance lags significantly behind state averages. Monroe Middle School posts 7th grade math proficiency of 18.4% versus the state’s 33.3%, and Monroe High School shows 11th grade SAT math at just 11.8% compared to 26.5% statewide. However, Monroe High boasts a 96.6% graduation rate, well above the state average, though its low test scores raise questions about college readiness. Orchard Center High School, the alternative school, skews district averages with a 58.5% graduation rate and 54.5% chronic absenteeism. Across all schools, math is the universal weakness, and the strong correlation between attendance and achievement suggests that improving attendance—especially at Custer Elementary School (31.3% absenteeism) and Monroe Middle (38.0%)—could be the most effective lever for raising performance.
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