Summary:
Richmond Community Schools is a small, unified district in Michigan serving about 1,538 students across three schools: Will L Lee School (PK-3), Richmond Middle School (grades 4-8), and Richmond Community High School (grades 9-12). The district holds a 4-star rating, ranking in the 74th percentile of Michigan districts, with relatively low poverty levels (free/reduced lunch rates between 26% and 33%).
If you have young children, Will L Lee School is the standout choice. Its 3rd graders post exceptional scores—63.7% proficient in math (20.8 points above the state) and 52.4% in ELA (14.2 points above). For older students, Richmond Middle School is the district's rising star, climbing from the 63rd to the 74th percentile in state rankings over three years. It now earns 4 stars, with 8th graders beating state averages in science (+11.7 points) and social studies (+7.6 points). At the high school level, Richmond Community High School shines in humanities—11th graders are 16.2 points above the state in social studies, and SAT reading/writing scores exceed state averages by 8.3 points. Its graduation rate (89.2%) also tops the state's 84.0%.
The district's biggest challenge is math. While 3rd graders excel, proficiency plunges by 5th grade (23.6%, below the state average) and never fully recovers. PSAT math scores in grades 8-10 run 4-14 points below state averages, and SAT math (27.7%) barely matches the state. This creates a clear split: the district is strong in reading, writing, and social studies but weak in quantitative subjects. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at the high school (25.0%), though the district overall (20.8%) beats the state's 27.9%. For parents, this means excellent humanities instruction and a strong elementary foundation, but you may want to supplement math support starting around 4th or 5th grade.
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