Summary:
Perry Public Schools in Michigan serves two elementary schools—Perry Upper Elementary (grades 3-6) and Perry Elementary Early Learning Center (grades PK-2)—in a small, rural district where both schools have relatively low chronic absenteeism (14-17% vs. the 27.9% state average) and similar socioeconomic profiles, with about 35-37% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch.
For parents, the standout academic performer is Perry Upper Elementary, particularly in 6th grade, where 2025-2026 proficiency rates hit 55.1% in English Language Arts and 44.9% in Math—well above state averages. However, this school shows a dramatic and concerning dip in 5th grade that year, with proficiency collapsing to just 20.3% in ELA, 10.1% in Math, and 7.6% in Social Studies. This is not a systemic curriculum issue, because the previous year’s 5th graders (2024-2025) scored exceptionally well (50.6% ELA, 45.7% Math), suggesting the current 5th-grade cohort faces unique challenges. Meanwhile, Perry Elementary Early Learning Center excels in resource allocation, with a much lower student-teacher ratio (12.8 vs. 18.9) and higher per-student spending ($18,836 vs. $15,157), reflecting a strong district investment in early foundational education.
The most important takeaway is the year-over-year volatility at Perry Upper Elementary. While 6th graders demonstrate the school can achieve high outcomes, the 5th-grade slump in 2025-2026 is severe enough to warrant immediate attention from district leadership. Parents should note that the school’s performance is highly cohort-dependent—strong in some years, weak in others—rather than reflecting a stable trend. Given the resource disparity between the two schools, one practical question is whether shifting some funding from the Early Learning Center to support the struggling 5th-grade cohort could smooth these swings and ensure more consistent academic growth across all elementary grades.
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